InventorsEdward
Lowe - Kitty Litter
"My
life has been a testimony to the credo of the entrepreneur. People like
me who have lived the dream should share their knowledge with others, because
if private sector business doesn't help–then the American entrepreneur
won't survive..." - Edward Lowe
Mr. Edward Lowe (1920-1995) was an entrepreneur
who created a whole new product with his invention of cat-box
filler. He made the trademark Kitty Litter ® a part of the American
vocabulary.
Edward Lowe was born July 10, 1920 in St.
Paul, Minnesota. Lowe served in the U.S. Navy from 1941 to 1945. After the
Navy, Lowe worked for his father selling industrial absorbents, including
products such as sawdust and an absorbent clay called Fuller's Earth. Edward
Lowe's neighbor Kay Draper asked for a replacement for the ashes she was
using in her cat box. (George Plitt first packaging ashes from burned wood
for cats to use.) Her cat was trailing ashy paw prints all over her home and
she was hoping for a cleaner alternative. Ed Lowe suggested that she use absorbent
clay, she did and loved it.
In 1947, Edward Lowe decided to package the
clay in 5lb bags marked "kitty litter" to sell in a local pet
store. The store owner did not think the product would sell for the asking
price of sixty-five cents, sand for cat boxes was very cheap. Ed Lowe
convinced the store owner to display his product and give it away. Soon, the
customers were willing to pay for more kitty litter.
Edward Lowe continued to distribute his kitty
litter from the back of his car while traveling around the country. Lowe even
cleaned the cat boxes at cat show in exchange for booth space to demonstrate his
kitty litter at the shows.
Lowe founded the Edward Lowe Industries, Inc. to mass manufacture and distribute
the successful kitty litter products.
Edward Lowe experimented with additives to improve the performance of his kitty
litter products. In 1964, Edward Lowe
created the Tidy Cat ®
brand of kitty litter.
In 1984, biochemist Thomas Nelson invented the
first clumping kitty litter.
Edward Lowe Foundation The Edward Lowe Foundation, headquartered
at Cassopolis, Michigan, was established by Edward Lowe in 1985.
About
Edward Lowe Trying to help a neighbor in 1947, he "brought the cat
indoors" by creating Kitty Litter from clay he was using for an industrial
absorbent.
