Corn and Wheat litter

Does this contradict when you are trying to feed them grain free food?

They go in the litter and collect dust and clean themselves all the time. Meaning they ingest the corn or wheat.

Just wondering what you guys think......

I'd much rather have my cats ingesting a small amount of corn/wheat dust than silica dust.

I am not a vet, but I would think that unless they are literally eating the litter, the amount would be too small to have any ill effect.

Hopefully they're just breathing the dust and not eating the litter! I'd rather have them breathing in the dust from either a corn or wheat based litter than the chemicals in the other litters. I have a herpes positive cat so it's important that we limit her grain intake, but I've not noticed any adverse effects from the corn based litter we use.

I have one that shouldn't eat corn but would try to eat fresh WBCL or chicken feed after a complete box and litter change.

If your cat has an known severe allergy to corn or wheat you may want to avoid using litters made from such. Otherwise it's such a small amount that licking that off of their paws isn't harmful.

That is a good question....

Dexter gets severe asthma from clay litter dust so we use corn ... WBCL.
Isis is sensitive (not allergic) to grain in her food ...
we use no grain food only.

Isis is black....
after she does her business in the corn litter, her paws and sometimes her face have a yellow dusting from the litter.
Usually, her daily poo will have one small part that is loose from licking the dust off.
That small amount does not seem to hinder her health.
So far, corn litter is a solution that is working for us.

If a cat was truly allergic to corn or wheat, I would not even attempt to use a corn or wheat litter.

Originally Posted by xocats

Dexter gets severe asthma from clay litter dust so we use corn ... WBCL.

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Just be on the look out. Corn and wheat are considered hyper-allergenic. I'm moving away from using corn in my home in an attempt to see if that improves Blann's health.

Originally Posted by xocats

Isis is black....after she does her business in the corn litter, her paws and sometimes her face have a yellow dusting from the litter.

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All of my kitties have litter box dust on their eyebrow whiskers after they've been in the box. It's too funny!

Originally Posted by stephanietx

All of my kitties have litter box dust on their eyebrow whiskers after they've been in the box. It's too funny!

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They really do look silly.
The first time Isis used the corn litter, when she got out of the box, I did a double take.
She looked like she has gone nuclear.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Just be on the look out. Corn and wheat are considered hyper-allergenic. I'm moving away from using corn in my home in an attempt to see if that improves Blann's health.

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That is an important point...
Good luck finding the right litter for Blann.

Originally Posted by xocats

That is an important point...
Good luck finding the right litter for Blann.

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I'm trying safflower seeds right now. He does not like them and very clearly told me this. Thats the problem with having a vocal cats.

The chicken feed I'm still using in two boxes has a small amount of dust. But it seems the only cat that stirs up dust is Siri with her digging. She also comes out with a bit of corn dust on her face.

Sorry if this is off topic. I shy away from corn, wheat or any litter made of food. If the kitties are kicking that stuff around and tracking it through the home you could end up with carpet beetles or other bugs. A good dust free (99.9%) litter is Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Ultra. It has no plant proteins and is hypo-allergenic. No perfumes either but it controls litter box odors.

Originally Posted by ConsumerKitty

Sorry if this is off topic. I shy away from corn, wheat or any litter made of food. If the kitties are kicking that stuff around and tracking it through the home you could end up with carpet beetles or other bugs.

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Even more O/T: Carpet beetles are a type of dermestid beetle that is specialized to eat textiles, feathers, and fur. They don't eat of grains. (other types of dermestids do, as well as specific ones being specialized to eat rotting flesh and waste)

As for clay being hypo-allergenic. How does one explain my Tomas, then? I have tried several clays (including what was a very dusty batch of that precious cat) and he always reacts with coughing, increased phlegm (wetter sounding cough), and if he gets clay dust in his eyes (from washing his face) they will turn red and swell. His vet could find no cause for this and it was only after I stopped using clay that his symptoms went away.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Even more O/T: Carpet beetles are a type of dermestid beetle that is specialized to eat textiles, feathers, and fur. They don't eat of grains. (other types of dermestids do, as well as specific ones being specialized to eat rotting flesh and waste)

As for clay being hypo-allergenic. How does one explain my Tomas, then? I have tried several clays (including what was a very dusty batch of that precious cat) and he always reacts with coughing, increased phlegm (wetter sounding cough), and if he gets clay dust in his eyes (from washing his face) they will turn red and swell. His vet could find no cause for this and it was only after I stopped using clay that his symptoms went away.

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Same here..

Oh and Zoey is allergic to wheat yet has no issues with chicken feed

The one time I bought no dye, no perfume minimally processed clay I nearly ended up in the ER with her

Originally Posted by sharky

Same here..

Oh and Zoey is allergic to wheat yet has no issues with chicken feed

The one time I bought no dye, no perfume minimally processed clay I nearly ended up in the ER with her

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I've even tried non-clumping clay that had no discernible dust that I could see - though I could feel it on my hands after running my hands through the litter.

All I can come up with is some sort of air way hypersensitivity. I have this myself and will react to things that are irritates as opposed to allergens. (though irritates have the ability to sensitize the immune system and make allergic reactions worse when they do happen)
I have no explanation for his eyes reacting other than he very obsessive about cleaning his face.

But for those who can't or don't want to use clay. Try alternatives. And if that doesn't work try something like the safflower seed (smart box) or tidy cat's breeze pellets. Try it out one box at a time to make sure there's no issues.