Discussions

I'm pretty sure this has come up in the past.  
 
When I was brushing my cat, I noticed that his hair really smells of the dust from the cat litter. Even though the litter is supposed to be 99.9% dust free his hair is saturated with the scent of dust from the litter. I worry that if it is in his hair, it's in his lungs.  
The cat litter is unscented.  
 
What brand of cat litter do you use?

from Canadian Tire  
 
there are different varieties.  
 
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/purrfect-start-multi-cat-clumping-litter-18-kg-1421936p.html#srp

When people say they are allergic to cats, I truly believe it is often a combination of the cat fur, dander, and the dust from the litter box. I always suggest high-quality food, a product called Aller Pet C (it goes onto the cat, not the human), and using non-clay litter. Yesterday's news, pine shavings, or silicone litter are all less-dusty options.

I have had cats for about 20 years now. I have never had a problem with cat litter dust in my cats fur, I use the BIG YELLOW NO NAME brand cat litter from Superstore! I buy a 20k bag and it lasts my 2 cats for nearly 3 months and I have never had a litter dust problem.....I also use scent free as well as Arm & Hammer Pet Odour Control litter box baking soda product. (I buy it at the Dollarama store cheaper than the grocery stores) I have also bought the Dollarama brand litter for $3 in a pinch and never a problem with dust from that one either. CENTCIBLES brand from Co-op is VERY dusty and is more like gravel so I never buy it anymore. Good luck! Also bath your kitty every 6 months or so with AVEENO Pet Shampoo, it helps repel dust and dirt on your cat/dogs fur!

I thought I was allergic to my cat the day I brought him home. Clay litter is actually bad for human and cat's lungs, especially the clumping litter. I did a little research. I started using recycled newspaper pellets and haven't had any issues since. I keep up with it every day as the newspaper litter doesn't clump. I tried a few litters, this was the only litter I was not allergic to.

I've had cats my whole life and I too got sick of the old school clay litter;especially the waste when cleaning it. I did some research and switched to HARDWOOD pellets that are used for wood stoves.You have to use hardwood pellets, NOT softwood(pine) pellets.You can get a 40lb bag at Canadian Tire for 6.29. It lasts quite awhile.I did not gradually mix it in;I just changed it all at once.They weren't fond of it for the first couple of weeks,but then they just started using it and have zero problems with it. I would advise to gradually ad it in over time.You can find all kinds of research about it.Canadian Tire did not carry the pellets over the summer so I got some at CT in Portage as I was going through there.Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

I felt the same way as you folks about clay based litter. I switched to World's Best - it is corn and is more expensive. However, my lungs are happy now and I feel better about the cats licking corn residue off their fur than clay based residue. For money saving I may look into the Hardwood pellets linklink mentioned.

Thanks folks for all the good suggestions.  
I have decided to try the pine litter in either  
clumping or pellets. Apparently it's dustless.  
We'll see how that goes.  
I have to get my boy out of this clay dust residue.

Now I'm not trying to be bossy, but the reason I've read not to use pine pellets is because the pine can be toxic for cats.Check this article out.  
 
https://articulateanimals.com/blog/2009/10/essential-oils-pine/

That''s good to know about the litter Sashaa mentioned. Not sure which brand it is from co-op but they don''t have much when you''re in a small town. The bag said 99% dust-free but that is a pile of crap. Every time I change it, I breathe that dust...which can''t be good. Thanks for the info and thank you everyone else for other suggestions. I just may have to come into Brandon to shop for that!  
 
Edited by BabaLin, 2018-11-22 02:22:52

Yes, you are right about the pine cat litter.  
I thought I had found a good one only to realize there is a warning right on the bag that pine wood dust causes cancer and to wear a mask when handling the litter. For goodness sake! So now I am going with either the corn based one or the grass one that is Smart Cat or Nature's Miracle. I wanted to get Respiratory Relief by Dr. Espy but they have now added lavender and herbal essences to the litter. I don't want anything that might have a scent. It's to calm the cats down but my cat doesn't need calming. I found one I want on Amazon.ca but shipping is $65.00 for a $25.00 bag of litter. Choices are limited around here.

I thought there was a product made from pine that is an actual cat litter? Would that not be safe?

I just checked again at Pet Valu. It was the Feline Fresh Pine clumping that has the warning for state of California about pine wood dust causing cancer. Even if that warning doesn't apply to us in Canada, why take the chance? Why is it even on the market? I am at my wits end about finding the right cat litter. I picked up Smart Cat grass one and I found Arm & Hammer clump and seal unscented 100% dust free (yeah right, we'll see about that). Dr. Espy says the litter shouldn't be plant based ie the grass one for respiratory issues. My cat doesn't have respiratory problems. I thought if there is any dust at all from the grass litter, at least it isn't clay residue. This is starting to drive me bonkers!!

Yes, it's true that pine dust can cause cancer and is considered a class 1 carcinogen (see https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/wood_dust.html but so are a lot of other things in our environment and diets.  
 
For example, alcoholic beverages, birth control pills, and processed meat are also all class 1 carcinogens, yet we generally consume/use those with relative abandon. (see https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/general-info/known-and-probable-human-carcinogens.html)  
 
At the end, of the day, the balance between what is reasonable and what you can afford might be to use the pine litter and buy masks from the drug store. Unless you're bathing in it, it's a relatively small amount you're inhaling over a relatively short period of time. The problems with wood dust tends to be related to people who have a lot of exposure over long periods, such as wood pulp workers and carpenters.  
 
As for the health of the cat, the data on the effects to the cat may not even exist. Besides which, the life span of the average cat likely isn't long enough for the problems to manifest during their lifetime. I can see the benefits of the pine in that it's renewable and more sustainable than clay or some of the other materials alternative litters are made out of.  
 
Also, don't put too much weight on the California warnings. This is the same state that will douse furniture and children's sleepwear in carcinogens (i.e. fire retardants) on the off chance they get caught on fire.

Thanks for that good input on the pine cat litter. I just opened the Arm & Hammer Unscented clump and seal 100% dust free. I am really impressed. There is no dust whatsoever on the inside of the box. It might be a healthier option for clay litter. I'm transitioning to the Smart Cat with the above mentioned Arm & Hammer on hand in case Kitty doesn't like the grass one.  
Hopefully these will work out.

curlysister said "When people say they are allergic to cats, I truly believe it is often a combination of the cat fur, dander, and the dust from the litter box. I always suggest high-quality food, a product called Aller Pet C (it goes onto the cat, not the human), and using non-clay litter. Yesterday's news, pine shavings, or silicone litter are all less-dusty options. "

You are right on regarding the litter.  
Cat food doesn't have to be this specific brand. Any quality cat food is good.

Tacye said "Thanks for that good input on the pine cat litter. I just opened the Arm & Hammer Unscented clump and seal 100% dust free. I am really impressed. There is no dust whatsoever on the inside of the box. It might be a healthier option for clay litter. I'm transitioning to the Smart Cat with the above mentioned Arm & Hammer on hand in case Kitty doesn't like the grass one.   Hopefully these will work out. "

The Arm and Hammer lightweight 100% dust free is what I've been using for a while now. Zero dust from it, but it is more expensive. I don't have to use as much as with other litters as well. About 1.5 inches deep is plenty and my two cats have no problems.

Hi, I just want to clarify my original post about using wood pellets for cat litter. Softwood/pine pellets are NOT good to use as cat litter, bit HARDWOOD pellets are okay to use. Hardwood pellets are made from trees that are a hard wood, where as softwood pellets are made from soft wood trees such as pine. I buy the 40lb bag of HARDWOOD pellets from Canadian tire and it last a long time and NO dust. Here's a video link to learn a bit about it. When it come to sifting, use your imagination as to the tool you use(old colander/strainer). I have no regrets switching.  

Are there any other places in Brandon that carry Arm & Hammer lightweight 100% dust free besides Canadian Tire?  
 
Edited by Tacye, 2018-11-23 17:45:58

Tacye said "Are there any other places in Brandon that carry Arm & Hammer lightweight 100% dust free besides Canadian Tire?     Edited by Tacye, 2018-11-23 17:45:58"

Just did a quicl google, and it mentions Pet Valu in Brandon. Maybe a quick call to them first.  
 
Wal Mart  
 
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/arm-hammer-clump-and-seal-lightweight-multi-cat-clumping-cat-litter/6000195562895

No I've already checked there. They don't have it.

Tacye said "Are there any other places in Brandon that carry Arm & Hammer lightweight 100% dust free besides Canadian Tire?     Edited by Tacye, 2018-11-23 17:45:58"

I get mine at Walmart. They usually have both scented and unscented in stock.

Thanks JR. It is the unscented that I want. Pet Valu only has the scented one.