This Is How Kitty Litter Was Invented In Michigan

Michigan is the home to some of the most important inventions in modern history.

One of the biggest that comes to mind is when Henry Ford created the moving assembly line in 1913, which changed the way all cars would be made going forward.

Some other cool inventions that were created in Michigan include the Snowboard and Pop-Tarts

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Recently, I learned about a very important invention that many pet owners use and how it was invented right here in Michigan.

Cat Litter Was Invented By A Man In Michigan

The invention of cat litter is credited to a man named Edward Lowe.

Back in January of 1947, his neighbor asked him for some sand so she could use it for cat litter.

He didn't have any sand for her, but his father owned a company that shipped and sold things like sand, sawdust, and clay.

They had a new product they didn't really like just sitting around, so he gave it to his neighbor.

The clay product was way more absorbent than sand, according to his neighbor.

Lowe decided to try and sell the clay to pet stores under the name of Kitty Litter. The stores at first were resistant, saying that none of their customers would pay $.65—or about $10 today—for his kitty litter when sand was much cheaper.

He really believed in his product, though, because he convinced the pet stores to give it away for free until people were willing to pay for it, and that's exactly what happened.

Lowe went across the country to show his Kitty Litter to more and more people.

Finally in 1954 he founded Edward Lowe Industries and created Tidy Cat cat box filler.

I love hearing stories like this, and can't help but wonder what would have happened if his neighbor's pile of sand wasn't frozen and she never came over and asked him for sand and instead got that bag of clay."