It wasn't until after World War II that people began to consider cats as exclusively indoor pets. If there was a enclosed cat litter box at all, it probably contained dirt, shredded newspapers or ash. The litter box was ripe, so to speak, for improvement.
Edward Lowe sold industrial absorbents designed to sop up spilled oil and chemicals. He offered a bagful to his friend to try out on her cat, and the results were so impressive that they began bagging and selling the stuff. They coined the term "kitty litter."
Forty years later, "scoopable" litters arrived. Used properly, they were less stinky and lasted longer. Almost instantly, they ruled the market.
Or did they? Clumping litter works because it is extremely absorbent: it draws fifteen times its weight in moisture. It's scoopable because it becomes sticky when wet. But when it's dry, it's dusty, and that made people nervous.
Some vets became concerned that the toxic, sticky dust was coating kitty lungs and digestive tracts, drawing out so much moisture as to risk dehydration and kidney problems. It sticks to paws, so cats were ingesting it while grooming. Kittens would eat it too, just because they're kittens. And dogs--well, yuck. Many conservative pet owners switched back to regular litter. (To date, no serious study has proven anything.)
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So what should you do? Cat Furniture recommends that if you're happy with clumping litter, pour it gently to minimize dust. If you see your cat eating litter, it could be a sign of a nutritional imbalance, so you have two reasons to visit the vet. Avoid clumping litter altogether if you have kittens.
With any litter, scoop daily to keep odors at bay. Cats tend to use the cat litter box about an hour after eating, so get the freshest results by scooping two hours after feeding. Change normal litter weekly, clumping litter monthly. Wash out the box, but be careful with bleach: if it mixes with the ammonia in urine, the noxious fumes will turn your nose inside out.
When you've finished harvesting the cat litter box, don't flush the clumps down the toilet, unless you are dating a plumber. Besides, cat poop contains litter bugs harmful to fish and mammals. For the same reason, don't put it in your compost bin--you're a mammal too.
