Magnetically-attractable non-clumping animal litter

A particulate non-clumping animal litter composition, comprising:

• (a) about 50 to 98 weight % of a non-clumping absorbent particulate material;
• and,
• (b) about 2 to 50 weight % of magnetically-attractable metal particles;
• wherein:
• (i) the non-clumping absorbent particulate material and magnetically-attractable metal particles are bound together;
• and,
• (ii) substantially all particles of the animal litter composition are attracted to a magnetic surface.

A particulate non-clumping animal litter composition, comprising:

• (a) about 50 to 98 weight % of a non-clumping absorbent particulate material;
• and,
• (b) about 2 to 50 weight % of magnetically-attractable metal particles;
• wherein:
• (i) the non-clumping absorbent particulate material and magnetically-attractable metal particles are bound together;
• and,
• (ii) the inhomogeneity of the animal litter composition is not more than about 30%, wherein the inhomogeneity is determined by measuring the reduction in weight fraction of animal litter particles adhering to a vertical magnetic surface after being crushed such that the D50 of the animal litter particles after crushing is at least about ⅓ less than the D50 of the animal litter particles before crushing.

A method of manufacturing a magnetically-attractable particulate non-clumping animal litter, comprising:

• mixing about 50 to about 98 weight % of a non-clumping absorbent particulate material together with about 2 to about 50 weight % of magnetically-attractable metal particles;
• wherein the mixing is accomplished with mixer that imparts sufficient shear to the absorbent and metal particles such that:
• (i) the non-clumping absorbent particulate material and magnetically-attractable metal particles are bound together in stable, non-dusty aggregates;
• and,
• (ii) substantially all particles of the animal litter composition are attracted to a magnetic surface.

A particulate clumping animal litter composition, comprising:

• (a) about 85 to 95 weight % of non-swelling clay particles having a particle size distribution such that at least 50 weight % of the particles pass a 50-mesh sieve;
• and.
• (b) about 5 to 15 weight % of magnetically-attractable metal particles having a particle size distribution such that at least 50 weight % of the particles pass a 50-mesh sieve, the magnetically-attractable metal particles comprising magnetite, taconite, or mixtures thereof;
• wherein:
• (i) the attapulgite particles and magnetically-attractable metal particles are bound together:
• (iii) the particles of the animal litter composition have particle sizes between 8 and 50 mesh;
• (iii) substantially all particles of the animal litter composition are attracted to a magnetic surface;
• and,
• (iv) the resiliency of the animal liner composition is at least about 50 %, the resiliency being determined by measuring the weight fraction of animal litter particles initially larger than 40 mesh that are retained on a 40-mesh sieve after being fragmented in the pan of a rotary test sieve shaker containing ten ⅝″-diameter ball bearings for 5 minutes.