Although cats have been household pets for thousands of years, the notion of specially marketed food and litter for them is very modern.

The History of Cat Food

Before the advent of pet foods, most dogs and cats lived off of grains, meats, table scraps and homemade food from their owners. It wasn’t until the mid-1800’s that the world saw its first food made specifically for dogs. An American electrician, James Spratt concocted the first dog treat. Living in London at the time, he witnessed dogs around a ship yard eating scraps of discarded biscuits. A light bulb went off in his head and shortly thereafter he introduced his dog food, made up of wheat meals, vegetables and meat. His company flourished and by 1890 he was taken over by a large corporation and production had begun in the United States as well.

For most of their time on Earth, cats have been expected to earn their keep by dispatching—and devouring—mice and other vermin, supplemented by scraps of butcher's meat and bowls of milk. For the most part, cats were expected to work for their supper until the 1905, when canned cat food hit the market. Dry and semi- moist food followed, and in the 198os,"scien¬tific" diets were developed and brands rolled out specialty foods for older cats, overweight cats, and indoor cats. Today, some manufacturers add vegetables or herbs such as paisley to cat foods, to appeal to owners who are themselves turning away from a meat diet.

The History of Cat Litter

Meanwhile, the relatively recent exclusively indoor lifestyle of many cats sparked a need for cat litter. Its first major manufacturer was U.S. inventor Ed Lowe. who figured that fuller's earth, a super absorbent clay, would be an ideal throwaway product for soaking up cat wastes Lowe coined the term kitty litter, his brand name for his product. In 1964, he began to sell the clay nationwide under the Tidy Cat label.

The History of Cat Litter is in fact much like the history of the creation and growth of many businesses but it was a damn good idea. Mind you it was an idea that was destined to be formulated at some time or other.

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.

Nowadays, various kinds of clay are used for litter, as well as products made from recycled newspaper pellets, grains, silica gel, and wood shavings. See Cat Litter Type : Which Cat Litter Is Best For You? , Pine Cat Litter : Advantages And Disadvantages   and  Cat Litter Type : Which Cat Litter Is Best For You?  to find out more about Cat litter or Automatic Cat Litter Boxes  to find out how to help you with Cat Litter Box Problems