Table 1.
Effect of cat litters on ability of feline coronavirus (FCoV) to infect cell culture
| Cat litter | Litter type | Cytotoxicity | FCoV titre/ ml |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virus control (no litter) | NA | NA | 106 |
| Ever Clean Less Track (Clorox International) | Fuller’s earth | No | 0 |
| Tesco Value (Tesco) | Fuller’s earth | No | 0 |
| LitterPurrfect (imported by Costco UK) | Fuller’s earth | No | 0 |
| Cat Country USA (Mountain Meadows Pet Products) | Compressed wheat grass | No | 0 |
| Sophisticat (Steetley) | Fuller’s earth | No | 10 |
| Wood-based cat litter (Pets at Home) | Wood pellets | No | 102 |
| Catsan (Masterfoods) | Softwood granules | No | 102 |
| Snowflake (Ashton-under-Lyne) | Wood pellets | No | 102 |
| World’s Best Original (Grain Processing Company) | Whole-kernel corn | No | 103–4 |
| Tesco Premium (Tesco) | Recycled paper and clay | No | 104 |
| Nutrena Nature (USA) | Chicken feed | No | 104 |
| World’s Best Extra (Grain Processing Company) | Whole-kernel corn | No | 104–5 |
| Litter Pearls (Crystal Clear Pet Products) | Silica gel | No | 104–5 |
| Cat Country UK (Mountain Meadows Pet Products) | Compressed wheat grass | No | 106 |
| Cat Country Europe (Mountain Meadows Pet Products) | Compressed wheat grass | No | 106 |
The reduction of FCoV infectivity for cell culture in the supernatant of various cat litters is shown, in decreasing effect against the virus. The titre of the virus inoculum was 106/ml: four cat litters caused the virus titre to reduce to 0 (ie, prevented infection of the cell culture), eight litters and the chicken feed reduced the FCoV titre to varying extents, and two litters had no effect on virus titre. None of the products tested were toxic to the cell culture
NA = not applicable