Untitled Document
What kinds of cat litters are kinder to the
environment: traditional clay litters (so-called clumping litters) or other
varieties? What about some of the new alternatives, such as those made out
of wheat and corn?
Traditional clay-based clumping cat litters are the
most common and widely sold in supermarkets and pet supply stores. Clay
litters do not biodegrade and instead pile up in landfills, producing
chemicals that can potentially harm human health. According to the
International Agency for Research on Cancer, clay litters also produce
dusts that contain silicon particles, which are known human carcinogens. In
addition, the clay used for litter is obtained through strip-mining, a
practice that causing adverse environmental effects on surrounding soil,
water, and air. Some pet owners have reported respiratory and other
health problems in their cats as a result of both the inhalation and the
ingestion of clumping clay litters. Once inside the lungs or digestive
tracts, the litter can expand with moisture and cause irritation and
blockages. In the lungs this can lead to infection, and in the intestines
dehydration and a decrease in nutrient absorption can result. Scientific
studies and documented cases of such incidents seem to be in short supply,
however, and such claims seem to only be anecdotal. However, a number of environmentally friendly
alternatives are deemed safer for people and cats alike. Recycled
newspaper, for one, can be used to create cat litter in pellet form. It is
biodegradable, flushable, burnable, and 99 percent dust-free. It also has
the advantage of not getting tracked around the house, unlike clay litters.
Fibre Cycle, a company with the primary mission of finding innovative and
environmentally friendly uses for recycled paper, sells such paper-based
cat litter and claims it to be highly absorbent, biodegradable,
long-lasting, lightweight, and virtually dust-free. Plant-based litters are made from materials such as
corn, corncobs, cornhusks, wheat byproducts, wheat grass, and beet pulp.
According to Worldwise, a leading manufacturer of environmentally
responsible pet products, plain ground corncobs are a good choice because
they are made of natural, flushable biodegradable materials, have no odor,
are very absorbent, and don’t produce the same kind or volume of dust
as clay litters. Litters made from pine and cedar saw dusts offer yet
another clay-based alternative. As with the plant-based offerings, they are
made from natural scrap materials that biodegrade. They also eliminate odor
naturally — because of the innate ability of both pine and cedar to
absorb and neutralize ammonia — rather than cover up odors with
chemicals and perfumes. Feline Pine, from Florida-based Nature’s
Earth Products, is a wood litter made from 100 percent natural pine that
has been heated and pressurized to remove any harmful wood oils. When ready
for changing, the biodegradable litter — available in both clumping
and pellet varieties — can simply be emptied into the backyard
compost or mulching pile. One caution about pine, though: Some cats have a
sensitivity to pine aroma and as a result could shun the litterbox
altogether.
For more information:
Fibre Cycle, www.fibrecycle.com.au; Feline Pine, www.naturesearth.com;
Worldwise, www.worldwise.com/index.html.
Send questions to Earth Talk, care of E/The Environmental Magazine,
P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881 or e-mail earthtalk@emagazine.com.
This article appears in Apr 12-18, 2007.
