Sodium bentonite is a real danger - the other stuff, not so much, may just be irritating and dusty.
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Lorrie Sent: Saturday, July 09, 2011 9:16 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Clumping litter dangers I've often wondered and worried about this chemical stuff in the clumping litter. A friend of mine uses ground chicken corn. Have any of you tried this? She says it's not only safer but much less expensive. Lorrie > 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. _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list [email protected] http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list [email protected] http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
