Is there anything dangerous about clumping litter?

[vincentthecat]

So I may be very experienced with cats and dealing with their litter but I heard a vet once say that cat litter could harm a cat's health (i.e. dusty/scented litters) 

My cat pees up a storm and I find that I spend a lot on litter since I have to replace the whole box every time or I feel like there are too many soiled litter grains in the box that get through the scooper. I remember my boyfriend's mom's cat has clumping litter and it's soooooo much easier to keep the box clean but I've never used clumping for some reason...

I really wish I could just afford to buy the healthiest, greenest, most biodegradable stuff on the shelf but it just doesn't work that way for me right now.

So my question is:

Is clumping litter AT ALL potentially harmful? 

 

[nora1]

I have heard that clumping litter can be harmful if the cat eats it. The litter is suppose to clump and bind together, therefore if it was eaten, or ingested by mistake, it can clump/bind together and cause a blockage in the cat's system. However I have never personally heard of this happening to anyone I know, or experienced it myself.

BUT, I can definitely see this happening, especially if the cat is grooming itself after using the litter box, and while doing so, licks some of the litter off their paws/coat.

I'm not worried about my cat doing this. I use clumping litter, and she always seems to track it through the house before she starts to groom herself, therefore there's nothing left in between her paws 

 

[maniacmaddy]

I had always heard this when I was younger, so I only started using clumping litter about five years ago. Honestly, I wish I would've just used clumping all along. Obviously try to find an unscented variety but I think the benefits of getting rid of liquid waste more easily, in addition to being able to gauge how much urine is normal for your cat outweighs whatever risk there is.

 

[frida]

I have read that Clumping litter poses the biggest risk to kittens as it would not take much in their little system to cause a problem. That being said clumping litter can build up in the system over time and is dangerous because it doesn't just pass through. I use a corn based litter which I find I don't go through too fast and is much less dusty still clumps but would dissolve if ingested (or flushed down the toilette) , but I understand your cost concern as it is more than double the cost of clay type litters. I personally feel it is worth the cost as it controls odours better and is safer for my kitty.

 

[luvmylilypad]

Clumping litter should not be used with kittens 6 weeks or younger . It is their touch, taste and bite everything they can time and can cause blockage in the intestinal track. After that mark they should be fine with it. Other litters to consider would be pine pellets from a local farm store or even corn cob bedding. 

 

[andrya]

 
Clumping litter should not be used with kittens 6 weeks or younger . It is their touch, taste and bite everything they can time and can cause blockage in the intestinal track. After that mark they should be fine with it. Other litters to consider would be pine pellets from a local farm store or even corn cob bedding. 

l tried the pine pellets, and l LOVED them. The smell was wonderful. The cats used them but were less than enthused.

When l got my youngest cat at 11/12 weeks old, l switched to regular non-clumping as this is what the breeder used, and the older two cats were so excited to be digging in the litter that l didn't have the heart to go back to pine. So now l'm using clumping litter, whatever brand is on sale at the time.

 

[tabbypip]

I have always used clumping and the only limitation I have is that my cat hates Tidy cats. By the way did anyone notice how cheap the litter genie things got? I remember looking at them before and thinking NO WAY, but now I found one for like $15! Makes the clumping even more convenient!