# Is clumping clay cat litter harmful to cats?



## rannmiller

I've used natural litter in the past (Arm and Hammer Essentials), but it got too expensive at the time so I switched to Tidy Cats (yes, I hate anything made by Purina but darnit if they don't make a great, cheap cat litter) and just stuck with it because it worked so well and was so much cheaper. 

Well just I heard from someone that clumping clay cat litters are bad for cats because they lick the clumping agent off of their paws when they groom themselves, which causes them serious internal damage over time :frown: I know I'd heard something about this years ago but it was more of an environmental concern from the person at the time, so I wasn't as worried about it. Yes, it seems backasswards for me to worry about my cats more than the entire planet but that's just the way my heart works, ok?

Anyway, I would love to hear what you guys know about it/what you use for your cats. 

Here's what I've found so far:

CLUMPING LITTER



> There has been a rise in depressed immune systems, respiratory distress, irritable bowel syndrome, and vomiting (other than hairballs) among cats that I have seen in the past two years. All had one thing in common... a clumping product in their litter box. In several cases, simply removing the litter improved the condition of the cat.





> It is my belief that the clumping substance "coats" the digestive tract, attracting the collection of old fecal material, increasing toxicity, bacteria growth and prohibiting proper assimilation of digested food. This can lead to stress on the immune system, leaving the animal susceptible to viral, bacterial, parasitic and yeast infections.


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## Mia

Yes, I have heard this too.

I ended up buying 2 big boxes from Costco. My friend uses corn based but I have heard bad things about that as well. Corn causes mold. I clean my litter trays daily. I never leave it. I currently have 4. One in the living room (since they are on raw it doesn't even smell at all). Three downstairs which is used sometimes.

Ran - no you are totally not silly for being concerned. I am too. I lovvvvvvve my cats. I wouldn't want to cause any health issues due to litter box issues.

What does everyone else use. I am pretty interested.


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## whiteleo

You know, I'm glad you have brought this up because I was going to awhile ago but then I got busy. My concern wasn't even about cats but more the effects on the elderly, I work around a lot of elderly senior people (it really depends on what bus I'm driving, right now I'm doing specialized)

These people love their cats and they get out for appts., shopping, and other activities and they all have health problems. The couple that I can recall off the top of my head always got on the bus and the first thing you can smell all over their body is cat litter, it is permeated in their clothes, one of these ladies just recently died.

I really think that there is something in that crap that is bad for cats and people..............................................IMO


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## Mia

I agree about the people thing too. I usually wear a mask when I am doing it. But I know it probably goes in the air.


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## MollyWoppy

I've been using that World's Best Cat Litter, its the corn based one, for the past 6 months. And, I love it.
It's more expensive but I find it clumps really really well, there aren't those annoying little pieces that slip through the slats on the scoop thing, so it actually lasts longer than the clay stuff.
I like the fact that I can flush it down the loo, that it doesn't have that perfume smell (smells natural, like, well, corn), there isn't that cloud of dust when you pour it out and most of all that it is so natural for the cat.
I've had people say to me that other animals will eat it, that they don't like the smell, that its too expensive and now the mould thing, but I haven't experienced any of these (as yet).
I would really like to get one of those electric litter boxes that clean themselves automatically, but, thats a battle I lost.


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## rannmiller

Oh yeah, that's a scary thought, especially for the people who have tons of cats and probably do a lot of litter box cleaning! I know sometimes I feel like my lungs have been poisoned after cleaning the cat boxes, that can't be a good sign! 

Darn you for saying that about corn-based litters because after I heard it I bought two bags of that Word's Best cat litter (corn-based) because it was on sale and figured I'd use that next. And the person I'd talked to about it said that her holistic vet had recommended it. Maybe changing it often enough will discourage mold growth. Maybe I'll go back to the Arm and Hammer Essentials, it smells so good! 

Either way, now that I know other people are worried it's good to know my worries aren't unfounded.


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## naturalfeddogs

The vet I used to work for always advised against clumping litters, because he said it could cause a hard blocking clump on the ends of male cats penis. Generaly the owner would not know this, and the cat would be unable to urinate. We never saw a case of this in the clinic, so it may have just been a personal worry. It seems like a cat, in grooming itself would clean this off. Maybe something to think about though.


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## jdatwood

I HATE clay based cat litter. Litter is expensive to mine and destructive to the areas it's mined from.

It's made from bentonite clay which doesn't bio-degrade. Each year over 2 million tons of cat litter, or approximately 100,000 truckloads, ends up in landfills in the U. S. alone. Hopefully that'll never start leeching into water tables...

Clumping clay cat litters also contain crystalline silica, or silica dust, which in California is treated as a known carcinogen

I would personally go with a natural litter OR get a Cat Genie. It was the best investment I ever made for our cats
Amazon.com: CatGenie 120 Self-Washing Self-Flushing Cat Box: Kitchen & Dining


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## whiteleo

I agree to use something beside clay litter, I've been using animal bedding pellets for almost 9 yrs now and the price just went up to $6.50 for a 40lb bag, that bag lasts me a good 2 1/2 months.


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## CorgiPaws

I admit, I've been using Scoop Away because it's cheap, and I am at CostCo all the time, so it's also convenient. I despise the smell, though, and the dust, and I've been meaning to look into something else.
I'm getting a cat genie this weekend... well, technically I'm getting Jon & Natalies when I adopt their kitty. I am excited to not have that nasty perfumed gunk anymore.


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## DaneMama

CorgiPaws said:


> I admit, I've been using Scoop Away because it's cheap, and I am at CostCo all the time, so it's also convenient. I despise the smell, though, and the dust, and I've been meaning to look into something else.
> I'm getting a cat genie this weekend... well, technically I'm getting Jon & Natalies when I adopt their kitty. I am excited to not have that nasty perfumed gunk anymore.


You'll enjoy never having to scoop cat crap anymore. My only gripe with the cat genie is that the little granules get on the floor. If you have carpet it may not be as bad because we have hard wood floors.


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## CorgiPaws

danemama08 said:


> You'll enjoy never having to scoop cat crap anymore. My only gripe with the cat genie is that the little granules get on the floor. If you have carpet it may not be as bad because we have hard wood floors.


It will be probably on carpet, we're going to have a tough time figuring out where to put it, because our bathroom has the sink in one room, and the toilet behind a closed door, and NO room in the laundry room, but I'll figure it out.

I know what you mean about the granules, but it's also the very same battle with litter. Except, clumping litter really is a pain to mop......


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## jdatwood

CorgiPaws said:


> It will be probably on carpet, we're going to have a tough time figuring out where to put it, because our bathroom has the sink in one room, and the toilet behind a closed door, and NO room in the laundry room, but I'll figure it out.
> 
> I know what you mean about the granules, but it's also the very same battle with litter. Except, clumping litter really is a pain to mop......


That could be a problem. You've gotta pipe it into water and a drain (either toilet or laundry)

It's a blessing to have though if/when you do get it set up!


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## rannmiller

naturalfeddogs said:


> It seems like a cat, in grooming itself would clean this off. Maybe something to think about though.


That's the problem is that the cat cleans if off of itself and it goes into their system and causes other blockages. 

This seals it, I'm gonna switch out their cat boxes tonight to the World's Best stuff. I'll let y'all know how I like it/how it works. 

Any other suggestions for natural cat litter brands? I don't think a cat genie will fit in my one little bathroom. Well, it would but I'd have to get rid of the awesome extra shelf/cabinet thing that allows my brother and me to keep all of our extra stuff in there (yes, I'm a girl and I have a lot of extra bathroom stuff ).

ETA: Ok I just changed out my litter boxes (man it sucks throwing away all that money I spent on litter) and I was surprised that the multi-cat litter is such a different color than the regular World's Best formula, it looks more like clay! *confused*


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## rannmiller

Well, Peyton and Penny discovered the tasty joys of corn-based litter last night. Ms. Iron-Gut Penny was fine but Peyton decided to vomit a lake all over my kitchen floor and then again on my bedroom floor in the middle of the night.


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## SerenityFL

The only problem with the Cat Genie, (which I would love to have), is that they say it's only good for up to about 3 cats. If you have more than that, what can you do?

I'm interested in hearing more about the 40 lb bag of natural cat litter for only $6.50. Wow! That's a great price!

I don't know much about cat litter except that I use the Tidy Cat stuff because it's cheap and it works very well. What I do not like is the dust it kicks up when I put more in or the cats cover their mess. Dust will cause all kinds of problems for any creature....except maybe camels in the Gobi desert.


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## whiteleo

Hi SerenityFL! The wood pellets that I get can probably be found at any feed store as they are considered "animal bedding", our local humane society uses them and also the local cat rescue.

I have devised a screening pan thing that sits (hung with heavier wire) over the top of the cat box, you pour the pellets in and all the sawdust when wet you use the cat cleaner to smooch it back and forth and it falls to the bottom of the pan. I pick poop out once daily and flush it down the toilet. Biodegradable! Once in a great while the cats get a pellet out of the box, but its not a big deal cause they are easy to pick up, not unlike cat litter. I dump the bottom once a week with 2 cats.


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## rannmiller

I think I'm gonna stick with the Arm and Hammer Natural Essentials but will switch it up with World's Best depending on what's on sale that month because the AH stuff smells SO good! and it works really well too.


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## MollyWoppy

I hear what you're saying. Had my pug pup friend round the other day, and man, did she make a pig of herself hoovering down the corn in 'Worlds Best'. 
I guess it goes to prove that it's very natural and I like that about it. So, it's still my litter of choice as long as my two don't decide it's a free meal!


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## Paws&Tails

I hate clay for 3 reasons. First one being it's hard on the cats lungs and on my lungs (and I had the low dust fragrance free version), second being the rooms smelled heavy like clay for a while after changing litter, and third it's bad for the environment.

I hated World's Best Cat Litter at first and it was too pricey, but I finally figured it out and have a system so it costs the same as clay litter. First of all, I needed to add a litter box (5 boxes with 3 cats). I also diligently scoop 2x a day and add more litter as needed. Changing the litter scoop to the Litter Lifter helped to, since it picks up little pieces. I do not ever completely change the litter (well, I will if one of the cats becomes sick and it's needed, obviously) The litter is all dumped into a bin once a week while I wash the boxes. After they are washed and dried I divide the litter again and add litter to the boxes to maintain a 2-1/2" depth. 

It controls odor, is low dust and doesn't bother me or the cats, plus it's much better for the environment. The cats actually highly prefer it over the clay litter or chicken feed.


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## MollyWoppy

I could not agree more. I use to change the clay litter once a week, but found that with the World's Best I can just empty it into another pan once a week, then add a touch more and we're right as rain. So I am actually saving money. 
I'm still learning about cat things, so I'll have a look at one of those litter lifter's you mention as well. Thank you for mentioning that.
cheers Penny


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## _Trish

I don't have cats but the feed store I used to work at carried a product called Swheat Scoop, and it was made with wheat instead of corn, it was a really popular seller, and lots of people bought it and had great things to say about it, but it was NOT cheap.


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## rannmiller

Ok corn litter was just not working out. Penny got a taste for it and that was the end of that. She kept knocking down all of the barriers I put up and gorging herself on cat poop and corn litter, getting all bloated and gassy for a day or two. At first I laughed thinking that's how dogs on SD and Pedigree must feel on a daily basis, but it just got annoying and concerning after a while. 

So yesterday I bought Feline Pine clumping formula and Exquisicat Newspaper Pellet litter because neither of those are edible, darnit! So far, so good! Hopefully this ends Penny's obsession with eating cat litter.


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## MollyWoppy

I don't blame you at all, I'd change too if my dog decided it was a free meal. When Lola the pug puppy comes round I have to race her to the bathroom and slam the door shut otherwise I reckon she'd eat the whole bloody pan of the stuff. It surprised me how much she likes it. And, yes, I do laugh because I'm not the one dealing with it later on!


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