Kitty litter isn’t usually something that most cat owners put much thought into. To be honest, for the longest time I would literally buy kitty litter based on cost. Just give me the cheap shit! Because that is what it is literally for!

Well, turns out there are differences between all the options out there! What you pick may actually be an important decision not just for your cat’s health, but your health too.

Let’s start with the basics.

Before we get started though, for all my cat people out there, can I get a high five for the easiest potty training anyone will EVER have to do?!

Okay so now that that’s out of the way, why litter? Well, cats’ natural instinct is to do their business in sand or dirt. So put a bunch of sand or dirt like material in a box and you have a toilet!

The hard part though is knowing which type of litter to get and if there is a difference.

I had to do a little research to see what all is out there these days. I’ve been pretty lucky to have cats that are not too picky and will use any litter that I choose for them.

What I have forgotten to do though is consider how the litter I choose affects me, an asthmatic.

Litter options available

I was blown away by all of the litter options I was coming across! I mean I knew there were going to be a few different options, but there is a laundry list of options out there.

Just to give you an idea there are just a few I came across in no particular order:

• Clay litter (clumping vs non-clumping)
• Crystal litter (silica gel)
• Paper litter
• Pine litter
• Grass Seed litter
• Wheat litter

Things to consider when choosing a litter

When you first get a kitten, again choosing a litter may not be something you put much thought into. Just pick one according to what you are willing to deal with when it comes to litter box duty.

Do you want a clumping litter? Do you care about the amount of dust coming from the litter? Are you going to prefer scented or unscented? Are price and availability a factor?

Most kittens are not picky and will use any litter. I think I have yet to come across a kitten that has had issues with a specific litter when owners first bring them home.

The problems usually happen once they are adults and there are behavioral or medical conditions that start to arise.

Problems that may be litter related

Signs your cat may exhibit when the litter is the problem might not be obvious. The other thing to keep in mind is that these same signs could actually be seen with other, more serious conditions.

Unfortunately, this means that sometimes we need to rule out all the possible serious causes before we think that maybe it is just the litter that is causing the problem.

Two problems that come to mind that can be litter related include:

• Refusal to use the litter box period
• New respiratory symptoms

Some cats develop an aversion to the type of litter that is in their box. If owners start to buy different litters each time they buy litter this may throw your cat off and they may decide that they do not like the new litter.

Despite popular belief and the hardy reputation of cats, some can be sensitive souls when it comes to their environment. The smallest change can disrupt their routine.

If there is a different smell to their litter (scented vs unscented) or a different feel/texture to their litter they may refuse to use it. Going back to their natural instincts, they will usually prefer the sand/dirt like litter over other textures.

The other potential problem is that they may start to develop respiratory symptoms. Your cat may start sneezing more, have changes with breathing, or worst case scenario have asthma like symptoms.

Cats with lower airway disease (asthma) will require adjustments with their litter. These cats will do better with low dust/no dust litter.

Options for these kitties will be the crystal or silica gel litter, paper-based litter, and specific litter brands that are marketed for ‘respiratory relief.’

The same goes for asthmatic owners! If you are asthmatic you probably should look into a litter that is low or no dust because those small particles are easily inhaled and are respiratory irritants to both pets and humans.

I’m really bad at being an asthmatic. I have lived with this for so long that I don’t easily recognize when my coughing or breathing is different or worsening. So I don’t always make decisions based on my respiratory health. I mean I did go into veterinary medicine, the one profession that my pulmonologist told me to avoid! Oooopss!

I personally use a clay clumping litter for Mr. Moe and I do find that it is quite dusty. I usually scoop his litter daily so it is quicker to do when there is less to scoop. And this is going to sound silly but I also tend to hold my breath when I do it. LOL!

Product safety concerns

What about the actual safety of the ingredients used? What if the kitties lick or consume the litter? This question came up in a conversation with a friend who gave me the the idea for content on litter and it is a very valid one.

It’s not something that I actually thought about because we don’t see a lot of issues come up with litter being ‘toxic’ to cats in practice.

The good news is, according to the ASPCA, the materials (silica gel) used in cat litter are not ‘toxic’ if ingested by your cat. If they are consuming a good amount of it, especially if it is one of the silica gel litters, it can potentially cause some stomach discomfort.

Luckily cats are a picky and sophisticated species. They aren’t likely to go and eat litter, BUT I wouldn’t put it past some of them. I would be more concerned of the dog in the house rummaging around in the cat’s box and eating cat poop and litter before I would expect it from a cat.

If you do have one of these ‘special’ kitties that would munch on any type of litter, especially the clumping clay litter or the silica gel litter, the concern would be for the litter to cause an intestinal blockage. Again, I have never seen this happen in practice and have never heard of it happening to any close colleagues, but there is still that chance.

Final Thoughts

If your kitty has never had any issues with litter box use I would probably not mess with their current litter. Now if things start to come up where the litter box habits are changing, or if symptoms relating to respiratory health are arising, I would start asking your vet questions about the concerns around kitty litter contributing to these changes.