We examined 19 eco-friendly cat litter merchandise from quite a lot of manufacturers to guage odor masking, mud manufacturing, monitoring, clumping, liquid absorption, ease of use, and—most significantly—whether or not or not our cats and kittens appreciated it.
The entire cat litters we examined had earth-friendly options, equivalent to biodegradability and sustainable sourcing of substances—that will help you, the cat father or mother, scale back the quantity of waste generated from cleansing up after your cat.
After months of real-world testing, our general favourite is Ökocat Unique Premium Clumping Wooden Cat Litter which is constructed from sustainably sourced wooden fiber, fully freed from synthetic dyes, fragrances, artificial chemical compounds, and GMOs. Plus it has a crumbly texture cats love as a result of it is easy to dig round in it.
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Produces minimal mud
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Produced from sustainably sourced rescued wooden fiber
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Fully freed from synthetic dyes, fragrances, artificial chemical compounds, and GMOs
Ökocat Unique Pure Wooden Clumping Cat Litter controls odor, clumps collectively for scooping, and has a crumbly texture that appeals to most cats. This plant-based cat litter is biodegradable and constructed from sustainably sourced wooden fiber giving it a faint woodsy scent harking back to being exterior in nature.
To be used in a smaller field, the wooden fiber is reduce into small items so a cat can kick by means of it to cowl their waste. It’s naturally odor-absorbing with the facility of enzymes—microscopic organisms functioning as catalysts for chemical reactions—to interrupt down matter, equivalent to ammonia and odor-causing micro organism present in cat pee and poop.
When scooping, the clumps keep firmly collectively for disposal within the trash the place the litter will ultimately start to disintegrate. The particles of this litter are larger than conventional sand-like cat litter, so it’s possible you’ll discover that the items don’t fall by means of the slots of your scoop as simply.
The system is low mud with a really minimal quantity emitted when pouring from the cardboard field, which is conveniently outfitted with a deal with and spout. It’s fully freed from synthetic dyes, fragrances, artificial chemical compounds, and genetically modified organisms.
It’s a dependable litter that may stand up to an extended length in a litter field earlier than it must be absolutely cleaned out, as much as seven weeks for some with day by day scooping. It’s additionally appropriate to be used in a house with multiple cat.
Litter Sort: Wooden crumbles | Multi-Cat: Sure | Container: Field with deal with | Sizes: 9.9, 13.2, 19.8 kilos
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Minimizes odors from cat waste
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Resealable bag is simple to pour
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Pellets disintegrate in water, broaden with pee, and don’t persist with poop
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Produced from soybean byproduct
Tiny, odor-absorbing pellets constructed from soybean byproducts—generally known as “tofu litter”—are present in every resealable bag of Tuft and Paw Actually Nice Cat Litter. Not like conventional clay litter with a sand-like consistency, this litter would not cowl stable waste so most cats want a couple of days to get used to the change in texture of their litter field.
The eco-friendly litter is simply obtainable with a month-to-month subscription by means of the Tuft and Paw web site, and relying on the variety of cats in your house, a month-to-month provide will consist of 1 to 3 easy-to-pour luggage. If after a month you and your kitty mutually determine the litter is just not a match on your dwelling, the subscription is simple to cancel.
The litter produces no mud however did trigger slight monitoring across the litter field space in our real-world testing. The fragrance-free pellets clump along with urine, they usually will also be absolutely dissolved in water, so flushing this litter is an possibility. You need to at all times check with your native ordinance relating to flushing pet waste, and pee clumps made with this litter should be damaged into smaller items earlier than taking place the bathroom.
Litter Sort: Soybean byproduct pellets | Multi-Cat: Sure | Container: Resealable bag | Sizes: 9.5 kilos
Purina Tidy Cats Naturally Robust Unscented Cat Litter is made with pure clay and non-toxic activated charcoal to soak up odor-causing micro organism. The fragrance-free litter produces no mud when poured or whereas cleansing, so it’s appropriate to be used in houses the place respiratory points are a priority.
The particles of this litter bond along with moisture to type clumps. We discovered it essential to scoop every clump greater than as soon as as a result of they have a tendency to disintegrate, however there was no detectable stench.
This pure litter absorbs odors, so it may be utilized in a litter field that companies multiple cat, and has a kickable consistency most cats are conversant in. We skilled minimal monitoring and it was throughout the bounds of the litter field space.
Litter Sort: Pure clay | Multi-Cat: Sure | Container: Field with deal with | Sizes: 20, 35 kilos
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Produced from grass with no added chemical compounds, dyes, or fragrances
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Clumps collectively for simple scooping
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Mud-free and odor absorbing
Frisco Pure Unscented Clumping Grass Cat Litter is totally freed from added chemical compounds, dyes, and fragrances. The dust-free system has a crumble consistency, which cats accustomed to clay appear to favor over pellets.
It’s constructed from grass and manufactured in america. The litter is light-weight and straightforward for eats to kick round, so monitoring across the litter field is probably going. Nevertheless, the soft-to-the-touch litter doesn’t simply adhere to paws so the mess stays throughout the bounds of the place your cat freshes up.
Upon contact with cat urine, the litter clumps collectively making it straightforward to scoop and lengthening the length of time between full litter field cleanouts. The litter is simply obtainable at Chewy and must be disposed of correctly within the trash, by no means flushed.
Litter Sort: Grass | Multi-Cat: Sure | Container: Resealable bag | Sizes: 20 kilos
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Produced from post-consumer recycled paper
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Totally masks odors together with the scent of cat urine
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Mud-free and minimal monitoring
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Restricted retailer availability
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Comprises zeolite, which isn’t biodegradable
ExquisiCat Naturals Multi-Cat Paper Pellet Cat Litter is constructed from post-consumer recycled paper. The non-clumping litter is dust-free and packaged in a handy resealable bag.
The non-clumping system is very absorbent when it is available in contact with moisture, serving to to maintain the house dry and odor-free, so it’s appropriate to be used in a house with a number of cats. The litter additionally comprises baking soda to fight micro organism progress, and zeolite, a pure mineral used for odor management composed of silicon and aluminum. Zeolite is accepted to be used by the FDA, however it’s not biodegradable, and relying in your wants would possibly encompass substances you favor to keep away from.
Litter Sort: Paper pellets | Multi-Cat: Sure | Container: Resealable bag | Sizes: 12, 25 kilos
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Biodegradable and flushable (it’s unlawful for California residents to flush pet waste)
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Freed from dyes, perfumes, and chemical compounds
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Very low mud
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Neutralizes odors with enzymes
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Monitoring doubtless, however minimal
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Some cats will want time to regulate to this litter
The first ingredient in sWheat Scoop Multi-Cat Pure Litter is reliably sourced wheat from farms in america. It’s fully freed from dyes, perfumes, and artifical chemical compounds, however the litter produces some mud and minimal monitoring is probably going for many cats.
Produced from pure starches, this pellet-shaped litter clumps along with liquid and comprises enzymes that management odor-causing micro organism. It’s biodegradable, so the used litter will ultimately start to interrupt down after disposal. For those who dwell in a neighborhood that permits pet waste to be flushed in a bathroom, the clumps constructed from cat pee with this wheat-based litter might be damaged into smaller items to be despatched down the drain.
Litter Sort: Wheat pellets | Multi-Cat: Sure | Container: Resealable bag | Sizes: 12, 25, 36 kilos
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Neutralizes odors properly
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Produces stable clumps
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Straightforward to wash
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Barely noticeable mud
Produced from California walnuts, this eco-friendly cat litter packs a lovely nutty aroma recent from the bag. It produced stable clumps that had been very straightforward to take away and efficiently neutralized odors from cat pee and poop. Our tester was impressed by how properly it trapped smells in order that they did not journey all through the house and barely seen any mud when scooping it out.
It will’ve been extra handy if the bag was resealable. Additionally, the monitoring we skilled was very noticeable on lighter-colored flooring and carpeting.
Litter Sort: Pure walnut shells | Multi-Cat: Sure | Container: Bag | Sizes: 14, 25 kilos
Closing Verdict
Ökocat Unique Pure Wooden Clumping Cat Litter is a stable selection constructed from sustainably sourced wooden fiber that’s biodegradable and naturally odor-absorbing. Plus it clumps along with urine for handy day by day scooping. If a subscription service is interesting, our Finest Tofu cat litter decide, Tuft and Paw Actually Nice Cat Litter, is a superb selection. It is constructed from soybean byproduct, emits zero mud, and successfully attracts in odors from cat waste.
How We Examined
We researched and bought 19 eco-friendly cat litter merchandise for real-world testing in houses with cats and kittens. Every product was despatched to a volunteer’s dwelling, together with a written methodology that guided them by means of long-term testing.
Testers documented their cats’ and their very own preliminary impressions of the litter assigned to their dwelling. For a number of months, testers evaluated their designated cat litter being attentive to the producer’s claims on options equivalent to odor absorption, clumping, no mud, and low monitoring. Lastly, our testers noticed how efficient the litter was at serving to maintain their cat’s lavatory tidy and prepared for the subsequent go to.
After reviewing suggestions paired with numerical scores throughout totally different classes, we categorized and ranked our choices.
What To Search for in Eco-Pleasant Cat Litter
Composition
Many eco-friendly cat litter merchandise are plant-based and made with considered one of these starches: corn, wheat, paper, wooden, or soybean. There are additionally some fabricated from grass or walnut shells. The pure formulation, freed from dyes, fragrances, and artifical chemical compounds, signifies that a few of these merchandise are biodegradable. In lots of instances, odor masking, which is crucial for maintaining your cat’s litter field prepared to be used, is a operate of naturally occurring enzymes, baking soda, or activated charcoal.
Mud
All of the choices on our checklist produce little to no mud. Conventional cat litter produces a cloud of mud when pouring which may worsen respiratory points and allergic reactions.
Monitoring
Granules of litter can get caught in a cat’s paw pads (type of like having bathroom paper caught to your shoe–how embarrassing!) Most of it comes off across the litter field space, which is simple to comb up. There are a couple of litters that do not observe in any respect, however not one of the choices on our checklist ought to result in monitoring all through your house.
Odor-Masking and Perfume
The entire eco-friendly cat litter on our checklist is fragrance-free. A perfume is commonly added to cat litter to assist it enchantment to people, not cats. The perfume, which generally makes litter scent like laundry detergent, is produced by way of artifical chemical compounds. Then again, odor masking and absorption are helpful for each felines and other people. It retains the litter field prepared to be used and it retains the stench of poop and pee away from everybody’s nostril.
Transitioning to Eco-Pleasant Cat Litter
In case your cat is accustomed to a sure kind of litter, they might discover a new texture or scent off-putting. As you’ll do with new meals, we advocate a gradual transition to your new, eco-friendly litter. For instance, begin with 2/3 of the acquainted cat litter and 1/3 of your new litter.
Over time as you scoop and clear out the litter field, proceed so as to add extra of the brand new litter till your cat field has absolutely transitioned. This suggestion would possibly impression points equivalent to clumping, so defer to your new litter for steerage.
Disposal of Cat Litter
Nearly all of used cat litter must be positioned in a trash bag and thrown away. There are some cat litter merchandise that may be flushed, equivalent to Tuft and Paw Actually Nice Cat Litter and sWheat Scoop Multi-Cat Pure Clumping Litter.
For those who dwell in a neighborhood that permits pet waste to be flushed down a bathroom, the clumps should first be damaged into smaller items. At all times examine along with your native ordinances earlier than flushing cat litter.
Different Eco-Pleasant Cat Litter We Examined
World’s Finest Cat Litter: Whereas we skilled full odor absorption with no detectible urine scent from this corn-based cat litter, the litter in the end did not produce easy-to-scoop clumps and emitted mud when being poured.
Sustainably Yours Small Grain Cat Litter: This plant-based fragrance-free cat litter types agency clumps round cat urine and its gentle coloring makes it straightforward to identify which sections of the litter have been dirty and must be eliminated. Nevertheless, we discovered its odor-neutralizing functionality to be subpar when in comparison with our winners and we did expertise some monitoring from this litter.
FAQ
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Phrases associated to being environmentally pleasant, equivalent to “inexperienced” and “eco-friendly” are usually not regulated so it’s at all times vital to examine the substances of the cat litter you select.
Many co-friendly cat litter merchandise are made with sustainably sourced substances, like recycled paper, renewable grains, and soybean byproducts. They typically last more which helps reduce down on the quantity of waste generated month-to-month with every litter field cleanout. Many are additionally biodegradable so they may ultimately start to decompose.
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Deciding on a cat litter that’s biodegradable is an efficient strategy to scale back your impression on the surroundings as a result of the litter will ultimately decompose. Most waste administration amenities in america, together with compost places, have ordinances in place for the correct disposal of pet waste, so that ought to additionally issue into the way you get rid of your dirty cat litter.
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Cat litter made out of natural materials, equivalent to wooden or wheat, with minimal processing will ultimately return to nature.
Why Belief The Spruce Pets?
This story was written by Anna Mejorada, a author for The Spruce Pets, who shares her dwelling with a cheerful pomeranian named Gidget. Earlier than researching and writing about pet merchandise for a dwelling, Anna launched into a self-mandated, ongoing quest to seek out the optimum objects for her canine. She is now delightfully dedicated to serving to people uncover and choose essentially the most favorable merchandise for his or her pets.