Roughly 46.5 million households in america personal a cat,1 and in the event you’re a part of this statistic, likelihood is you’ve stumbled throughout an advert for health-monitoring cat litter. The product adjustments shade in response to the presence of particular markers in a cat’s urine that may assist house owners spot early indicators of a well being drawback.
However how dependable is well being monitoring cat litter? Proudly owning a pet may be dear anyway, so it’s a good suggestion to make certain earlier than shopping for a product which may not work. This litter can work, nevertheless it isn’t foolproof. Thus, it ought to solely be used as a instrument and by no means as a prognosis. Beneath, we’ll take a more in-depth take a look at how this cat litter works and how one can profit from it.
How Does Well being Monitoring Cat Litter Work?
A couple of model produces health-monitoring cat litter, however many work equally. The litter is made up of sunshine, silica gel that offers it an general “crystal” look. This gel is extremely absorbent, so it’s purposeful as a fundamental cat litter, nevertheless it’s additionally designed to vary shade primarily based on numerous elements, such because the urine’s pH degree. The pondering behind that is that the colour adjustments would possibly warn you to points with the urine worthy of in search of veterinary assist.
Is Well being Monitoring Cat Litter Dependable?
Well being monitoring cat litter will let you already know in real-time that your cat’s urine has modified. For example, it might present that pH ranges have modified, even when it doesn’t inform you why. Canine house owners are likely to be taught extra about the bathroom habits of their pets than cat house owners as a result of the previous are normally with their canines once they relieve themselves.
Cats are just a little extra self-sufficient on this space. This typically makes the veterinarian’s query about whether or not you’ve observed something totally different about your cat’s litter field habits currently just a little trickier to reply. Cat litter that adjustments shade might make it easier to to reply this query higher. Nonetheless, cats, not like canines, don’t are likely to have many adjustments of their urine pH with infections or urinary crystals or stones, so these litters is perhaps extra useful in idea than essentially. Due to this fact, it’s necessary to notice that outcomes aren’t all the time correct.
Is Well being Monitoring Cat Litter for You?
Whereas well being monitoring cat litter shouldn’t be relied on for solutions, it may well actually be a useful support. So, how may you profit essentially the most from color-changing cat litter? Communicate along with your veterinarian to find out if it is perhaps a worthwhile addition, even briefly, to your litter arsenal.
The next situations is perhaps price contemplating utilizing the litter:
Cats with well being issues: In case your cat is susceptible to well being issues, reminiscent of UTIs or cystitis, being conscious there’s blood within the urine earlier than it turns into an enormous drawback might be useful.
Older cats: Older feminine cats are sometimes extra prone to develop UTIs.
Diabetes: Cats with diabetes can profit from checking for sugar within the urine. Not all well being monitoring litters verify for sugar or work effectively even when they do, so different choices could also be obtainable reminiscent of urine take a look at sticks out of your vet.
Are There Any Downsides to Think about?
Discovering the good cat litter may be tough, particularly if in case you have a fussy kitty. So, in case your cat likes their present cat litter, you is perhaps unwilling to vary. Silica gel can even irritate some cat’s paws, so the change may not even be inside your management.
You must also do not forget that some health-monitoring cat litter isn’t obtainable in all native shops but, so you’ll have to get it on-line in some instances, relying on the place you reside. There’s additionally the price to contemplate since health-monitoring litter carries a heftier price ticket than conventional litter. Some are components which might be solely obtainable by means of your veterinarian, as effectively.
In case you are not sure if this cat litter is for you, your vet can provide recommendation primarily based in your cat’s well being care wants.
Remaining Ideas
Well being-monitoring cat litter can serve a objective in some conditions, so long as the outcomes are taken with a grain of salt. Don’t anticipate this cat litter to exchange solutions you’re going to get out of your veterinarian. If you wish to use the litter to help you and your vet in tackling a selected well being drawback, it might be an choice, however beware that it may well have pitfalls, as effectively. In the end, your vet is the most effective useful resource for maintaining your cat wholesome.
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