Overview of Inventions for Pets
This episode of Stuff You Missed in History Class (iHeartRadio) — titled "Inventions for Pets" — traces how a few mid-20th-century product inventions reshaped pet-keeping in the U.S. and beyond. The hosts focus on the origin and impact of kitty litter (Ed Lowe), the modern cat tree (Frank L. Crow), and the disposable puppy “wee-wee” pad and many consumer pet products (Alan Simon). The episode covers inventor backstories, patents, business growth, cultural effects (more indoor cats), and environmental consequences of disposable pet supplies.
Main inventions covered
Kitty litter (granulated clay)
- Credited inventor: Henry Edward “Ed” Lowe (born 1920). Multiple origin stories exist — most commonly: a 1947 customer asked for a better indoor-cat substrate and Lowe offered granulated, kiln-dried clay (Fuller’s Earth) his father’s business had stocked for industrial absorbency.
- Early marketing: Lowe bagged and labeled small batches as “kitty litter,” sampled to pet stores and cat-show customers; by the mid-1950s it was in supermarkets.
- Product advantages cited then: dries and deodorizes better than sand or wood shavings, inexpensive, safer for pets.
- Business growth: lawn-to-warehouse scale in under a decade; Lowe later launched Tidy Cat as a supermarket brand while keeping the Kitty Litter brand for specialty stores.
Cat tree (vertical scratching/play structure)
- Patented by Frank L. Crow; patent filed Jan 11, 1968 and granted Nov 25, 1969.
- Design notes: sectional pole mounted between floor and ceiling (spring-loaded plunger), multiple crescent-shaped platforms covered in rough textile for scratching, replaceable platforms, and toy attachments — intended to deter furniture-clawing and curtain-climbing.
Wee-wee pads and other mass-market pet accessories
- Inventor/entrepreneur: Alan Simon (Puppy City → Four Paws).
- Origin: late 1960s–1970s — adapted hospital absorbent pads, chemically treated and marketed as disposable training pads; expanded usage (under boxes, carriers, bowls).
- Broad portfolio: Simon held hundreds of patents for many simple pet products (automatic feeders, scoops, toys, grooming gloves).
- Business outcomes: Four Paws grew into a multimillion-dollar manufacturer; Simon sold Four Paws to Central Garden & Pet in 1997 for $55 million. Later launched PetProducts.com.
Inventors & companies — short profiles
- Ed Lowe: Grew up in Michigan, worked in family sawdust/absorbents business, served in Navy. Took clay absorbent into pet market, reinvested heavily in R&D (research facility, cattery of ~120 cats), expanded product line (dry shampoo, flea powder, disposal trays). Sold Edward Lowe Industries in 1990 (reported ~$200M + stock). Founded Edward Lowe Foundation (entrepreneurship education); died 1995.
- Frank L. Crow: Filed the cat tree patent; focused on functional and decorative design to fit home decor and cat behavior.
- Alan Simon: Brooklyn native, founded Puppy City in 1960, then Four Paws; credited with inventing the wee-wee pad and ~200 pet products. Sold Four Paws in 1997; later created PetProducts.com. Died Jan 6, 2022.
Market impact & timeline
- 1947: Ed Lowe’s clay litter idea(s) originate.
- Early 1950s: Kitty litter hits pet stores and supermarkets; by 1955 sales were expected to top ~$1.5M.
- 1985: Edward Lowe-branded business reported ~$100M in sales; Lowe’s brand had ~12.6% market share; competitor Tidy Cat (also associated with Lowe’s innovation) had surged to 22.5%.
- 1990: Edward Lowe Industries sold to an investor group (Golden Cat Corp.); eventually acquired by Ralston Purina and later Nestlé.
- 1970s–1990s: Wee-wee pads and mass-market pet accessories become mainstream; pet product industry scales up.
Environmental and social legacy
- Increased indoor cat ownership: Commercial kitty litter helped make indoor cat-keeping practical and popular — contributing to cats overtaking dogs as America’s most popular pet in some measures.
- Resource and waste concerns:
- Fuller’s Earth (clay used in clumping litters) is mined in open pits across ~11 U.S. states; the resource is finite.
- Large volumes mined annually — transcript cites ~75 million tons of Fuller’s Earth mined in 2024 (per USGS).
- Post-use litter typically goes to landfills; many commercial litters include chemical treatments (clumping agents, fragrances) that complicate decomposition.
- Industry response: manufacturers invested heavily in R&D and testing (Lowe’s cattery and labs) to improve odor control and absorbency; environmental questions remain prominent today.
Notable quotes & anecdotes
- Several origin versions exist for kitty litter — frozen sand, ash-tracking paws, or unused clay shipment — underscoring how origin stories can vary in retelling.
- Ed Lowe: “Lowe’s will not be sold. Lowe’s will go on forever. Lowe’s will become a billion-dollar company.” (He later sold the company in 1990.)
- Empey: Lowe’s office cat (a Red Point Siamese) served as an in-house product tester for toys and accessories.
- Alan Simon’s summary of his career: “I manufactured and invented over 200 products, including the original and world-renowned wee-wee pads and the Allen Pooper Scooper.”
Key takeaways & suggestions for listeners
- Small household product ideas (absorbent clay, treated pads, simple cat furniture) can create whole industries once they solve a practical problem and reach consumers.
- Invention + marketing + product testing (including user — and in this case animal — testing) drive adoption and scale.
- Environmental trade-offs: convenience and pet welfare advances came with resource extraction and waste issues. Consider alternatives:
- Biodegradable litters (paper, wood, corn, wheat, hemp) or reusable systems if reducing landfill waste is a priority.
- Support local or smaller manufacturers where possible, and research disposal/composting rules for biodegradable pet products.
- Historical note: the story of pet-product innovation is as much business history as it is social history — changes in products shifted how people keep and care for animals.
Quick reference facts
- Kitty litter popularized in late 1940s; supermarket presence by 1954–1955.
- Frank L. Crow’s cat tree patent granted in 1969.
- Alan Simon’s Four Paws led to large-scale commercialization of wee-wee pads; Four Paws sold in 1997 for $55M.
- US pet population context (as of episode): ~73 million pet cats in the U.S. (2024 cited).
If you want, this snapshot can be converted into a one-page infographic or a timed listening guide (timestamps of the episode’s segments) for quick review.