Cat owners love their pets a great deal. Their love is easily proven by the little things they do for their pets. One of these little things is cleaning their litter everyday. Another is putting up with the stench of that litter. Silica cat litter has appeared on the scene like an answer to a cat owner's prayer! Just an inch high layer of the new silica cat litter is sufficient to dry out the cat's waste and make it absolutely bone dry and completely odorless! Waste removal is now as simple as scooping up some hard, dry pieces of the cat's feces and disposing of it. This is as pleasant as it can ever get!

The wonderful thing about this type of cat litter is that a single one inch layer lasts for two weeks and maybe even a month for one cat. Now you don't have to re-lay the litter everyday and that's really going to get a huge round of applause from all you cat owners! But there are health concerns involved in the use of silica as a litter for cats.

The particles of silica are very small but they are edgy, not rounded. The edges can bruise the cat's paws as it tries to scratch around in the litter box. Moreover, the particles cling to the cat's paws. When the cat licks its paws as is its custom, the silica particles get licked up as well. Over time, the particle build-up inside the cat's intestines can cause a number of health problems.

Some owners have an issue with the fact that it is not necessary to re-lay the litter everyday. They say that litter which is not changed for two weeks or more will be a happy hunting ground for bacteria which will adversely impact your cat's health.

The main advantage of silica as a litter is its cost effectiveness, $10 lasting you for a fortnight or more. Secondly, it is easy to maintain, since you only have to scoop out the dried poop everyday. Thirdly, you have to re-lay the litter just once or, at most, twice a month.

The opponents of silica cat litter say that the cost effectiveness is as good as that of traditional cat litters if computed over a month's usage. You use less silica cat litter, but this is offset by its high retail price. The second criticism is that the silica litter 'absorbs' the liquids from the cat's waste matter, and traps it within itself. This cannot be removed every day. With the ordinary clumping variety you can remove the entire waste.

Let's not forget that silica can be physically damaging to the cat's paws. If you are extremely conscious of your cat's well-being, then you can go in for the mixed variety. Here the silica litter is mixed with the clumping variety which gives you a fairly good alternative.

In conclusion, the health concerns regarding silica cat litter really put it at a disadvantage. You'll not risk your precious pet's health just like that! The mixed variety seems to be the best bet for most cat owners. This variety is more comfortable for your pet too!

• Pine Away Your Cat's Litter by Ned Dagostino There are a number of products on the shelves which cater to the pet cat population. One very popular product is the 'cat litter' product, or simply cat litter. It is a material that is placed inside a litter box to catch the pet cat's droppings. The......
• You Can Train Feline! There Are Many Best Techniques For Toilet Training Kittens If you have a new addition to your household in the form of a cat or kitten then it is essential to housetrain them as otherwise you will end up with surprises hidden throughout your home. The process of litter tray and toilet training cats and kittens can be......
• Scat Cat Litter Odor With Fine Pine by Ned Dagostino There are a number of products on the shelves which cater to the pet cat population. One very popular product is the 'cat litter' product, or simply cat litter. It is a material that is placed inside a litter box to catch the pet cat's droppings. The......
• Which Cat Litter Mat? You know that you have found a good litter mat when your cat actually uses it, because if he does not.. then what is the point? Your cat loves to dig and dig until the every last bit of his litter is almost on the outside of the box.......

• Save Time, Money and Space in Over 80 Ways If you're looking for handy gadgets, tools and various items that can save you time, money or space (or all three!) this list of more than 80 top products is just what you need. Everyone's got saving money on their minds these days. Some of us are always looking to......
• Dog Health Insurance by Moses Wright Dog health insurance provides coverage for veterinary costs. This type of health insurance can help the dog owner provide routine veterinary care such as vaccinations and necessary veterinary care to treat unexpected health problems and injuries from accidents. A dog owner looking for information about pet health......
• If You Think Health Care is Expensive Now, Wait Until it is Free! A couple of items cross my desk that gave me pause. The first was an excellent IBD editorial yesterday. There is no free lunch, as the article insists, contrary to the "its free!" cry from some of my Canadian relatives. In France a Frenchman making a monthly salary of 3,000......
• Is Your Cat Worth It? - Crystalline Silica Normally I blog about tech, gadgets, gizmos, music or politics..... This post is different, I'm an avid cat lover, currently lucky enough to have 4 of them living with me. This post is about them. Before I tell you this story I must point out to you that these are......

	Tidy Cats Breeze Litter Box System for Multiple Cats, 1-Count Kit List Price: $39.99 Sale Price: $33.54
Its forward-thinking design divides and conquers with separate compartments for liquid and solid waste to control odor and make maintenance, well, a Breeze because your cats' litter should be designed around your lifestyle, not the other way around...

Written by Ned Dagostino using tags: animals, cat litter, Cats, Home, litter boxes, Pets