Natural Cat Litter
Be Kind to Kitty and the Environment
Natural Cat Litter or 'Organic' Cat Litter was developed by manufacturers as an alternative to clay-types that contain silica and bentonite. There is a global trend towards using products that are manufactured from renewable resources and products that are kind to the environment, animals and humans.
These natural cat box fillers have taken the market by storm and there are a wide range of cat products available. We have categorized them as follows:
NATURAL CAT LITTER - PAPER CAT LITTER
Made from recycled newspaper this litter is available as loose, fluffy litter or compressed pellets. Look for brands with the following attributes:
- Biodegradable, this means that once the waste is removed from it, it can be used to make compost on non-edible plants
- Flushable, which means it does not need to be disposed of in a landfill
- The texture is reasonably soft and therefore kind to your cat's paws
- Most brands claim to be 99 % dust-free
- Excellent moisture absorbent capabilities
- Low tracking (tracking = litter gets stuck to cat's paws and is 'tracked' onto floors and carpets)
- Non-toxic if accidentally ingested by your cat during grooming
- Available in scented and unscented varieties (cats prefer unscented brands)
Paper-Based Brands: ExquisiCat® (US) ; Yesterday's News® (US) ; Good Mews (US) ; Eco Fresh (US) ; PaPurr (US) ; Breeders Choice (Australia) ; Tesco (UK); Pettex (UK) ; Bob Martins (UK & SA)
NATURAL CAT LITTER - WOOD CAT LITTER
Manufactured from Pine or Cedar Wood. Available as either wood shavings or compressed pellets. Wood shavings and sawdust are ground to a pulp, kiln dried and compressed into pellets. Look for brands with the following attributes:
- Environmentally friendly and manufactured from recovered saw dust rather than harvesting from forests.
- Most claim to be highly absorbent, some stating that their brand is more absorbent than traditional clay litter.
- Wood litter absorbs and neutralizes ammonia thereby eliminating odors
- Most brands are additive and chemical free
- Economical to use as it lasts longer than traditional clay litter
- Once the waste is removed, biodegradable litter can be used to make fertilizer (compost) for non-edible plants
- 'Organic' litter is flushable thereby reducing the pressure on landfills
- The texture is reasonably soft and therefore kind to your cat's paws
- Dust-free products reduce the amount of particles in the air thereby reducing allergens
- Low tracking means that less litter gets stuck to cat's paws and therefore not tracked on floors and carpets
- Non-toxic if accidentally ingested by your cat during grooming
Wood-Based Brands: Feline Pine (US) ; Care Fresh (US) Cedar Lite (US) ; Cedarific (US) ; Pine Fresh (US) ; Pinnacle (US) ; Sophisticat Beautica (UK); Mayfield (UK) ; Tesco (UK) ; Best Pets (UK) ; Wilco (UK) ; Breeders Select *Pine cat litter brands may contain aromatic chemicals and resins that can cause respiratory problems and allergies in both humans and cats.
Paper Cat Box Litter (Pellets) ; Wood Cat Box Litter (Pellets) ; Corn Cat Box Litter (Pellets). Also available in a more popular granular version (see pic below).
NATURAL CAT LITTER - PLANT CAT LITTER
There are a wide range of plant-based litters - corn cob, peanut hull, citrus peel, wheat by-products, oat hulls, beet pulp and straw. The advantage of a plant-based litter is that it is:
- Environmentally friendly and made from renewable resources
- Highly absorbent, some stating that their brand is more absorbent than traditional clay litter.
- Have excellent odor-control
- Natural cat litter can be mixed with natural bonding ingredients like baking soda or starch to cause clumping
- Most brands are additive and chemical-free
- Biodegradable
- Flushable
- Has a softer texture and therefore kinder to your cat's paws
- Dust-free
- Low tracking
- Non-toxic
Plant-Based Brands: LitterMaid (US) ; World's Best (US & UK) ; Swheat (US); Nature's Miracle (US) ; Friendly Natural (UK)
Note: If you decide to use natural litters, you do need to keep in mind that the entire tray needs to be changed every 2 - 3 days. If you are meticulous about your daily scooping routine, you may be able to extend it to a week.
Cat Litter Reviews. Browse through cat litter reviews, box ratings and cool cat litter products rated by cat fans like you.
Related Cat Litter Information Cat Litter Crystal - also known as silica gel or silica pearl litter Clay Cat Litter - traditional - clumping or non-clumping
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