Cat litter is a frequently used product for cat owners. Various brands of cat litter are on the market, all with different materials and benefits, making it difficult to choose the right option for your cat’s needs.
To make matters worse, some cat litter uses perfumes or chemical ingredients that aren’t eco-friendly. If you’re concerned about the environment and the cat litter you use, you can find several eco-friendly formulas. Here are our picks of the 11 best eco-friendly brands based on reviews from pet owners like you.
Our top pick for the best eco-friendly cat litter is Kitty Poo Club Subscription Service. It has several varieties of eco-friendly clumping and non-clumping litters, such as corn & wheat, organic soy, and diatomite. Each litter is hypoallergenic and is designed to provide maximum absorbency.
In addition to their environmentally conscious litter options, you’ll receive a recyclable litter box that you swap out each month, making each litter change one you can feel great about. A few more perks of this subscription service are the selection of add-ons and free shipping.
Overall, we think this is the best eco-friendly cat litter available.
Pros
Multiple eco-friendly litter options
Recyclable litter box included
Easy to use
Keeps litter box area cleaner than traditional setups
Cons
May be more expensive for multicat homes
2. Frisco Pine Pellet Unscented Non-Clumping Wood Cat Litter – Best Value
Frisco Pine Pellet Unscented Non-Clumping Wood Cat Litter is the best eco-friendly cat litter for the money. The 100% pure pine leaves a fresh aroma in your cat’s litter box and naturally eliminates odors with no fragrances or chemicals. The pellets absorb up to three times their weight in liquid to keep the litter box fresh and clean with daily scooping.
Because this litter uses pine pellets, it doesn’t create dust or tracking. It is powerful enough for single or multi-cat homes. Some customers mentioned that Frisco’s pine litter works well for pets like rabbits. However, it’s unsuitable for some litter box systems since the pellets may be too large.
World’s Best Lavender Scented Clumping Corn Cat Litter is the premium choice for eco-friendly cat litter. It uses 100% all-natural scented lavender oil to eliminate the ammonia smell of cat urine, even in homes with multiple cats. The litter clumps for quick and easy cleanup.
With the compressed corn formula, the litter creates no irritating dust that may bother you or your cats. It’s flushable and safe for both septic and sewer systems, so you can reduce the waste that ends up in landfills. The World’s Best litter is also appropriate for some automatic self-cleaning litter boxes. However, several users mentioned that the litter has a strong, unpleasant odor and tracks easily.
Pros
Natural lavender scent
Clumping
Dust-free
Cons
Strong odor
Tracks easily
4. Skoon All Natural Fine-Grain Unscented Non-Clumping Cat Litter – Best for Kittens or Puppies
Skoon All-Natural Fine-Grain Non-Clumping Cat Litter is formulated for odor control and uses highly absorbent diatom pebbles. The porous material absorbs odors to keep your litter box smelling fresh and inviting for training kittens through to adulthood. The litter is non-tracking and has minimal dust so that it won’t upset your kitten’s breathing.
One of the best features of the Skoon litter is that it feels like traditional litter in an eco-friendly formula, so your cat won’t notice the difference. It is also hypoallergenic and made with no chemicals or artificial scents. It’s four times lighter than regular litter, making it more convenient to carry and change. The only downside is that the fine particles track more easily.
Pros
Absorbent diatom pebbles
Minimal dust
Hypoallergenic
Cons
Tracks easily
5. Feline Pine Original Non-Clumping Wood Cat Litter
The Feline Pine Original Non-Clumping Wood Cat Litter absorbs liquid without the use of harsh chemicals, additives, or perfumes. The pine fibers are highly absorbent and lock odors away for natural odor elimination.
Without the clay used with most litter, Feline Pine has no dust to irritate your cat’s breathing. The pellets are made from sawdust byproducts, reducing overall waste in the manufacturing process. While many cat owners were happy with this litter, others noted that their cats wouldn’t use it.
sWheat Scoop Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Wheat Cat Litter is a natural, ultra-absorbent litter that uses renewable and biodegradable wheat to trap and neutralize odors. Unlike other clay litters, it has no dyes, perfumes, dust, or other potentially harmful ingredients.
sWheat is ideal for multi-cat households and is an eco-friendly option for a clumping formula. It’s fully biodegradable and can be flushed, reducing your overall waste that ends up in a landfill. It can also be composted. However, some customers noticed that it tracks and leaves a yellowish coating on surfaces, while others seemed to have no issue with tracking.
Naturally Fresh Walnut-Based Multi-Cat Quick-Clumping Cat Litter is made from 100% natural walnut shells and eliminates urine and fecal odors with a counteractant. The absorbent formula neutralizes odors better than comparable products and is biodegradable.
Because it’s made of walnut, the litter doesn’t cause irritating dust and breathing issues nor stick to paws and track through the house. The litter is ideal for multi-cat households and contains no chemicals, clay, toxins, corn, or grains. Despite the dust-free formula, some users noted that the litter causes a lot of dust. Others commented on the odors and said it doesn’t clump very well.
Pros
Natural walnut
Biodegradable
Odor-neutralizing formula
Cons
Dusty
Doesn’t clump well
Odor
8. Fresh News Recycled Paper, Original Pellet Cat Litter
Fresh News Recycled Paper Original Pellet Cat Litter is made of recycled newspaper, reducing waste and offering an eco-friendly alternative to traditional clay litter. The newspaper pellets are highly absorbent and have minimal dust, so they’re not likely to irritate your cat’s breathing or track through the house.
Pellets are designed to expand when wet, so they’re more absorbent than clay varieties. The recycled paper is also non-toxic and gentle on your cat’s paws. However, some customers mentioned that the pellets were too large, and their cats preferred using clay litter. Others mentioned that odor control is non-existent with the paper litter.
Pros
Uses recycled newspaper pellets and bag
Absorbent
Minimal dust
Cons
Pellets are too large
Ineffective odor control
9. Okocat Original Premium Wood Clumping Cat Litter
Okocat Original Premium Wood Clumping Cat Litter is made of sustainably sourced natural wood fiber and is free from artificial fragrances, synthetic chemicals, toxic dyes, and GMOs. The wood fiber is biodegradable and rescued from waste, reducing the impact of manufacturing. It naturally bonds with liquid and waste to minimize ammonia odors and absorb liquid on contact. The litter also clumps well for quick and convenient cleaning.
Okocat is flushable and safe for sewer and septic systems. The wood is de-dusted before manufacturing, minimizing dust that can irritate your breathing. However, several cat owners said it tracked easily, left a perfume-like odor, and was difficult to clean.
Pros
Sustainably sourced wood fiber
Flushable
De-dusted
Cons
Tracks
Perfume smell
Difficult to clean
10. Frisco All Natural Unscented Clumping Grass Cat Litter
Frisco All Natural Unscented Clumping Grass Cat Litter is an eco-friendly alternative to clay litter. It uses 100% all-natural soft and easy-to-sift grass that clumps easily for cleaning and provides natural odor control and ultra-absorbency.
The ingredients are biodegradable and free from chemicals, dyes, or fragrances that may be off-putting to your cat. Because it’s made from grass, it produces minimal dust compared to other types of litter and is less likely to track. While many users were pleased with the results, others mentioned that it doesn’t absorb or clump well and sticks to the litter box’s sides, making cleaning difficult.
Catalyst Healthy Formula Cat Litter is a soft litter crafted from upcycled soft wooden fiber. It clumps well and features natural fibers that block and absorb liquid and unpleasant odors. The natural forest scent is pleasant and fresh-smelling. Because it’s made of wood, it’s light and easier to carry than heavy clay.
Wood doesn’t create as much dust as clay, keeping surfaces clean and reducing breathing issues related to dust and particles. Though the litter is non-tracking, several pet parents noticed it clumps and sticks to their cat’s paws. Others had a big problem with tracking or the litter becoming stuck and hardened on their cats’ coats.
Pros
Upcycled wood fiber
Natural scent
Odor blocking
Cons
Clumps and sticks to paws and coat
Tracks
Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose an Eco-Friendly Cat Litter
Choosing an eco-friendly cat litter is a great decision for the environment and your cat. Several types are available, and here are some characteristics you should consider:
Materials: Plant-based materials, recycled wood, and paper are excellent eco-friendly materials that absorb liquid waste and have a low environmental impact.
Clumping: Clumping formulas are handy because they’re easy to clean, but not all eco-friendly litter forms clumps and some don’t clump very well.
Dust-free:Clay litter is notorious for creating a lot of dust that can irritate your cat’s nose or mouth. Most litters on this list are dust-free, but some customers noted that they still had dust issues.
Odor control: Chemicals, fragrances, and other ingredients are often used to control odors. Eco-friendly litter removes these artificial ingredients in favor of natural odor control, such as pine or lavender.
Special eco-friendly features: Some types of litter have added eco-friendly benefits, such as a flushable or biodegradable formula. Consider these formulas if you want to reduce your overall waste or try cat litter composting.
Even the best cat litter can quickly start smelling bad. To avoid the expense and inconvenience of constantly replacing your litter, you can try a great litter additive like Hepper's Advanced Bio-Enzyme Cat Litter Deodorizer, a natural product that uses bio-enzymes to neutralize odors.
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Final Verdict
Cat litter is used frequently and contributes to environmental waste, not just in landfills but also in manufacturing. Eco-friendly cat litter often uses recycled materials, free from chemicals or artificial ingredients, for more environmentally conscious practices.
Christian started writing for a local newspaper as a teenager, and he's been involved in the publishing industry for most of his adult life. Combining his love of writing with a passion for animals, he is currently the Director of Editorial at Pangolia and the Editor-in-Chief at Catster.
Christian lives in the Philippines with his wife, son, and four rescue cats: Trixie, Chloe, Sparky, and Chopper.
