Beware of Clumping Litter For Kittens

When my first litter of kittens were old enough to start using a litter box, I put a small baking pan in their room with the same basic clumping cat litter in it that I used for the adult cats.

As I watched them one evening playing and getting in and out of the litter pan, I realized to my dismay, that they were eating little bites of the cat litter each time they got in the pan. I knew that could not be good, so I began researching the subject online and asking other breeders for input.

What I learned could save your kittens lives: NEVER USE CLUMPING LITTER FOR KITTENS!! Clumping cat litter contains sodium bentonite, a naturally absorbent clay, which is an extremely effective clumping agent. When liquid is added, bentonite swells to approximately 15 times its original volume. Now think about this: sodium bentonite acts rather like cement would, and all the labels tell you NOT to flush it because it can block your septic system as they absorb water and expand.

Is that what I want to happen in my kittens intestines? It came to my attention as I researched, that many a kitten owner has lost a kitten and discovered in autopsy that there were lung and bowel blockages made of clumping cat litter.

Needless to say, I immediately went and bought some plain, non-clumping litter. Since the ingestion of litter is unavoidable in kittens, be sure that whatever you use in their litter box is completely safe and non-toxic, and never, ever use a clumping litter when they are small.