MOUNDS, Il.--Employees were sent home with letters, letting them know their days of making cat litter will soon come to an end.
It happened today at the Oil Dri corporation, in Mounds, Illinois.
They're moving their cat litter operations from Mounds to Mississippi, because, according to the company, it's cheaper to do business in Mississippi and the demand for litter is down.
This comes as a big surprise, that's why employees and local folks are having trouble absorbing the shock.
Cat owners likely know the names Cat's Pride and Jonny Cat.
But for 63 employees, it's the Oil Dri corporation signing their checks.

"Pulaski is one of the most economically depressed counties in the state, generally in the top five," Executive Director of the Pulaski County Development Association, Clint Green said.

Oil Dri's decision will likely make matters worse.  Green told Local 6 he thought Oil Dri was happy in Mounds, and there to stay.

"It is a surprise, a very big surprise," Green said.

Oil Dri employees, didn't want to talk to us but folks in the community tell us they too are surprised, and worried about their town's future.

"Southern Illinois, it goes from Springfield down, you know. It gets worse as you go down state, and that's just the way it is," Chuck Sowers said.

"I know it's probably the trend around most of the country but down here it really hurts," Gwen Steele said.

Green agrees and says right now, no new industry is coming in to the county, and no current industry is hiring.

"Business in Illinois is not what it once was," Green said.
Oil Dri employees 63 people at the Mounds plant. 
Nearly 40 employees could face layoffs, that number may not sound like much.  But Green said the plant makes up about 5 percent of the Pulaski County workforce  and was the largest employer in Mounds.

The company said some of the Mounds employees will be considered for a limited number of positions in Mississippi.  However other details are not clear right now.
A company spokesperson tells us while the Mounds Plant will cease cat litter production, they'll continue manufacturing other absorbent products.