Once known and actively used only in industry, silica gel at some point made its way into the cat's trays . This was due to the considerations that the material has a unique hygroscopicity and the ability to absorb odors. Such important for the cat's toilet properties could not go unnoticed, because for some time now bags appeared on the shelves of pet stores with the inscriptions "cat's filler silica gel".
What kind of silica gel is used for cat litter?
It will be reasonable to ask the question: is industrial silica gel different from those that are packaged and sold in specialized stores with animal products? The difference in cost is palpable, and you want to understand whether you need to overpay, or you can buy silica gel in a chemical warehouse?
By and large, any silica gel is a transparent or tinted silica granule. Chemically, this material is completely inert, that is, it can not harm the health of the animal. And the inscriptions that it is cleaned and somehow still processed before becoming a filler of the cat's toilet, from the point of view of chemistry are highly questionable.
Having opened a bag with "cat's filler", you will see no less dust than in a bag of industrial silica gel, so the mention of its cleaning or additional antibacterial impregnation is rather a marketing move. So, choosing which silica gel is best for the cat's toilet, do not seek to buy the products of the most expensive firms.
Undoubtedly, as a filler for cat litter , silica gel is a good option, because it absorbs a lot of moisture and odor before it develops its resource, and its replacement is required. This is much more convenient than cleaning up the lumps of sawdust or sand.
On average, 8 kg of silica gel filler is enough to fill the toilet for one cat for a period of 2-3 weeks without the need to replace it. Just do not blindly believe the assurances of sellers that the color indicator beads will signal you about the need to replace the filler. As a rule, the resource of granules comes out much earlier than their color changes.
Specifications of silica gel for cat litter
When choosing silica gel (in a pet store or chemical warehouse), be guided by such parameters as:
- grain size - 2-8 mm;
- the mass fraction of grains is 95%;
- bulk density - 430 g / m3;
- moisture capacity - 5,1-85,6%, depending on the relative humidity in the room.