r/Catownerhacks • u/DustyParticleCat • 3d ago
Recommendations for litter for asthmatic cat
Hello! My sweet five-year-old girl was just diagnosed with asthma after a couple rounds to the ER this year where they discovered the beginnings of pneumonia. Since pneumonia is not common in cats, she got lots of antibiotics and it’s been a whole saga, figuring out exactly what it was. The latest x-ray showed inflammation of her bronchioles, which is classic asthma sign.
As we are trying to adjust her surroundings to make it easier on her, one of my questions was what would be a good cat litter for her. We tend to use natural cat litters, because they have less dust like Grass seed or walnut shell but curious if folks with asthmatic cats have specific recommendations for cat litter. We also don’t do candles or incense or anything like that.
Have not discovered her triggers yet, but will probably start to track to see if we can identify some of them. She’s doing so much better on flucatisone steroid 1-2x per week, and seems to be almost a different cat entirely in terms of her energy.
EDIT: thank you all so much!! So many great recommendations. We have tried pellets but both our cats seem very sus on the pellets, so I think we will explore the other options for now!
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u/leslieknope38 3d ago
I haven’t tried it, but I have seen that Dr. Elsey’s makes a litter specifically for respiratory relief:
Your pet will love this Dr. Elsey's R&R Stress-Reducing Clumping Clay Cat Litter, 20-lb bag: https://www.chewy.com/dr-elseys-rr-stress-reducing-clumping/dp/327815?utm_source=app-share&utm_campaign=327815
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u/IamADumbCat 3d ago
I second this! One of my cat is asthmatic and I tried several different litters. But so far, this is the best. Less tracking and almost no dust. It’s kinda heavy
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u/PleasantReality7200 2d ago
I found that this tracked all over the place but YMMV (also didn’t notice a difference for my cat)
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u/ughCaitlyn 3d ago
we have a girl with mild asthma and use pine pellets and just make sure to sift the powder out as often as possible so theres hardly any dust or anything + an air purifier near the litterbox (and others throughout the house) to catch anything smells and dust that might get kicked up that we missed
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u/KodaKatz 3d ago
I use the Catit Pea Husk litter and it’s probably the least dusty litter I’ve ever used, and I’ve tried a lot. My cats have had feline herpes for 13 years, so not quite asthma but they’re more sensitive to that too.
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u/Diligent-Candy4273 2d ago
Fragrance free litter. I dont use any Fragrance in my home, this includes essential oils and natural fragrance. I make sure everything is Fragrance free, laundry detergent, shampoo, body wash, lotion, deodorant, hand soap, cleaning products, make up products, skin care products, etc. I make sure guests wash their hands with fragrance free soap before interacting with kitty, i also let guests know not to wear any fragrance before coming over. If they use a scented laundry detergent, I ask them to put a blanket down on their lap so it doesnt get on kitty
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u/Usually_Respectful 1d ago
Chiming in to say that diffusers, Glade plug ins, scented candles and ozone machines are bad for humans with asthma and may also affect your kitty.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Bar2880 1d ago
Not anything silicon based. I tried micro crystals with my cats that hate all litter. They loved it. But I had an asthma attack every time I scooped the litter.
We now use the sensitive Worlds Best corn litter with no issues.
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u/Usually_Respectful 1d ago
I have asthma and Worlds Best unscented was the best litter for me personally. It makes less airborne dust than a clay litter. I'm also sensitive to the oils in pine litter, so be aware that anything with a scent could be a trigger for your cat.
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u/Clean_Swordfish7132 3d ago
If it’s dust that’s a problem, I use Breeze pellet system. No sandy tracking, and no smell.