Is Silica Cat Litter A Health Risk For Your Cat?
We’ve all used those little sachets of silica gel in our cameras and electronic equipment. Silica is highly hygroscopic which means that it simply pulls moisture into itself, even out of thin air! Now they’re using silica as a cat litter to suppress the odor of the cat’s litter box. An inch high layer of silica is laid in the litter box. The cat’s waste – liquid and solid, both – are thoroughly dried out in a very short time. That takes care of the odor! The solid waste is so dried out, that it’s almost petrified! You can scoop it out very conveniently without encountering any unpleasant sight or smell.
You need to use very little silica cat litter. For a single cat, you’ll need to lay out one inch of the litter in the box, and this will last for two to four weeks. This saves you the bother of refreshing the cat litter every few days and in some cases everyday. This particular silver lining does have its attendant cloud! The fear is that silica is harmful to your cat’s health and well-being.
Silica is the raw form of ‘glass’. Knowing this you’ll realize that silica can be sharp like glass. This can bruise your sweet little pet’s delicate paws. Some owners are concerned that their pet may inadvertently swallow some silica when it’s cleaning itself, which is not going to do Tabby’s digestion any good!
You’ll be surprised to know that the fact that you don’t have to refresh the litter everyday or every few days, is itself a source of alarm among some pet owners and experts. They say that keeping the litter in the box for so long will encourage bacterial and microbial growth which will lead to a number of illnesses for the cat as well as for the people in the house.
There is no doubt that silica cat litter is superior to the other cat litters available now. Its odor-killing quality alone is sufficient to make it the numero uno cat litter. The application cost is so very low, that even cost conscious pet owners have no reservations in using it. The daily chore of fishing around the litter box for the cat’s droppings is now, no, not pleasant but, simple and bearable. You are spared the sight (and obnoxious smell, phew!) of stomach-turning slimy stuff. You just pick out some ’stones’ from the litter and carry it off for disposal. Then the chore of refreshing the litter box has been erased from your daily task list. Once or twice a month is like… freedom!
The opponents of silica cat litter say that the cost effectiveness is as good as that of traditional cat litters if computed over a month’s usage. You use less silica cat litter, but this is offset by its high retail price. The second criticism is that the silica litter ‘absorbs’ the liquids from the cat’s waste matter, and traps it within itself. This cannot be removed every day. With the ordinary clumping variety you can remove the entire waste.
Lastly, the cat can be harmed by the silica particles, either by getting bruised or by licking it up. The middle path being the best path you may want to try out a mixed litter, with silica absorbing all that awfully foul odor, and the ordinary clumping to take care of all the criticisms against silica cat litter.
The decision is yours, whether or not to use silica cat litter. The advantages and disadvantages have been set out in this article for your information. Use it to ananlyze your particular situation. It’s always better to make an informed decision rather than going by ‘buzz’. The mixed litter does seem appealing and worth a try-out. Anything to free the house from that obnoxious stench!
Another way to avoid repeatedly cleaning up after your cat is to buy a self cleaning cat litter box. Visit www.CatLitterBoxesPlus to read about the many cat litter choices on the market. You’ll also discover the best way to remove cat odor should any accidents occur.
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