Cat litter smell thing of the past
Published: November 3, 2005
Smart CAT Box inventor Sara Maguire and her husband Walter, operators of Providence House Manufacturing based in Seal Rock, have produced a cat box system that eliminates the need for traditional clay or clumping cat litters and allows the pet owner to neatly drain urine - or scoop solids - from the box right into the toilet.
Most noteworthy to indoor cat owners everywhere - the Smart CAT (Cat Advanced Technology) Box system is odorless and completely eliminates the “cat litter smell” that has plagued the homes of pet owners for decades.
The Maguires’ cat box revolution is made possible by two major advances: the use of a natural material in the cat box in place of traditional clay cat litter; and a drainage system that funnels liquid waste into a contained reservoir, which may be easily removed and drained without requiring the pet owner to come into contact with the contents.
“I’m basically a lazy person, and I got tired of scooping the litter box every day,” said Sara. “It’s a good product, it really works.”
Sara designed the Smart CAT Box in 2004. The box is about the same size as a traditional litter box measuring 20 inches in length and 15-1/2 inches in width; and at 7-1/2 inches tall has added height as a result of its unique reservoir system. The box is actually divided into two boxes, one atop the other, with the top box including a slotted bottom that allows liquids to drain through to the slanted floor underneath and into the collection reservoir.
When Sara invented the system, she used wax-covered corncob pellets as a non-absorbent “litter,” the same material often used by breeders of Guinea pigs and other small animals as a pen liner; but it “just wasn’t right,” Sara said. “I kept searching and searching and I walked into Wal-Mart one day and saw safflower seeds sold as bird food.” She bought a bag to try in the Smart CAT box and worked, but not quite well enough.
Sara contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture and inquired as to whether they could direct her to a safflower research specialist - she was looking for a seed that was higher in oil than the variety readily available as bird food. The higher the oil content, the better able the seed is to shed liquid and the less likely it is to stick to any solid matter in the box.
She was put in touch with Dr. Jerald Bergman, a leading researcher with more than 30 years’ experience in the field of safflower breeding. Bergman holds exclusive genetic and patent rights to products developed through Safflower Technologies International based in Sidney, Mont., and after speaking with the Maguires about their invention, he gave them permission to his specialized seeds with their cat box system.
“Dr. Bergsman has the rights to the seed, no none else can use it without his permission,” Sara said. “What you find at Wal-Mart is good, it works; but the difference is the seeds at Wal-Mart are 38 percent oil, while the seed developed by Dr. Bergsman is 50 percent oil - it’s the stuff they press into safflower oil.”
Bergsman’s seed, patented as Nutrasaff, is also used in baby foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, lip balm, and snack food, among other products.
“And the cats like it better,” said Walter. “If the corncob is good, the (Wal-Mart) seeds are better, and this is the best.”
Solid pet waste may be easily scooped from the Nutrasaff safflower seeds. “They don’t stick,” Sara noted.
During a demonstration Sara performed for the News-Times, she poured 3/4 of a cup of water onto the Nutrasaff safflower seeds in the Smart CAT Box then removed the reservoir from the lower box. The reservoir is built to capture up to 24 ounces of liquid at a time, “enough capacity for one cat for several days, or for a few days for multiple cats,” the Maguires said.
When Sara removed the reservoir and poured the water back into the measuring cup, 3/4 of a cup of water was reclaimed.
The covered “drawer” locks into place for proper positioning and is designed to be removed rather easily. The unit includes a spout at one end to allow the pet owner to drain it into the toilet and replace it into the box without ever touching the liquid.
“(The seed) does not absorb odor, it does not absorb moisture, and it’s environmentally friendly,” Sara said. “When I was using scoopable litter, I was shoveling and scraping and scooping (the waste) up and where does the urine go? It stays in the litter. Now there’s a place for the urine to go.”
There are several other reasons for pet owners to make the switch from clumping litter to the Smart CAT Box system; namely, sodium bentonite, the clumping agent used to make clay litter “scoopable.” Sodium bentonite has characteristics similar to expandable cement and swells 15 to 18 times its size when introduced to moisture - the primary reason the label on the bag cautions the pet owner not to flush cat litter down the toilet. The substance is also used in construction for grouting, sealing, and as a plugging material.
When cats track clumping litter in their paws, they often lick the particles from their between their toes and ingest the sodium bentonite, which expands in their organs and constricts the intestines.
“Sodium benzoate, which they use to patch up holes in concrete and whatnot, the cats ingest it and their intestines get narrower and narrower until they get terribly constipated,” Sara said.
“A lot of vets agree we shouldn’t use it,” Walter said. He also noted there is heated discussion within the field of veterinary medicine as to whether or not the cumulative effects of sodium benzoate are enough to warrant an outright ban on the product.
While that subject remains debated, safflower seeds are proved safe for both pets and people.
“Even if they did ingest this, there’s no problem - it’s high in vitamins,” Sara said of the Nutrasaff safflower seeds.
Instead of adding used clay litter to landfills, users of the Smart CAT Box system may dispose of the seeds in the compost pile or in the yard. “If birds eat them, they’re safe,” Sara said, even after several months of use in the box. Gardeners are warned, however, that they may find themselves with a yard full of safflowers.
Another health concern related to clumping litters is the ingredient quartz silica - sand - which is a known carcinogen when inhaled by humans or pets. According to a study by Deborah Straw published in the book “Why is Cancer Killing Our Pets?,” the dust from clumping litter has been proved to cause respiratory distress in household cats.
The Maguires are still determining the amount of time one bunch of seeds will last before needing replacement; Sara said her two cats have used the same seeds for the past two months and there is still no odor or residue buildup.
When the time does come to “change” the seeds, Sara noted the product is washable: the seeds may be placed in a bucket with dishwasher soap, “swished around,” drained, and replaced into the system where they may be rinsed with fresh water that drains into the reservoir. “Pat them with a paper towel to get the excess moisture off and they’re ready,” she said. Pet owners who have discovered the Smart CAT Box system, “never go back” to traditional clay litter, she said.
Walt emphasized the entire product line is manufactured in the United States. A company in Anaheim, Calif., manufactures the Smart CAT Boxes and the safflower seeds are grown in Montana. An optional feature of the system is a wall insert with an opening in the front and five-inch walls on the remaining three sides that prevent cats from pawing the seeds out of the box and onto the floor. The insert, which is made in Albany, also includes a convenient hook for the scoop.
While many cat owners may agree eliminating the “cat litter smell” from the home is the best feature of the Smart CAT Box system, another reason Sara and Walter pursued their invention was to create a way for veterinarians to collect cat urine without causing distress to the cat, especially a concern for diabetic pets. Traditionally, vets had to literally squeeze the cat until the bladder emptied or puncture the bladder with a needle to extract urine - neither a very pleasant experience for the cat or the vet.
Dr. Steven Brown, DVM, of Newport is quoted on the Smart CAT Box website expressing his success with the system. “I’ve used a prototype in my practice over the last year and found it very helpful. It is very safe, very natural. … It has been very helpful in our practice,” he said.
The Maguires are investigating the possibility of placing their product in chain stores, such as PetCo and Pet Smart.
“I’ll tell you, Walt’s brains are behind all this,” Sara said.
“Well Sara comes up with the ideas and I just make them work,” Walter said.
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