How a Simple Idea Improved the Quality of Life for Millions

In 1947, an enterprising young man named Edward Lowe assisted his neighbor with a problem she was having. The woman was using ashes in her cat box and the cat was tracking the ashes throughout the house. Mr. Lowe suggested she try the all-natural granular absorbent clay that he was selling to garage and machine shop owners for use in cleaning up minor oil spills and drips. Both the owner and her pet loved the absorbent clay granules. The rest, as they say, is history. From these modest beginnings the $1.3 billion cat litter industry was born and pet ownership was changed forever.

Prior to 1947 there was no such thing as clay cat litter. Dogs were the favored household pets. They were affectionate animals that learned to signal their masters when they needed to go outside to “do their business”. Cats were outside animals. They chased mice and dropped by the back door for the occasional saucer of milk. Granular absorbent clay used as cat box filler changed all that. It brought these wonderful, independent creatures into the house where, for almost 60 years, they have enriched the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Today, due largely to the development of cat litter, cats are the number one household pets in America. Registered cats outnumber their canine counterparts by an estimated 10 million. The natural deodorizing capability of clay litter allows cats and their human companions to share even the smallest living space, making cats the ideal pets for apartment and condominium dwellers. And since the day-to-day care of a cat requires only love, food, water and a clean litter box, cats are the perfect companions for all who take great pleasure in having these wonderful animals in their lives.

It seemed like such a simple suggestion back in 1947. No one could have foreseen how a bag of granular clay would change the face of pet ownership around the globe and by so doing, have such a meaningful impact on the lives of so many.

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