Itchy skin and cat litter.
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quid
Itchy skin and cat litter.
I think that my cat is reacting to the dustiness of her cat litter. I have been thinking about changing the clumping litter out to just regular clay litter. How does one go about that? Does the plain litter smell really bad? Are some brands better than others? Have you ever heard of a cat litter allergy???
Re: Itchy skin and cat litter.
I think it would be extremely rare to develop an allergy to litter, but anything is possible.
However, if your kitty hasn't been checked by your vet, now is the time to do so.....a simple exam might tell you if your kitty has a defined problem in which your vet can advise on treatment. Too many things to consider...mites, flea allergy dermatitis, food allergy, environmental allergens, etc. Best to rule these out than ignore a problem that could worsen.
However, if your kitty hasn't been checked by your vet, now is the time to do so.....a simple exam might tell you if your kitty has a defined problem in which your vet can advise on treatment. Too many things to consider...mites, flea allergy dermatitis, food allergy, environmental allergens, etc. Best to rule these out than ignore a problem that could worsen.
..........Traci
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quid
Re: Itchy skin and cat litter.
All those things have been checked out. It was worse when I tried one particular brand of litter.
I read an article that said that regular clay litter is better for cats. Is that true? and if so, how do I go about making the change?
I read an article that said that regular clay litter is better for cats. Is that true? and if so, how do I go about making the change?
Re: Itchy skin and cat litter.
It mostly depends on the cat's preference....some prefer clumping over clay litters. Both will accumulate dust either way during the packaging and handling of the product. If you want to keep down the dust, maybe opt for the crystal-type litters, those that are silicone-like crystals. Or, you can even simply try misting the litter with a spray bottle once it's been placed in the box.
How to make the change? You can go either way, mix the new in with the old until gradually the new replaces the box. Or you can just present her with a new litter altogether.
If you notice a noticeable change in your kitty and the skin condition improves within one week after a new litter change, you might attribute this to a sensitivity, but if there is no improvement, seek a second opinion....if no skin scrapes or cultures have ever been done up to this point, you might opt for those for more accurate ruling out of mites and flea allergy, etc. Food allergies can also develop suddenly with a cat at any time, regardless if they have been eating the same type of food for some time. Stress also can cause skin conditions, especially if kitty is pulling at her fur or biting at her skin.
How to make the change? You can go either way, mix the new in with the old until gradually the new replaces the box. Or you can just present her with a new litter altogether.
If you notice a noticeable change in your kitty and the skin condition improves within one week after a new litter change, you might attribute this to a sensitivity, but if there is no improvement, seek a second opinion....if no skin scrapes or cultures have ever been done up to this point, you might opt for those for more accurate ruling out of mites and flea allergy, etc. Food allergies can also develop suddenly with a cat at any time, regardless if they have been eating the same type of food for some time. Stress also can cause skin conditions, especially if kitty is pulling at her fur or biting at her skin.
..........Traci