We've all used those little sachets of silica gel in our cameras and electronic equipment. Silica is highly hygroscopic which means that it simply pulls moisture into itself, even out of thin air! Now they're using silica as a cat litter to suppress the odor of the cat's litter box. An inch high layer of silica is laid in the litter box. The cat's waste - liquid and solid, both - are thoroughly dried out in a very short time. That takes care of the odor! The solid waste is so dried out, that it's almost petrified! You can scoop it out very conveniently without encountering any unpleasant sight or smell.
The number of times you have to refresh the cat's litter box is just once or twice or month compared to almost daily for traditional cat litters. Each time you refresh the litter box you just have to lay down an inch or so of the silica cat litter. This makes it very economical. No wonder cat owners consider silica cat litter to be a wonderful product. But there is a darker side to this wonder product. The question that's being voiced is whether silica is a health risk for your cat. Read on to find out...
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.
You may be happy that you now have to refresh the cat's litter box just once or twice a month. But did you know that pet experts and pet lovers alike are very critical about this very point. Keeping the litter for so long is inviting bacterial, fungal and microbial infections. These infections may affect your cat, and spread to pets and people as well.
You'll have to weigh the advantages and the disadvantages of silica litter before opting for it or against it. On the plus side we have some really solid reasons. The best reason is its low cost. The second reason is that it is convenient to clean. The next reason is that you are saved the trouble of refreshing the litter every few days.
The contra to these advantages is that, firstly, the cost of conventional clumping litter works out to the same as that of silica, and secondly, you get to remove the clumping litter everyday.
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.
Silica cat litter is actually a very good product suffering from some severe drawbacks. The mixed variety can be a bridge between all-silica and all-clumping. This way you get the benefits of both varieties of cat litters. The clumping prevents your cat's paws from damage, and the silica litter prevents the foul odor from pervading the house! - 31851
The number of times you have to refresh the cat's litter box is just once or twice or month compared to almost daily for traditional cat litters. Each time you refresh the litter box you just have to lay down an inch or so of the silica cat litter. This makes it very economical. No wonder cat owners consider silica cat litter to be a wonderful product. But there is a darker side to this wonder product. The question that's being voiced is whether silica is a health risk for your cat. Read on to find out...
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.
You may be happy that you now have to refresh the cat's litter box just once or twice a month. But did you know that pet experts and pet lovers alike are very critical about this very point. Keeping the litter for so long is inviting bacterial, fungal and microbial infections. These infections may affect your cat, and spread to pets and people as well.
You'll have to weigh the advantages and the disadvantages of silica litter before opting for it or against it. On the plus side we have some really solid reasons. The best reason is its low cost. The second reason is that it is convenient to clean. The next reason is that you are saved the trouble of refreshing the litter every few days.
The contra to these advantages is that, firstly, the cost of conventional clumping litter works out to the same as that of silica, and secondly, you get to remove the clumping litter everyday.
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.
Silica cat litter is actually a very good product suffering from some severe drawbacks. The mixed variety can be a bridge between all-silica and all-clumping. This way you get the benefits of both varieties of cat litters. The clumping prevents your cat's paws from damage, and the silica litter prevents the foul odor from pervading the house! - 31851
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Another way to avoid repeatedly cleaning up after your cat is to buy a self cleaning cat litter box. Visit www.CatLitterBoxesPlus to read about the various cat litter options available. You'll also discover the best way to remove cat odor should any mishaps occur.
