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A line of cats and balls of yarn

Alert! (March 27, 2007) Please be aware that a massive number of cat and dog foods have been recalled beccause they contain a toxic and potentially lethal ingredient. Please check this Web page for more information. For an alternative food, try Bench & Field's Holistic Natural Feline Formula, which has not been affected by the recall.

Catmom.com contains articles on cats and cat health.

The kernel of this Web site is an article on the potential health hazards of clumping clay kitty litters, an article that was published by Tiger Tribe magazine in the mid-1990s. Clumping clay kitty litter may be related to a number of cat health problems, such as respiratory problems, bowel problems (including irritable bowel syndrome), urinary and kidney problems, as well as a host of others. On this page, you'll find links to articles concerning clumping clay kitty litters and the possible health hazards they pose, not just for cats, but for many other creatures as well. In addition, you'll find a link to a page of excerpts from some of the letters I have received from others describing their experiences with clumping clay kitty litters and their cat's (or other pet's) health problems.

If you decide to switch to a different cat litter, you'll find information on how to switch your cat over to a new kitty litter, and a list of alternative kitty litters to try. There are links to additional information about sodium bentonite, the main ingredient in clumping clay kitty litter, and a link to list of books on cats, as well as other articles on cat health and cat care.

About that Kitty Litter

If you are using a clumping clay kitty litter, whether your cat is experiencing any kind of health problem or not, PLEASE take the time to read these articles.

First, read Clumping Clay Kitty Litters: A Deadly Convenience? The great clumping clay kitty litter debate starts here. If you are using a clumping clay kitty litter, you owe it to your cat and yourself to read this article. You may save your cat's life!
Next, if you need more information or want to hear what others have to say about their own experiences, scan Letters and excerpts from the hundreds of letters I've received in response to this now world-famous (in its own way) article. (This article has been reprinted many times with my permission in newsletters and online in the United States, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.)
If you are convinced and want to switch to a different kind of kitty litter, or even if you aren't convinced but figure that it is better to stay on the safe side anyway, browse the list of alternatives to clumping kitty litters.
When switching, you might get a few pointers from this brief description of how to switch your cat over to using a new kitty litter.
You are also going to need a plae to put that kitty litter in. Find more here: Alternative Cat Boxes, Toilet Training Your Cat, and Furniture for Cat Boxes.
If you are not convinced, or if you want to show your veterinarian an article written by another veterinarian, read Suspected Bentonite Toxicosis in a Cat from Ingestion of Clay Cat Litter, a veterinarian's article on how clumping clay kitty litters may have contributed to one cat's illness (anemia, lethargy) and death. This article was published in the Journal of Veterinary and Human Toxicology. This page includes follow-up letters that were printed in a later issue of the same journal. Note that sodium bentonite is already known to cause human health problems.
For more information on sodium bentonite, the key ingredient in clumping clay kitty litters, see some facts about what sodium bentonite does.
Cat Faeries is an online store that provides a lot of good information on litter box behavior, spraying, and the like, as well as products for dealing with these issues that actually work.

Other Cat Health, Care, and Nutrition Information

My own Cat Health and Nutrition page. Here by popular request!
Visit Moggies for some very important cat health warnings regarding flea control products, Easter lilies, and so on.
The Backyard Predator, a site offering information on cat nutrition and feeding cats a natural diet.

Literature

Or should that be "litter-ature"? Sorry, sorry, couldn't resist. The pun will be lost on those who pronounce it "li-tra-cha."

Recommended reading: Great books about cats (fiction and nonfiction).
My own poem about a young cat who died.

Miscellaneous

If anything at this Web site has touched you, please write to me to tell me. I do try to answer every email I receive—eventually!

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