Clumping/Non-Clumping Litter [Archive] - Cat Forums

LynnM

08-15-2008, 12:41 AM

I think this answer to this question on Google Answers say it all:

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=286497

Whether or not clumping kitty litter is a health hazard for cats is a
matter of some debate. Since there haven't been any clinical studies,
it really comes down to who you ask and which brand you're asking
about. Most of the current controversy swirls around brands which use
Sodium Bentonite, a highly absorbent clay. Brands that do not contain
Sodium Bentonite seem to be considered safer.

Personally, I won't use either. When one of my feline owners began
suffering respiratory infections shortly after he adopted me, his vet
suggested ditching the clumping litter due to dust concerns. We
switched from the clumping variety to the crystal kind, and
Bailey-kitty's woes vanished. Not scientific, to be sure, but enough
to convince me that clumping kitty litter may not agree with all cats.

Here's what opponents to clumping litter have to say:

" Clumping clay litter, which forms a hard ball when it gets wet, is
one of the most harmful types on the market. Several brands use this
clay to make thier litter easier to scoop. What makes it clump? It's a
natural clay ingredient called sodium bentonite. In this case,
"natural" is not always safe. Here's the problem: When this clay gets
wet it expands and forms a hard mass. So when your cat or kitten digs
in the litter box it's stirring up clay dust and breathing it in. Once
it gets into their lungs, it expands from the moisture, and in time
builds up, causing all sorts of lung problems like the ones mentioned
above.

Some clumping litters actually post a warning right on the bag; "Do
Not Let Cat Ingest Litter". It is ridiculous to think that you can
stop your cat from breathing while visiting the litter box .You cannot
stop your cat from grooming itself with its tongue or stop your new
kitten from swatting and nibbling on the litter. Anything their tongue
contacts gets ingested. Once the clay litter is inside the cat or
kitten and expands, it not only could cause dehydration by absorbing
all the body's moisture, it could also form a hard mass in the
intestines over a period of time, which could be fatal."

Kitty Litter with a Serious Warning (via the Internet Archive)
http://web.archive.org/web/20010603104841/http://www.petconsumerreport.com/freeissue/kittylitter.htm

"[...] respiration problems are not the only thing to consider when
purchasing litter for your cat. All cats clean their fur and paws,
which can be coated with clay litter from using the litter box.
Clumping litters in particular can be harmful to your pet because,
once ingested, the litter expands and absorbs moisture in the
intestines, causing blockages and dehydration, and preventing the
absorption of nutrients. For this reason, the ASPCA recommends not
using clumping litter for kittens."

From Rainforests to Kitty Litter
http://www.emagazine.com/may-june_1998/0598aske.html

"An article entitled "How Cat Litter is Made" appeared in Cat Fancy
magazine (October 1994). Shockingly, the article contains no cautions
against the use of clumping litters, even though the description of
one of the main ingredients in such products should be enough to alarm
any thinking person.

"Sodium bentonite, a naturally swelling clay, is often added as an
extremely effective clumping agent. When liquid is added, bentonite
swells to approximately 15 times its original volume. But because
sodium bentonite acts as an expandable cement would, litters
containing sodium bentonite should never be flushed; when they expand
they can block plumbing."

A few moments' thought is all that is needed to realize that something
able to block household plumbing must be wreaking havoc on the
plumbing of our feline companions."

... much more on the article website:
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=286497

Great research!