I’ve always known that clay litter is messy to work with and kinda gross, even before I had a cat. What I have recently learned is that clay litter has some serious downsides. Specifically, there are clay litter dangers that are helpful for every cat parent to know about.
This blog post goes into detail about all the different dangers of clay cat litter, so you can find all your information in one, useful post!
Dust can be a problem when your cat inhales too much of it from the clay litter. Over time, this can add up. Your cat most likely makes multiple trips to the cat litter box per day. Potentially, this could equal a lot of dust inhalation over time.
This dust found in clay litter is called crystalline silica dust and it is toxic.
Not to confused you, but crystalline silica dust is not found in silica gel litter. For more on that, please see this article designed to explain this potential confusion away.
Dust from clay litter could aggravate your kitty if they have a sensitivity to dust, ranging to if they have asthma.
For those who use clay litter, one vet recommends searching for a low-dust clay litter, (or another kind of litter alltogether), and taking the litter box lid off. The lid can trap a lot of the dust from the litter inside the litter box when on.
If this doesn’t help, you may need to try an eco-friendly option. In general, these have way less dust if any.
You may have already guessed where this is going. Cats can develop respiratory problems from crystalline dust, as well as be aggravated if they have pre-existing sensitivities or conditions. Dust coats in the inside of your cat’s lungs.
Furthermore, this dust, crystalline silica dust, is classified as a carcinogen for people and pets- including cats- when it is breathed in.
Another example of a respiratory problem that can develop is silicosis, according to OSHA.org, “which in severe cases can be disabling, or even fatal. The silica dust enters the lungs and causes the formation of scar tissue, thus reducing the lungs’ ability to take in oxygen.”
Just in case this is overwhelming, here is a recap:
Dust from clay litter can aggravate pre-existing sensitivities and conditions in your cat.
Dust from clay litter can create respiratory problems in your cat, like cancer, asthma, or silicosis.
But the dust from clay litter is not just a cause of respiratory problems in cats, it can also affect your dog the same way, other animals in the house, and it can be damaging to humans.
Sodium Bentonite is a concern.
Sodium Bentonite acts as a clumping agent in clay litter. However, because sodium bentonite can swell up to 15x its size, it is dangerous if ingested.
You may be wondering if this is really a big deal in reality. I was skeptical at first, because I thought when has my cat ever even wanted to eat his own litter? and When have I ever heard of or seen a cat eating litter?
Well…never that I can think of, off the top of my head.
But the issue arises when cats have litter on their paws, which is inevitable, and groom themselves- which they do often. These particles become ingested through grooming and can expand in their bodies, causing blockages that are serious and sometimes life-threatening.
In particular, this is a concern for kittens, who of course have tiny bodies and don’t need a lot of sodium bentonite in their system to be harmed. In addition, kittens are curious and will sometimes nibble on their litter out of curious.
Other concerns include the fact that clay litter, when ingested by other animals, like your dog, can be effected, too.
Clay litter is not biodegradable. Clay litter, unfortunately, will not break down when discarded.
If you are looking for a litter that is kind to the environment, you will have to consider eco-friendly versions, like corn, pine, and wheat.
On top of this, clay litter is often mined using strip mining, which is also hard on the environment.
As mentioned above, clay litter dust will also aggrevate people who have dust sensitivities or asthma. It can cause respiratory problems, and crystalline dust in the clay litter is classified as a carcinagen for animals and people.
Having looked at all the downsides to clay cat litter, it is true that many cats, humans, and animals have lived full and happy lives and never been harmed by clay litter- even when they have used it their whole lives.
There have been no scientific studies contucted formally on the safety of cat litter, so those who sell clay litter can say that it has not been scientifically proven through research to be harmful. However, there are many anecdotal cases of people, humans, and cats being negatively affected by clay litter in the ways mentioned in this article.
Moreovere, if your cat doesn’t like the clay litter, they can take to doing their buisness in other areas. Studies have shown that the number one reason cats are surrendered to shelters is because of this ‘inappropriate elimination.’
In some of these cases, the cat is trying to tell the owner that they don’t like the clay litter! (And maybe are even that they are being harmed by it in some way). But, cat owners think they can’t control the problem and relinquish there cat.
Sadly, this problem could be solved by experimenting with different litters until one is found that your cat approves of. And there are so many litters on the market these days and so many different kinds, that this shouldn’t be a problem.
Litter box aversion also accounts for 50% of behaviour problems in cats, highlighting the importance of the litterbox to a cat.
It is up to you if you want to take the risk associated with clay cat litters for you, other household pets, your cat, and the environment.
For a few dollars more, you can purchase silica gel litter or crystal litter, which is widely available and a much safer option.
Or, you can spend a couple bucks more than that to get 100% safe for everyone, eco-friendly litters, made of very creative ingredients indeed!
If the low price of clay litter is the only thing that enables you to keep taking your kitty, and your cat doesn’t seem to have a problem with it- it may be best to give your cat a loving home while keeping a watchful eye on him and that litter box!
In most cases, the dangers of clay litter are not worth the risk or the money that you save.
If your cat ingests/inhales toxic substances, including dust and litter from clay litter- call your vet or an animal poison control help line right away! Numbers for your area are widely available with a simple Google search 🙂
Comments welcome! Please comment below on your experiences with your cat and the dangers of clay litter!
Source List
https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/08/29/cat-litter-box-aversion.aspx
https://www.onlynaturalpet.com/blogs/holistic-healthcare-library/choosing-the-best-natural-cat-litter
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cat-litter-safety_l_5d8230bbe4b0957256af3e9a
https://www.prettylitter.com/blog/the-truth-about-clay-litter
https://www.vetinfo.com/clay-litter-cat-health.html
I had no idea that my cat’s litter could be dangerous to her or me! That is very scary! I have had more allergy like symptoms since we moved her box into a more public place. I am so curious if I switch her to more natural litter if she will be less rude to me lol. She seems to hate her litter! She never buries her poop. Just leaves it to me. I never thought she could have hated it!
Hi Kay,
That is very interesting. Cat’s are really picky about their litter. They will often act out if they don’t like the litter box, and that could be what is happening with your cat! Experimenting with different litters until you find one that works might completely eliminate those rude behaviours she is giving you!
People can be sensitive to litter boxes, so that could be giving you a reaction of some kind. I find I do better when my litter box isn’t in a main room of the house where I will be spending a lot of time.
Thanks for your response, and good luck with your cat!
Beth
