I used to buy other clay-based clumping cat litter until about 6 weeks ago. I noticed my cat trying to eat the clumping litter. Several hours later, we were at the emergency vet, presenting with severe constipation.
Apparently, she had developed anemia and was eating the clumping litter to get minerals. This created a serious blockage in her system in addition to the anemia.
She received a blood transfusion and was sent home. I immediately bought Feline Pine to replace the litter so she would not try to eat any.
If you see your cat trying to eat any litter, they should IMMEDIATELY go to the vet.
My cat has IMHA at the level of the bone marrow, and she nearly died. We had to make a series of hard decisions to help her survive, including 3 blood transfusions, multiple medications, and high cost. She is now on 1.5 preds and her pcv is 30 and stable. Her last cbc/ reticulate looked good.
Buying Feline Pine was not recommended by any vet to me, but I read online that if a cat develops pica (eating litter or other things) due to an anemia, they will likely continue even if the anemia resolves. So I looked for non-clumping litter that would not be toxic to her. I got Feline Pine the day she first came home from the ER. Since I switched, she has not tried to eat litter anymore. Further, it smells better. I did not know how well pine combats the ammonia smell of cat urine.
I will continue to use this product for as long as my kitties are with me. For now, my cat is stable and all blood work indicates she is improving. We are lucky and also have had a team of great people involved in her diagnosis. As well, I have had to be very observant of her behavior. The litter eating part is a non-issue at this point.
I bought the clumping feline pine, but find that I prefer the original because it doesn’t track. Also the “clumping” function doesn’t really work that well. The original version is fine and a very small compromise.
