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 the litter into paper, wood and plant types.

paper cat litter | natural cat litter

This product is made from recycled newspaper.

The 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)

wood cat litter | natural 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
Pine cat litter brands may contain aromatic chemicals and resins that can cause respiratory problems and allergies in both humans and cats.

plant cat litter | natural 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