In 1947, Edward Lowe in Maine, USA, discovered that bentonite had super absorbency because his neighbors complained that his cat had nowhere to go to the toilet in the cold winter. The world's first bag of cat litter was born. This bag of gray particles weighing only 5 pounds not only solved the toilet problem of pet cats, but also opened up a new industry with an annual output value of over 10 billion US dollars.
The first evolution of cat litter originated from the pursuit of cleaning efficiency. In 1984, an American company launched agglomerated bentonite cat litter, which can quickly condense into blocks after contacting water, increasing the cleaning efficiency by more than 60%. Data shows that by 1990, agglomerated cat litter had occupied 75% of the North American market, completely replacing traditional sand and coal ash. Behind this change is the surge in the number of pet cats in the process of urbanization-the number of pet cats in the United States has soared from about 3 million in 1950 to more than 76 million in 2000.
Environmental protection needs have driven the second innovation of cat litter. After 2000, degradable cat litter made of corn, pine wood and bean dregs gradually emerged. According to statistics from the International Pet Products Association, environmentally friendly cat litter accounted for only 8% of the global market in 2010, and it has grown to 32% by 2023. Among them, the Chinese market performed particularly well, with sales of plant-based cat litter increasing by 47% year-on-year in 2022, reflecting consumers' upgraded preference for sustainable products.
Technological innovation is defining the future form of cat litter. Since 2020, the combination of smart cat litter boxes and functional cat litter has become a new trend. Activated carbon cat litter with deodorizing factors can reduce more than 90% of odor, and the antibacterial formula reduces the bacterial growth rate by 68%. The "color-changing cat litter" PH test cat litter launched by Starhong brand cat litter can change color through the numerical changes in the components of cat urine, allowing owners to easily detect the health of cats at home.
From solving basic needs to integrating technology and environmental protection concepts, the evolution of cat litter "from nothing to something, from something to excellence" is a microcosm of the deepening relationship between people and cats. Today, the world consumes more than 20 million tons of cat litter each year, and the market size in China alone exceeds 12 billion yuan. This seemingly small daily necessity has not only changed the lives of tens of millions of families, but also witnessed the continuous progress of human wisdom in coexisting with companion animals.
Written by：Luna
2025.7.22
