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Roughly 46.5 million households in america own a cat, and for those who’re a part of this statistic, chances are high you’ve stumbled across an advert for health-monitoring cat litter. The product changes color in response to the presence of specific markers in a cat’s urine that can help owners spot early signs of a health problem.
But how reliable is health monitoring cat litter? Owning a pet may be pricey anyway, so it’s a great idea to ensure before buying a product which may not work. Health monitoring litter can work, but it surely isn’t foolproof. Thus, it should only be used as a tool and never as a diagnosis. Below, we’ll take a better take a look at how this cat litter works and the way you may profit from it.
How Does Health Monitoring Cat Litter Work?
A couple of brand produces health-monitoring cat litter, but many work similarly. The litter is made up of sunshine, silica gel that offers it an overall “crystal” look. This gel is incredibly absorbent, so it’s functional as a basic cat litter, but it surely’s also designed to vary color based on various aspects, reminiscent of the urine’s pH level. The considering behind that is that the colour changes might provide you with a warning to issues with the urine worthy of in search of veterinary help.
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Is Health Monitoring Cat Litter Reliable?
Health monitoring cat litter will let in real-time that your cat’s urine has modified. As an example, it could show that pH levels have modified, even when it doesn’t inform you why. Dog owners are likely to learn more in regards to the toilet habits of their pets than cat owners because the previous are frequently with their dogs once they relieve themselves.
Cats are a bit of more self-sufficient on this area. This sometimes makes the veterinarian’s query about whether you’ve noticed anything different about your cat’s litter box habits currently a bit of trickier to reply. Cat litter that changes color may provide help to to reply this query higher. Nevertheless, cats, unlike dogs, don’t are likely to have many changes of their urine pH with infections or urinary crystals or stones, so these litters is likely to be more helpful in theory than in reality. Due to this fact, it’s essential to notice that results aren’t at all times accurate.
Is Health Monitoring Cat Litter for You?
While health monitoring cat litter shouldn’t be relied on for answers, it could actually definitely be a useful aid. So, how could you profit probably the most from color-changing cat litter? Speak together with your veterinarian to find out if it is likely to be a worthwhile addition, even temporarily, to your litter arsenal. The next instances is likely to be some times to think about using the litter:
- Cats with health problems: In case your cat is susceptible to health problems, reminiscent of UTIs or cystitis, being aware there’s blood within the urine before it becomes a giant problem, might be useful.
- Older cats: Older female cats are often more prone to develop UTIs.
- Diabetes: Cats with diabetes can profit from checking for sugar within the urine. Not all health monitoring litters check for sugar or work well even in the event that they do, so other options could also be available reminiscent of urine test sticks out of your vet.
Image Credit: Mesa Watthanaphichai, Shutterstock
Are There Any Downsides to Consider?
Finding the right cat litter may be difficult, especially if you could have a fussy kitty. So, in case your cat likes their current cat litter, you is likely to be unwilling to vary. Silica gel may irritate some cat’s paws, so the change won’t even be inside your control.
It’s best to also do not forget that some health-monitoring cat litter isn’t available in all local stores yet, so you’ll have to get it online in some cases, depending on where you reside. There’s also the price to think about since health-monitoring litter carries a heftier price tag than traditional litter. Some are additives which can be only available through your veterinarian, as well.
In the event you are unsure if this cat litter is for you, your vet can offer advice based in your cat’s health care needs.
Final Thoughts
Health-monitoring cat litter can serve a purpose in some situations, so long as the outcomes are taken with a grain of salt. Don’t expect this cat litter to interchange answers you’re going to get out of your veterinarian. If you should use the litter to help you and your vet in tackling a selected health problem, it could be an option, but beware that it could actually have pitfalls, as well. Ultimately, your vet is the most effective resource for keeping your cat healthy.
Featured Image Credit: Duet PandG, Shutterstock