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- May 27, 2021
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I am going to try to make this brief! I promise,lol.
( I am explaining my situation in the beginning, to get to the point scroll to the bottom.I also provided links)
I would like to know how many of you have used or use corn based litter.
My cat is 1 year and 5 months old. He was completely healthy until his 1st episode of cystitis. This has resulted in many vet visits, a lot of testing and a urinary blockage. ( He came home and immediately blocked again within 24 hours, so 2 urinary blockages. )
I know cystitis is supposedly caused by stress, but that makes no sense to me because my cat is so spoiled
- He has cat fountain
- multiple cat trees
- cat tunnels
- many toys
- lots of attention ( when he wants it)
- we are home all the time
Play time has decreased since cystitis but it’s only because HE doesn’t feel well enough to play.
When the cystitis started he had stopped eating wet food so he was only on dry but drank a lot. After 1st vet visit he was put on Hills C/D prescription dry food. It was very bland, and he barely ate it.
I tried a million things to get him to eat the healthy wet food. He would of rather ate his own tail.
I made the STUPIDEST mistake, which was feeding him fancy feast broth. I thought it could get him into wet food. He only would eat the fish broths and I am convinced that is what caused his blockage.
Before the fancy feast, all his urine test came back normal.
Before the blockage his urine was constantly bloody when he had cystitis episodes.
I HOPE YOU ARE ALL STILL WITH ME!
lol
Like any pet parent would do, I started trying to figure out what is causing his cystitis, so I backed tracked to the time he had no problems.
The first 4 months we had him home his litter box was upstairs in the guest room and we used kitten attract litter. We had no problems ( accept that he is a digger and always gets litter every where )
We switched to wood pellet litter, he hated it, so that was a no.
We wanted to transition his litter box out of the guest room. Our house has a weird layout, it was built in 1900. There are very few places for a litter box if you don’t want the box in the middle of a room. We bought a hooded litter box for the guest room in an attempt to keep the litter inside the box. We put his old box in the basement.
We started the transition in July. He was happy to finally be allowed in the basement.
We still had no problems. He went in both boxes, but actually went to the box in the basement more.
We then moved both boxes to the basement. I wanted to see which one he preferred. He seemed to prefer the hooded one, but we took off the hood in December because we were worried it may have been causing problems.
I know many experts say to not have litter in basement, but our cat actually likes the basement. Especially in the warm weather. We have an old plaster walled house with no ducts, no central air, and the basement is the most pleasant place in the heat. He has a bed in the basement, and sometimes he likes to go sleep down there.
I hope you are all still with me!!! This is what I recently realized.
In September 2020 we switched the litter from kitten attract to the worlds best cat litter (corn based)
His first episode of cystitis started end of October.
My husband and I were having a constant battle about the litter. I scooped everyday, but wanted to dump the litter out every week. He argued it would be too expensive that way and said once every 3 weeks dump the litter. I tried to compromise and we dumped it every 2 weeks.
After the first cystitis episode, I won and it was dumped every week.
From October 2020 - April 2021 it was constant cystitis and vet visits. April was the time of first blockage. The vet sent him home without him really peeing fully, and he got blocked again. We took him back, he was unblocked. When we picked him up the vet tech said he was peeing great and she scooped his litter multiple times that day.
I’m thinking great!!!
He will pee at home, I wont be so stressed!
I was so very wrong.
Yes he peed but very very small amounts, and there never seemed to be much in his box. I then realized he is peeing in other places in basement.
Because of the lack of urine, I have taken him back to vet twice to be checked, each time his bladder was small.
Last time we took him was Tuesday of this week.
All vet would say is, maybe it’s scarring from catheter. He may always have problems. ( real helpful)
My cat wasn’t peeing large quantities since blockage but he wasn’t rushing to box. He was acting normal. Well last night was first major cystitis episode since blocking. Oddly, his urine is not bloody. First cystitis experience without blood
I really started brain storming and kept thinking about the last time I picked him up from vet after blockage, and how she told me he was peeing great.
What could be different? Clearly a litter box at a vet is a stressful place to pee. But he peed.
Only difference was litter. The vet used clay litter. I know because it was stuck on his paws.
So last night I start researching and what I discovered was HORRIFYING!
Aflatoxin grows on corn based food / litter!
Aflatoxin poisoning can be deadly!
I read an article from the Washington Post discussing this very thing. In the Washington Post article, Worlds Best Cat Litter claims they test for Aflatoxin.
However, if you read this Article , it clearly explains that 1.) they don’t test all corn but only a small batch 2.) even non infected corn can grow Aflatoxin if exposed to warm / moist environment. Well what is warm and moist? Cat urine. 3.) Non infected corn can even become infected it stored in warm temperatures during transit ( like a tractor trailer)
The Washington Post Article also points out that the World’s best cat litter is NOT tested for glyphosate, the deadly herbicide.
——> FDA on Aflatoxin poisoning in pets.
This is quite alarming to me, because my cat has had some of the symptoms
- lack of appetite
- vomiting
- lethargy
Aflatoxin is also deadly to humans!
So last night I immediately dumped the litter in the garbage and bought cat attract.
I’m really wondering if this is the cause of my cat’s chronic bladder inflammation.
I am not a vet, it may not be the cause. However, this is EXTREMELY dangerous for your pets and You!!!!
Sorry this was so long, I tried to keep it short.
Please share your thoughts!
( I am explaining my situation in the beginning, to get to the point scroll to the bottom.I also provided links)
I would like to know how many of you have used or use corn based litter.
My cat is 1 year and 5 months old. He was completely healthy until his 1st episode of cystitis. This has resulted in many vet visits, a lot of testing and a urinary blockage. ( He came home and immediately blocked again within 24 hours, so 2 urinary blockages. )
I know cystitis is supposedly caused by stress, but that makes no sense to me because my cat is so spoiled
- He has cat fountain
- multiple cat trees
- cat tunnels
- many toys
- lots of attention ( when he wants it)
- we are home all the time
Play time has decreased since cystitis but it’s only because HE doesn’t feel well enough to play.
When the cystitis started he had stopped eating wet food so he was only on dry but drank a lot. After 1st vet visit he was put on Hills C/D prescription dry food. It was very bland, and he barely ate it.
I tried a million things to get him to eat the healthy wet food. He would of rather ate his own tail.
I made the STUPIDEST mistake, which was feeding him fancy feast broth. I thought it could get him into wet food. He only would eat the fish broths and I am convinced that is what caused his blockage.
Before the fancy feast, all his urine test came back normal.
Before the blockage his urine was constantly bloody when he had cystitis episodes.
I HOPE YOU ARE ALL STILL WITH ME!
lolLike any pet parent would do, I started trying to figure out what is causing his cystitis, so I backed tracked to the time he had no problems.
The first 4 months we had him home his litter box was upstairs in the guest room and we used kitten attract litter. We had no problems ( accept that he is a digger and always gets litter every where )
We switched to wood pellet litter, he hated it, so that was a no.
We wanted to transition his litter box out of the guest room. Our house has a weird layout, it was built in 1900. There are very few places for a litter box if you don’t want the box in the middle of a room. We bought a hooded litter box for the guest room in an attempt to keep the litter inside the box. We put his old box in the basement.
We started the transition in July. He was happy to finally be allowed in the basement.
We still had no problems. He went in both boxes, but actually went to the box in the basement more.
We then moved both boxes to the basement. I wanted to see which one he preferred. He seemed to prefer the hooded one, but we took off the hood in December because we were worried it may have been causing problems.
I know many experts say to not have litter in basement, but our cat actually likes the basement. Especially in the warm weather. We have an old plaster walled house with no ducts, no central air, and the basement is the most pleasant place in the heat. He has a bed in the basement, and sometimes he likes to go sleep down there.
I hope you are all still with me!!! This is what I recently realized.
In September 2020 we switched the litter from kitten attract to the worlds best cat litter (corn based)
His first episode of cystitis started end of October.
My husband and I were having a constant battle about the litter. I scooped everyday, but wanted to dump the litter out every week. He argued it would be too expensive that way and said once every 3 weeks dump the litter. I tried to compromise and we dumped it every 2 weeks.
After the first cystitis episode, I won and it was dumped every week.
From October 2020 - April 2021 it was constant cystitis and vet visits. April was the time of first blockage. The vet sent him home without him really peeing fully, and he got blocked again. We took him back, he was unblocked. When we picked him up the vet tech said he was peeing great and she scooped his litter multiple times that day.
I’m thinking great!!!
He will pee at home, I wont be so stressed!
I was so very wrong.
Yes he peed but very very small amounts, and there never seemed to be much in his box. I then realized he is peeing in other places in basement.
Because of the lack of urine, I have taken him back to vet twice to be checked, each time his bladder was small.
Last time we took him was Tuesday of this week.
All vet would say is, maybe it’s scarring from catheter. He may always have problems. ( real helpful)
My cat wasn’t peeing large quantities since blockage but he wasn’t rushing to box. He was acting normal. Well last night was first major cystitis episode since blocking. Oddly, his urine is not bloody. First cystitis experience without blood
I really started brain storming and kept thinking about the last time I picked him up from vet after blockage, and how she told me he was peeing great.
What could be different? Clearly a litter box at a vet is a stressful place to pee. But he peed.
Only difference was litter. The vet used clay litter. I know because it was stuck on his paws.
So last night I start researching and what I discovered was HORRIFYING!
Aflatoxin grows on corn based food / litter!
Aflatoxin poisoning can be deadly!
I read an article from the Washington Post discussing this very thing. In the Washington Post article, Worlds Best Cat Litter claims they test for Aflatoxin.
However, if you read this Article , it clearly explains that 1.) they don’t test all corn but only a small batch 2.) even non infected corn can grow Aflatoxin if exposed to warm / moist environment. Well what is warm and moist? Cat urine. 3.) Non infected corn can even become infected it stored in warm temperatures during transit ( like a tractor trailer)
The Washington Post Article also points out that the World’s best cat litter is NOT tested for glyphosate, the deadly herbicide.
——> FDA on Aflatoxin poisoning in pets.
This is quite alarming to me, because my cat has had some of the symptoms
- lack of appetite
- vomiting
- lethargy
Aflatoxin is also deadly to humans!
So last night I immediately dumped the litter in the garbage and bought cat attract.
I’m really wondering if this is the cause of my cat’s chronic bladder inflammation.
I am not a vet, it may not be the cause. However, this is EXTREMELY dangerous for your pets and You!!!!
Sorry this was so long, I tried to keep it short.
Please share your thoughts!
