Can silicon-based cat litter cause silicosis?

The silica has to be respirable. I don’t believe silica gel in the form of pearls is respirable.

It should safe in terms of causing silicosis. According to this Wikipedia article silcia gel is non-friable which means it can’t easily be broken down in to small pieces or powder, into respirable particles and so won’t cause silicosis.

Oh, I guess that’s what I meant.

Here is an interesting blog debating the merits of silica gel cat litter…apparently caused an allergic reaction in one person’s cat.
http://tippedearclan.wordpress.com/tlc/cat-litter-silicon-gel/
Personally I use the pine wood shaving litter – it lasts at least 3 months for 2 cats and is the best smelling one I have used yet.

Okay, here’s the deal: If you open up any brand of silica cat litter… there is indeed silica dust in there. I’m not talking about the pearly shapes… but at the bottom of the bag there is actual dust. Not nearly as much dust as clay litter… not even close. But it’s there. That’s the stuff that worries me, and it makes me wonder if dust breaks out of these pearls once in the litter box, too.

Thanks @lillycoyote , if that article is correct, then the litter is amorphous synthetic as you mention, which doesn’t cause this disease.

Thanks @Shooter12 , I didn’t realize there were other hazards.

The whole point of switching to this stuff was my cat sneezing too much, and I figured the clay and clumping clay caused too much dust. After the silicon stuff, i’ll try the newspaper pellets, but I bet that kind of litter is gonna stink unless changed often.

@Kraigmo

Your cat may reject it too.

One of mine refuse to use any of the pelleted types of litter…he’s a scoop away kinda guy and will crap on the floor if his litter is not to his liking. lol