Dangers of Kitty Litter

Potential dangers to both cat and owner may lurk in your kitty litter. Sodium bentonite, which is traditionally used as a sealing, grouting and plugging material, is added to many clumping formulas. Cats inhale the dust that coats this litter and ingest pieces of the litter while cleaning themselves after a visit to the toilet. Crystalline silica, which is also added to kitty litters, is cancer-forming. Clumping cat litters and those containing crystalline silica are therefore potentially dangerous to your cat. Viruses on the litter can be dangerous to pregnant women. Flushing cat litter down the toilet can spread these viruses to the environment.

  1. Clumping Litter

    • After visiting their litter tray, cats typically lick themselves clean. Dust associated with clumping cat litter is then ingested as the cat cleans itself. This dust coats the intestines of the feline and prevents the correct absorption of nutrients. Its presence also causes the cat to become dehydrated. The litter itself is designed to form an insoluble mass when exposed to moisture. Clumping kitty litter can cause the affected feline to become lethargic and to ultimately suffer from a variety of conditions, including vomiting and diarrhea. Cats may also experience respiratory and kidney problems. The clay, sodium bentonite, is frequently added as a clumping agent to this type of kitty litter. Sodium bentonite will swell to 15 times its original volume when wet, and it acts like expandable cement once in the intestines of the cat.

    Crystalline Silica Dust

    • Some litters contain crystalline silica dust. This product, which is not biodegradable, has been shown by the International Agency for Research on Cancer to be carcinogenic, or cancer-forming in humans. Crystalline silica dust also accumulates in the cat's lungs and causes a condition called silicosis. Felines that have silicosis suffer from reduced lung capacity, which will manifest itself through shortness of breath.

    Toxoplasmosis

    • Cat feces can contain the virus toxoplasmosis, which can be harmful to the unborn human child. Felines become infected when they eat prey on infected rodents in particular. Cat litter trays are relatively small and frequently used. Cats also scrape litter about after using their toilet and in this way get litter or the dust from litter on their paws. In many cases, they then also carry the virus on their paws and can transfer it to their owners during greeting, play and grooming sessions. Pregnant owners are also exposed to the virus when they scoop up feces or clean the litter tray.

    Flushable Litters

    • Not all municipal sewage-treatment systems filter out toxoplasma and this parasite can be flushed into the sea, where it concentrates in the flesh of filter feeding invertebrates, such as mussels. According to University of California scientists, sea otter deaths in recent years may be attributed to the flushing of cat litter down the toilet.