As you may already know, the type of litter that you use can have a significant impact on your cat’s health. There is a great deal of information available about different types of litter. And with all the new “natural” cat litters now on the market, it can be overwhelming. I’ve been wanting to know more about the natural litters and was looking for information on why I should consider switching. In my research, I uncovered some startling facts about traditional litters and why we should stop using them immediately. For those of you who have not looked into this yet, I will summarize for you what I’ve found.

Types of cat litter

Traditional clay-based litter This is the type of litter that absorbs moisture and odors, but does not clump for easy scooping, therefore requiring the entire contents of the litter box to be replaced regularly. Almost all clay-based cat litters contain silica, which is a known carcinogen and can cause health problems for both you and your cat when inhaled.

Scoopable/clumping clay-based litter With clumping litter, the litter forms a solid mass when liquid is deposited, allowing you to scoop the clumps along with the solids, reducing the need to completely replace the litter. In addition to containing silica, scoopable clay-based litters almost always contain the clumping agent sodium bentonite. When liquid is added to sodium bentonite, it expands to 15 times its original volume and forms a completely insoluble mass. And that is exactly what it will do when your cat inevitably ingests litter granules while grooming. To read a very moving story about why clumping clay-based litters are dangerous to your cats, please visit catmom.com to read an article by Marina Michaels.

Silica gel crystal litter These litters consist of small pellets that absorb large amounts of liquid. You simply scoop the solids out regularly and replace the pellets periodically. Because they are made of silica, they pose the same potential threat to humans and pets as the clay-based litters, plus, if the pellets are ingested, they can cause severe health problems for your cat.

Natural litters Several companies have developed alternative litters using natural materials, all without silica or sodium bentonite. Natural litters seem to fall into three categories, 1) plant-based materials like wheat or corn (using either the kernels or the cobs), 2) wood-based made from pine or cedar, and 3) newspaper-based utilizing either virgin newsprint or recycled newspaper. The wood-based and newspaper-based litters are pellet-type litters. The pellets absorb the liquids and allow you to scoop the solids. The plant-based litters have a similar texture to traditional litters, which may make them easier to transition to, and often contain natural clumping materials that make it easy to scoop. Many are even flushable. After her experience, Marina Michaels compiled a comprehensive list of alternative cat litters.

Other considerations

In addition to the health factors mentioned above, your cat litter choice impacts the environment, too. First, consider if the litter is made with renewable resources. Clay comes from strip mining while natural litters come from renewable resources like plants and trees. Second, think about where the litter is going after it is used. Non-biodegradable clay litters go into the landfills where they will remain in an insoluble state indefinitely. All of the natural litters are biodegradable and many can be used as compost (with solids removed and on non-edible plants only, please).

My experiment

I have officialy decided that I will never use clumping or non-clumping clay litters or silica gel litters again. I had clumping clay litter in the boxes this morning and it has all been disposed of and replaced with natural litter. I plan to test several types of natural litters and will report back with my findings. I will be testing litters that are easily available at mass retailers. I currently have three different boxes set-up, one with Swheat Scoop (wheat), another with World’s Best Cat Litter (corn), and a third with Arm & Hammer High Performance (not specified on package, but research uncovered that it is in fact corn-based). I will track the performance of these natural litters plus some others and will post my experience.

A huge thank you to Marina Michaels at catmom.com for taking the time to help spread the word about this important topic.

. . .

FOLLOW-UP POSTS:

• Natural Litter Comparison - Part 1
• Natural Litter Comparison - Part 2

Please read the following posts to learn more about flushing cat litter:

• Flushing Cat Feces May Be Harmful to Wildlife
• Test Before You Flush

Found a great article today by Dan Howley, staff writer at the Albany Times Union. The article focuses on high-end cardboard furniture for cats. He interviews the person who started it all, designer Elizabeth Paige Smith, creator of the Kittypod.

Read the article at the Albany Times Union website.

I have been on the lookout for indoor plants that are modern looking, as well as safe for cats. One of my favorites is sansevieria, a sturdy plant that grows long, vertical leaves. I found it on a list of plants that are non-toxic to cats. (It is very important to make sure that your houseplants are not on the list of toxic plants.) Sansevieria (also spelled sanseveria or sanseviera) looks great in a modern interior and I’ve found that even my worst plant-chomping cat is not interested in this one.

There are many different species of sansevieria and it can be found at most nurseries, as well as at Home Depot and IKEA. (Beware! This is one of the only cat-safe plants that I’ve found at IKEA, at least in the southwestern U.S.)

I’d love to hear about other modern-looking, cat-friendly plants that you have found!

I know I said no purple or faux fur, but I just heard about this cool company that makes this snuggly pet bed called the Buddhabag. This bed is made of premium quality, plush faux fur that is machine washable. It has a unique moldable form that can be shaped to your cat’s liking–perfect for curling up inside, stretching out on top, or hiding underneath. The coolest thing is that each bed comes with its own buddHaiku pet-inspired poem. Here’s one of my favorites:

exaggerated
by the stillness of morning
your purr wakes me up

You can even upload your own buddHaiku to be published on the company website.

If purple is not your thing, the Buddhabag comes in a variety of other colors as well. They can be ordered directly from buddhabag.net or from Amazon.

The Tartolo can lid from United Pets helps you keep extra cat food fresh, while adding a little Italian design to your kitchen. The plastic lid has inner grooves that create an air-tight fit on standard size pet food cans. The lid is dishwasher safe and comes in a variety of fun colors.

Available from Pet Ego.

Brand new from housewares company Dexas, Popware for Pets offers some innovative pet feeding products with terrific space-saving features. This is their new raised pet feeder, with collapsing bowls and folding legs. It folds to only 1.5 inches, making it very easy to store.

The feeder comes with two collapsible bowls (also available separately) and is dishwasher safe. Popware for Pets is so new, that it’s not yet available, but when it is, you will find that it comes in some great color combinations including brown & turquoise, brown & pink, and gray & dark blue. Look for it this summer at your favorite pet boutique.

Another Moderncat favorite from the Global Pet Expo was the streamlined and stylish CatVantage modular cat tree system. There are lots of great things to call-out about this product. First, it’s designed to take up very little floor space by extending between the floor and ceiling with a unique, modular design that can fit ceilings up to 10 feet. Also, the products used in the CatVantage are earth-friendly, using 100% recycled PVC for the components of the central column with carpet-covered birch steps.

The pieces of the tree fit together to form a sturdy staircase leading to a large loft at the top. An optional sisal scratching pad can be attached to the tree and the company is currently working on other add-on components.

The PVC and birch model (shown to the right above) is currently available by calling the folks at CatVantage. They are also developing an all-wood version (pictured in the video above) that will be out later this year.

This month, we are thrilled to be giving away the newly designed cat tree from the folks at TrendyCat. This beautiful and practical cat tree is like nothing you’ve seen before. It has two levels with large 16″ by 18″ cushioned perching shelves. The shelf supports are sisal covered scratching posts, with the tallest one measuring 30″ for maximum kitty stretching. It has a solid base for stability and is constructed with high quality bolts–no staples!

Like all the other TrendyCat products, the new cat tree is made of sustainable bamboo and birch hardwoods, and is finished with a durable, non-toxic satin finish. TrendyCat products never contain particle board or MDF and each one is handcrafted in the USA.

The winner will get to choose either the natural or the caramel finish. Sign-up now for your chance to win this terrific giveaway! (This giveaway can only be shipped to the US or Canada.)

Congratulations to Debra from Cherry Valley, Ontario, winner of the February Moderncat giveaway! Debra will receive one of these beautiful bent plywood scratchers from Moderncritter.