Cat Litter and Aflatoxins

[KLS52]

I'm doing some research on litter and aflatoxins. I was loving the egg layer crumbles...so inexpensive and functional, until I heard about aflatoxins and corn-based litters.

If the problem is growing mold when the litter gets wet, wouldn't it be ok to use if you are cleaning the litter box regularly and not allowing the mold to grow?

Is it only dangerous if the mold is visible or are there invisible mold spores that can still cause illness?

Apparently it's an issue with wheat based litter as well.

Bratt has been using Yesterday's News since his injury and I kind of like it. I'm wondering if my other cats can get used to it. I'm just concerned about the cost. I really love the egg layer crumbles.

I guess if it turns out the cedar litter is not causing my allergy flare I can stick with that.

Wondering what you guys use and how much you worry about aflatoxins.

 

[KLS52]

Apparently, clay litter is bad as well. It contains silica and it is not environmentally friendly.

When Stella was younger, she wouldn't use the litter box. I brought home a bag of remnants from our paper shredder at work and it worked like a charm. Too bad I didn't stick with that...recycled and free!

 

[Scorpius]

I use the Feline Pine litter for Ticia because I clay litters are dusty and heavy and I feel like the pine takes care of the staank well. There was one time I noticed mold growing in it, and that's when I left the (cleaned) litter box full with litter out for a week while I was on vacation. I've never noticed mold in it since then, and I have a very damp house (that's how I figured the mold was able to grow).

 

[Scorpius]

They also sell cheaper knock-off versions of the Yesterdays News at pet supply stores. I picked some up for Sancho (my chinchilla) called "Fresh News" or something like that. It was marketed for use in small animals, but it seems like its identical to the newspaper cat litter.

 

[KLS52]

Thanks, Scorpius!

 

[Calliegirl]

I loved World's Best, which I think is corn based, but it was too expensive. I used pine pellets for while, which I also liked a lot, but Chico hated it and would inform me of his displeasure whenever he saw it in the litterbox, so I switched back to clay.

I would still like to change to something safer, but affordable.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I've never heard of this, off to check my cat litter!

 

[Tom L.]

I used to use a recycled paper litter (Yesterday's News) for environmental reasons- I figured it was better than clay environmentally, being both renewable and biodegradable, but don't remember it being that expensive. (But then, I only had 3 cats at most- some of you have more than that. A minor difference in cost isn't so minor when it's multiplied by more than 3...)

If I start fostering or adopting cats and rabbits again, this will be something to think about.

 

[Wolfie]

I know with pet food if any of it is moldy the entire bag is bad because of invisible spores. Cat litter isn't being consumed of course but not sure how bad aflatoxins are if breathed in.