The evolution of cat litter: Fuller's clay, bentonite, tofu litter, cat litter can even be used as a facial mask
The first generation of cat litter: Fuller's clay
Cats in rural areas rarely need cat litter, but urbanization in early 20th century America changed that. As more people moved into apartments, they began using sand or soil for their cats. However, during bad weather, these became hard to find, and people had to resort to using ash, which was messy and dusty.
In 1947, Edward Roy, a building materials dealer, accidentally discovered a better solution. After a snowstorm, neighbors bought Fuller’s earth from him when they couldn’t find sand or soil. They found it worked much better, leading Edward to develop the first commercial cat litter. By the 1990s, his company became the world’s largest cat litter producer.
Because Fuller’s earth has a loose and porous molecular structure and a large surface area, it has a strong adsorption capacity, similar to activated carbon. Therefore, in the early days of the textile industry, it was mainly used to clean and adsorb pollutants in wool, such as oil stains:
Although Fuller’s earth is no longer used as cat litter, it is still used in medicines and skin care products due to its strong adsorption capacity. For example, skin whitening, facial masks, etc.
Fuller’s earth was first used as cat litter by accident.
Rural or outdoor cats. Cats originally lived outdoors and could bury their feces in any dirt. Without urbanization, there would be no social motivation for cat litter. Friends who have lived in rural areas must have seen cat litter made of sand or coal slag from construction sites, which is this kind:
Cats in rural areas don’t need much cat litter. However, with rapid urbanization in the early 20th century in the United States, more people started living in apartments, which increased the demand for cat litter. Initially, people used sand or soil, but during rain or snow, these became difficult to find, forcing them to use ash instead. Ash was dirty, dusty, and inconvenient, often making homes messy.
Fuller’s earth was discovered by chance. In the winter of 1947, Edward Roy, a building materials businessman, had an unsold stock of Fuller’s earth. After a heavy snow, his neighbors, unable to find sand or soil for their cats, bought some from him. They soon realized Fuller’s earth was far superior to sand. This led Edward to create the first commercial cat litter, and by the 1990s, his company became the world’s largest cat litter producer.
Disadvantages of Fuller’s Earth.
However, Fuller’s Earth does not clump, so it has to be replaced after a few uses, which is inconvenient. So the second generation of cat litter, bentonite, was born.
Second generation cat litter: bentonite
Bentonite appeared in the 1980s when biochemist Thomas Nelson, who happened to be a cat lover, discovered that a type of clay called bentonite would clump when wet, so the wet clumps could be easily separated, leaving clean cat litter.
Bentonite’s key characteristic is its ability to absorb water and expand, which is why it gets its name. Its main components are montmorillonite and aluminum silicate. Montmorillonite is known to treat diarrhea, which might cause constipation in cats that ingest bentonite litter.
Bentonite has other applications, such as thickening mud in construction and moisturizing in skincare products. When used as cat litter, it forms clumps that can be easily removed without replacing the entire tray.
Bentonite comes in two types: calcium-based and sodium-based. Sodium-based bentonite absorbs water well and clumps effectively but is more expensive. Calcium-based bentonite is cheaper, but its clumping ability can vary, with some crumbling under a shovel. China has limited sodium-based bentonite reserves, while Inner Mongolia has many calcium-based deposits. In contrast, the U.S. has abundant sodium-based bentonite, so much of it is imported.
One drawback of bentonite is that earlier forms contained silica dust, which is carcinogenic. Additionally, it’s non-degradable and harmful to the environment, leading to the development of eco-friendly, plant-based cat litters.
The third generation of cat litter: Tofu cat litter
In order to make cat litter environmentally friendly and biodegradable, the third generation of cat litter products was born. Pine wood, paper scraps, sawdust, corn dregs, various bean dregs, etc., all kinds of plants can be used to make cat litter. The main principle is to make these plants into powder and then stick them into particles.
The most common tofu cat litter is made of bean dregs. In addition, everyone must have heard of pea cat litter, grain cat litter, corn cat litter, etc. The production principles are similar, and the main production processes are also similar.
Another advantage of plant-based cat litter is that it is fine for cats to eat it.
The disadvantage is that since it is organic, it is easy to breed bacteria or mold after long-term use. However, this problem can be partially solved by adding antibacterial ingredients, which is also one of the reasons for the price difference of different tofu cat litters. Or you can clean the cat litter box thoroughly once every two weeks and replace it with new cat litter, which is expensive.
Because of urbanization, keeping cats in closed spaces has become a necessity, which has given rise to cat litter. Therefore, cat litter was also produced in the United States, which was the first to be urbanized.
The first generation of cat litter, Fuller’s clay, was discovered by accident. The second generation of cat litter, bentonite, can clump, which is easy to clean and has a much better user experience than Fuller’s clay. The third generation of plant-based cat litter is degradable and more environmentally friendly. In addition, there are also crystal cat litter, pine cat litter, etc., each with its own characteristics. However, the mainstream of cat litter development is the above three types.
