This truly is scary and I've got first hand experience with how bad clumping litter can be. One of my cats had a mass of clumped litter caught between his toes which I didn't notice until I clipped his claws. (a maine coon with very furry toes) He was't even limping because of the mass. I had to end up having the vet remove it because it was so embedded. I'll have to try the ground corn cob litter again. They didn't like it at all so I'll have to mix the two for a while then gradually phase out the clumping stuff.
Thanks so much for the "heads up" on this, Natalie. Valerie On Jul 8, 2011, at 7:36 AM, Natalie <at...@optonline.net> wrote: > Here's more, and this is just the tip of the iceberg! > > The #1 Authority On Pet Products, Care and Services Pet Owners Trust Most > > Kitty Litter with a Serious Warning > > Vets have been reporting more and more kitty illnesses related to litter. > Certain litters are actually causing serious problems for our feline friends > including asthma, bronchitis, intestinal blockage and possibly even lung > cancer. > > Most litters are loaded with chemicals to reduce odor and help with > absorption. These chemicals are released into the air when your cat digs in > the litter box. The dust from the litter gets into the cat's lungs and can > wreak havoc on its immune system, putting his or her health in jeopardy. > With every visit to the litter box, your cat may be polluting its lungs. > Damage can occur in just a short period of time. > > 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 > their 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. > > The problem of health difficulties and even deaths resulting from clumping > litters extend far beyond cats and kittens to ferrets, rabbits, and even > dogs that raid litter boxes. So what can you do? The solution is easy, > simple and inexpensive. Switch to a biodegradable, dust and clay free, > non-clumping litter. Many of these biodegradable litters are made from > recycled paper, which will help to save the environment as well as your pet. > You can find these products almost anywhere, just read the label. If you're > worried about odor, sprinkle a small amount of baking soda in with the > litter. It works better than litter deodorizers that just cover up odors > instead of absorbing them. You can also find a litter box with a top that > has a filter for odor control. > > Now that you know some of the dangers and their solutions regarding kitty > litter, hope you will pass this information on to a friend. You could be > saving the health or life of an animal. > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Felvtalk mailing list > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
