Cat litter: Encyclopedia II - Cat litter - Clumping litter

Cat litter - Clumping litter

Clumping litters were first developed in 1984 by biochemist Thomas Nelson. Most are made from granulated bentonite clay which clumps together when wet and form a solid mass separate from the other litter in the box. This solid clumped material can then be disposed of without changing the entire contents of the litter box often. However the entire contents should be changed on a regular basis to prevent buildup of bacteria, every four to six weeks is recommended. At the same time, the litter box itself should be disinfected. Approximately 60% of the cat litter market consists of clumping litter.

Some claim that clumping litters can be harmful to pets because if it is ingested or inhaled, it swells and solidifies inside them. For the same reason, it is not recommended to flush clumping litters down the toilet.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Clumping litter", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki