Ⅰ. The cat’s life cycle is divided into stages, and the demand for cat litter varies greatly.
The whole life cycle of cats can be clearly divided into three core stages: kitten stage, adult prime stage and senile weakness stage.
Cats of different ages are very different in many aspects, such as skeletal development, sole bearing capacity, olfactory sensitivity, gastrointestinal health, behavior and living habits, physical immunity, etc., and the adaptation needs for cat litter products used frequently in daily life are completely different.
When choosing cat litter, many farmers, cross-border traders and household shovels are used to using the same cat litter to suit cats of all ages. This general selection method can’t fit the physiological characteristics of cats at different stages, which will reduce the comfort of cats and lead to the behavior of rejecting and pulling, and will affect their physical development, increase their burden and induce various chronic diseases of the elderly.
Choosing litter for different ages should accurately according to the physiological characteristics of cats, and matching the special cat litter with corresponding materials, particle sizes, smells and functions according to the growth stages can not only improve the daily use experience of cats, but also meet the needs of physical development and health care, and at the same time reduce the difficulty of feeding management and meet the needs of pet breeding, foreign trade supply and retail in stores.
II. Physiological Characteristics of Cats and Core Principles of Sand Selection in Young Cat Stage
2.1 Basic definition of kitten stage
Age division: weaning growth stage from 1 month to 12 months.
Physiological characteristics: the bones and feet are delicate and fragile, the sense of smell is extremely sensitive, the curiosity is strong, the immunity is weak, the excretion frequency is frequent, and the habit of going to the toilet independently is being developed.
2.2 Hardness standard for exclusive sand selection for kittens
Gives priority to soft and skin-friendly materials and rejects hard particles.
The sole of the kitten’s foot is not fully developed, and the skin is delicate and not resistant to friction. It is strictly forbidden to choose large-particle hard bentonite sand and sharp mixed sand. Priority is given to the selection of light and soft food-grade tofu cat litter, which feels close to natural sand, and has no pain when walking and planing, thus protecting the development of young cats’ feet.
Strictly control the formula with low dust and no fragrance to protect the respiratory tract of young cats.
The respiratory tract and nasal mucosa of young cats are immature, and their ability to resist external stimuli is extremely poor. Therefore, it is necessary to choose odorless dust-free cat litter made by multiple dust removal processes to prevent the stimulation of fragrant essence and excessive dust, and to prevent the high incidence of sneezing and respiratory inflammation of young cats.
Particle size is small and moderate, avoiding the safety risk of eating by mistake.
Select fine and round particle cat litter of about 1.5mm, and the particle size fits the size of the kitten, which not only facilitates the kitten to bury the sand and go to the toilet, but also greatly reduces the probability that the kitten eats the cat litter by mistake when playing, and protects the kitten’s gastrointestinal safety.
Strong in water absorption and fast in agglomeration, which is suitable for high-frequency excretion.
The daily excretion frequency of young cats is much higher than that of adult cats. Cat litter that absorbs water and clumps quickly when it meets water is selected to quickly lock the moisture and odor in urine, keep the cat litter basin dry and clean, reduce the growth of bacteria and protect the fragile constitution of young cats.
2.3 Taboos for Choosing Products in the Stage of Avoiding Pits for Young Cats
Don’t buy online celebrity cat litter dyed in color and added with a lot of edible essence. Chemical additives are not conducive to the health of young cats.
Don’t use heavy cat litter, which will increase the walking burden of young cats;
Don’t change the cat litter style frequently until the kitten has fully learned to go to the toilet at a designated place. Stable habits are preferred.
III. Physiological Characteristics of Adult Cats and Practical Skills of Sand Selection
3.1 Basic definition of adult cat stage
Age division: 1-7 years old, reaching maturity.
Physiological characteristics: the bones are fully developed, the soles of the feet are strong, the physical immunity is at its peak, the behavior and habits are stable, the adaptability is strong, the excretion law is stable, and the activity is sufficient.
3.2 Thought of All-round Sand Selection for Adult Cats
Domestic pet adult cat: both experience and deodorization
Domestic adult pet cats give priority to the original mixed cat litter, which combines the soft foot feeling of tofu paste with the strong agglomeration and deodorization advantages of bentonite, is dust-free and low-irritating, and has excellent daily home use experience, which is suitable for most kinds of pet cats.
Multi-cat Breeding Adult Cats: Priority for cost-effective and durable models.
For adult cat groups in large-scale breeding bases, natural فضلات قطط البنتونيت in large packages is preferred, which is compact in agglomeration, low in loss rate, low in procurement cost, and full in cost performance for mass use, meeting the high-frequency use needs of groups.
Indoor Closed Feeding of Adult Cats: Optimization of Light Fragrance Type
In a closed and unventilated indoor environment, a small amount of lightly scented cat litter such as coffee fragrance and lavender fragrance can be used to gently cover up the odor of excrement, optimize the living environment at home, and reject the strong pungent fragrance.
Outdoor powder to develop adult cats: large particle anti-take-away style
Adult cats are scattered outdoors in courtyards and factories, and large particles of stable cat litter are selected. It is not easy for cats to carry sand when entering and leaving the cat litter basin, so as to keep the outdoor venue clean and tidy and reduce the cleaning workload.
3.3 Demand for functional additional products for adult cats
Adult cats with serious hair loss: fix odorless and low-dust cat litter to reduce environmental stress and help alleviate hair loss;
Adult cats with soft stools: choose fast absorbent and dry cat litter to reduce the difficulty of cleaning soft stools;
Adult cats with a large amount of exercise: give priority to general cat litter with moderate weight and comfortable walking.
IV. Physiological Characteristics of Old Cats and Sand Selection and Maintenance Scheme
4.1 Basic definition of the old cat stage
Age division: people over 7 years old enter the old age stage.
Physiological characteristics: gradual decline of physical function, stiff joints, legs and feet, inconvenient movement, deterioration of sense of smell and taste, decreased function of internal organs, easy to suffer from chronic kidney disease, respiratory diseases and skin diseases, slow movement and weak constitution.
4.2 Core points of sand selection for exclusive health care of elderly cats
Extremely soft and low-burden, which is suitable for the elderly.
Old cats have stiff legs and feet, decreased joint flexibility, and it is more difficult to get up. You must choose the softest superfine tofu cat litter, and there is no pressure when stepping on it. It is easy and unburdened to get up, go to the toilet and shave sand.
High-purity dust-free and aseptic formula to avoid respiratory diseases in the elderly.
The respiratory resistance of elderly cats is greatly reduced, which is a group with high incidence of respiratory inflammation and cough and asthma. Medical-grade dust-free cat litter is preferred to prevent dust inhalation from the source and reduce the incidence rate of respiratory system in elderly cats.
Fragrance-free minimalist formula protects decaying sense of smell and internal organs.
The metabolic function of liver and kidney of old cats is weakened, so they can’t metabolize too many chemical essence components. Only pure natural odorless cat litter is used in the whole process, which relies on the natural adsorption ability of raw materials to deodorize without adding metabolic burden to the viscera of old cats.
Strong in bacteriostasis and easy to clean, reducing the probability of senile dermatosis.
The skin immunity of old cats is poor, and it is easy to be infected with fungi and mites, so plant cat litter with natural antibacterial properties is preferred, and the toilet environment is kept clean and sterile with high-frequency whole basin replacement.
4.3 Suggestions on matching sand pots for raising old cats.
Choose a gentle cat litter basin with low entrance, and match it with soft and light special cat litter for the elderly, so as to reduce the leaping and climbing movements of the elderly cats, reduce the body consumption of daily activities in an all-round way, and meet the health care and feeding needs of the elderly cats.
V. Universal Gold Criteria for Sand Selection for All Ages
- Smell priority: young cats and old cats must choose fragrance-free type, adult cats can choose light fragrance type as appropriate, and fragrant cat litter should be used with caution at all ages;
- Dust priority: cats of all ages give priority to low-dust and dust-free models, and dust is a health hazard throughout the whole cycle;
- Material priority: the kitten is soft, the adult is balanced, and the old is extremely soft. Adjust the material hardness according to the age gradient;
- Cost priority: household experience, commercial cost performance, foreign trade supply, regional consumption habits and accurate distribution;
- Habit priority: make sure that the cat litter is used stably for a long time after it is adapted, and it is not necessary to change it at will across age groups.
VI. Cross-border foreign trade Cat litter supply reference in different regions and age groups
Southeast Asian market: Prefer cost-effective bentonite cat litter, and adapt to a large number of local adult breeding cat groups;
High-end markets in Europe and America: mainly promoting dust-free and odorless tofu cat litter, focusing on the concept of health care for young cats and old cats;
Latin American market: mixed cat litter has the widest audience, is suitable for cats of all ages, and is easy to popularize and distribute.
