# Cats and carbon filters???



## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

I saw someone mention this in another post, the one about water fountains and It reminded me...

I replaced the air filter thingys on my litter boxes recently, but I couldn't get the right size. They hang out the back, and Torri keeps trying to steal them.

She was eating bits off of it, I even had to cover the back of the box (pretty well defeating the purpose) so she couldn't eat it! Is it just my cat that does this? Why does she do it? Is she feeling ill or something?

I just think it's so odd that she'd do something like eat the carbon filter...gross!


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

Can you trim it with a scissors?
Cats sometimes eat strange things. Arianwen used to try to eat styrofoam, but she doesn't any more.


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

I did trim it, it was too late though. She'd use her claws to pull it out, then nibble it.

I trimmed it shorter, and she sat INSIDE the box to chew on it...she seems to have gotten over it lately, but I had to tape saran wrap inside for a bit!


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Unless you have a fan pulling stinky air through those carbon filters, I do not think they are worth using. The charcoal that is in them, is similar to the stuff vets pump into animals who have ingested poison, so I don't think it would harm them. I'd be more concerned with the covering (paper/plastic) over the charcoal.


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

Oddly she didn't nibble the plastic. They do occasionally get a wrapper that apparently smells good, but they always spit out the little bits.

So, I could probably do without the filters? I just use them 'cause i got one with the box...


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

librarychick said:


> So, I could probably do without the filters? I just use them 'cause i got one with the box...


It won't hurt to use it, but I certainly wouldn't waste any money buying replacements. The filter sits at the top of the box. Any air that floats up to it, and happens to pass through the filter, will be filtered. Everything else? Not filtered. 

_I really don't think they work properly unless the contaminated air is pulled through the filter._ Think of it like one of those filtered water pitchers. The water has to flow through the filter and into the lower reservoir before being used. The charcoal filter on your litterbox is like putting one of those pitcher filters in a bowl of water and expecting that to filter the water in the bowl. Some might get filtered by accident, but certainly not all of it. Seems like a waste of a good idea, to me, and I won't spend money on it.

If your litter controls odor and your cats bury their waste, there should be no smell, except for a short amount at the time of deposit.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

I agree with Heidi. Just ditch the filter. It's a waste of time, money and effort. Not to mention being a poor cat snack.


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

I tried pulling the filter out, and it seemed to make a slight difference. Maybe the warmth of a cat creates enough convection to push some air up through the filter?


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

Was it "cat on a hot tin roof" or was it "hot cat on a tin roof" .... I dunno .... I'm mixed up.


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## oklahomegrownveg (May 31, 2008)

gunterkat said:


> I tried pulling the filter out, and it seemed to make a slight difference. Maybe the warmth of a cat creates enough convection to push some air up through the filter?


The active carbon will absorb some odor. Your probably better off with it rather than without it.

Mick.


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