Unfortunately, urinary tract disorders are relatively common in cats (especially older and overweight ones). And while prevention is always better than a cure, early detection is often the next best thing. Today we’ll be looking at 7 litter box products that have been designed to help you to do just that – from cat litter that changes color when abnormalities are detected, to health-monitoring litter box additives and more, check out 7 health-monitoring litter box options for cats below!
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7 Health-Monitoring Litter Box Options for Cats
From handy at-home wellness test kits, to health-monitoring litter box additives and color-changing cat litter, check out 7 health-monitoring litter box options for cats below;
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1. Cat Litter That Changes Color
For health-monitoring cat litters that change color when abnormalities in your cat’s urine are detected, check out the following options;
Litter type: Non-clumping silica gel crystals
Monitors: Acidity (pH), alkalinity, and blood in the urine
Flushable: No
Invented to give cat parents peace of mind, Pretty Litter is a subscription cat litter service that enables pet parents to keep daily tabs on their cat’s health.
Monitoring parameters such as acidity, alkalinity, and the presence of blood in the urine, Pretty Litter changes color when potential abnormalities exist. For example, orange litter may indicate possible metabolic acidosis or kidney tubular acidosis, blue litter may indicate certain types of UTIs or an increased risk of stone formation, while red may indicate the presence of bladder crystals, feline lower urinary tract disorder, or certain types of kidney disease.
Other features:
- Unscented
- Lightweight, and 99% dust-free
- Advanced odor-control built-in
- Strong enough for multi-cat households
- Each 8 lb bag lasts about 2 months
- 30-day risk free guarantee
Litter type: Non-clumping silica gel crystals
Monitors: Albumin, acidity (pH), alkalinity, and blood in urine
Flushable: No
Similar to Pretty Litter above, Genius Litter is a crystal cat litter with health indicator that helps pet parents detect potential urinary abnormalities and irregulaties early so that professtional veterinary care and treatment can be sought quickly if needed.
Available via subscription delivery or as a one-off purchase, Genius Litter changes color and monitors parameters such as albumin, acidity, alkalinity, and blood in the urine, with blue indicative of abnormal alkaline levels, green indicative of abnormal pH, orange indicating the possible presence of albumin, and red indicative of blood in the urine.
Other features:
- Lightweight formula
- Low-tracking, and dust-free
- Advanced odor-control built-in
- Refill once a month
- Subscription discount available
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Litter type: Tofu-based clumping litter
Monitors: The presence of blood in the urine
Flushable: Yes
Pidan is a biodegrable and water soluable tofu-based cat litter which contains test particles that turn blue when exposed to colorless trace blood. It’s capable of detecting hemoglobin in your cat’s urine at concentration levels as low as 0.1% which may aid in the early detection of health issues such as feline lower urinary tract disorder and certain types of kidney disease.
Other features:
- Highly absorbant
- Low-tracking, low-dust
- Biodegradable, and water soluable
- Easy clean-up and disposal
Litter type: Natural mineral clumping litter
Monitors: Acidity (pH) of urine
Flushable: No
Perfect Litter is a lightweight clumping cat litter with wellness indicator that changes color when your cat’s pH balance is off. Pink litter may indicate elevated pH in your cat’s urine, while a darker shade of red indicates a high urine pH, ultimately signalling the need for potential veterinary intervention.
Other features:
- Minimal dust and tracking
- Unscented, and hypo-allergenic
- 70% lighter than traditional clay litters
- Free from artificial chemicals
- One 4 lb bag lasts approx. 1 month for 1 cat
2. Health-Monitoring Litter Box Additives
If you’d prefer not to switch your cat’s litter brand completely, you may like to consider a health-monitoring litter box additive instead;
Litter type: Crystal litter additive
Monitors: Acidity (pH) of urine
Flushable: No
As the name suggests, Ultra Monthly Monitor is a cat litter box additive that enables pet parents to monitor their cat’s urinary health at regular intervals without needing to switch to an entirely new cat litter.
To use, simply pour the health indicator crystals on top of a newly filled litter box, wait for your cat to urinate, then wait a further 10 minutes for the crystals to do their job and then compare their color with the handy chart provided. Orange to red crystals may indicate a low pH, while dark green to blue crystals may indicate a high pH.
Other features:
- Soft on paws
- Fragrance free
- pH chart included
- Works with all litter types
Litter type: Litter granule additive
Monitors: The presence of blood in the urine
Flushable: No
With technology by Blücare, Royal Canin Hematuria Detection is an innovative at-home test that enables pet parents to detect blood in their cat’s urine.
To use, simply add the urine test granules to your cat’s litter and wait for them to urinate. If after a few seconds the white granules turn blue, blood has been detected and consultation with your vet is recommended. Results will remain visible for up to 48 hours.
Other features:
- Clinically proven
- Easy to use with fast results
- Developed in collaboration with vets
- Can be used with most cat litters
3. At-Home Wellness Test Kits for Cats
Finally, if you’re looking for an at-home testing option that uses indicator test strips to detect abnormalities in your cat’s urine (rather than a litter or litter box additive that changes color in the pan), check out Kit4Cat’s CheckUp at-home wellness test for cats, below;
Litter type: Non-absorbing hydrophobic cat litter
Monitors: Test strips monitor glucose, protein, acidity (pH), and blood in the urine
Flushable: No
Kit4cat Checkup uses a combination of hydrophobic litter, urine collection tools, and indicator test strips to identify potential abnormalities in your cat’s urine and is capable of detecting conditions such as high glucose levels, kidney failure, UTIs, and blood in the urine.
The non-absorbing litter is unique in that it allows pet parents to easily collect urine droplets from the surface of the litter for testing in a non-invasive, and stress-free way.
Other features:
- Non-invasive and stress-free
- 100% natural, non-toxic, and odorless
- Hydrophobic litter makes urine collection easy
- Fast results in up to 60 seconds
- Biodegradable
Health-Monitoring Cat Litter Limitations
While health-monitoring cat litters and litter box products can be helpful in aiding early detection of potential kidney and urinary tract issues in cats, they are NOT intended to be used as a substitute for professional veterinary advice, nor can they detect every feline health issue or prevent or diagnose diseases – only a licensed Veterinarian can do that.
If you suspect that your cat may be unwell, it’s always best to seek professional Veterinary advice in the first instance.
Sources and further reading:
- What is health-monitoring cat litter, and how does it help detect when your cat is sick? – Chemical and Engineering News
- Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease – Cornell Feline Health Center
- Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) in Cats – VCA Animal Hospitals
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