The 7 Best Natural & Eco-Friendly Cat Litters

Cat Litter June 9, 2024
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The 7 Best Natural & Eco-Friendly Cat Litters

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We don’t want to waste a second of your time. So no long intro here, what are the best natural, Eco-Friendly litters on the market today? Keep reading to see our top 7 recommendations for the best natural cat litter.

Compare Best Natural & Eco-Friendly Cat Litters

Overall Best
World's Best Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Corn Cat Litter

1. World's Best Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Corn Cat Litter

Runner Up
Healthy Pet Okocat Pine

2. Healthy Pet Okocat Pine

Best Biodegradable
Feline Pine Original Non-Clumping Wood Cat Litter

3. Feline Pine Original Non-Clumping Wood Cat Litter

Best Natural
Naturally Fresh Walnut-Based Quick-Clumping Cat Litter

4. Naturally Fresh Walnut-Based Quick-Clumping Cat Litter

Best Affordable
Arm & Hammer Litter Naturals Scented Clumping Corn Cat Litter

5. Arm & Hammer Litter Naturals Scented Clumping Corn Cat Litter

Premium Choice
sWheat Scoop Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Wheat Cat Litter

6. sWheat Scoop Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Wheat Cat Litter

Most Popular
So Phresh Odor Control Paper Pellet Cat Litter

7. So Phresh Odor Control Paper Pellet Cat Litter

Type
 Clay
Type
Wood
Type
 Pine, Wood
Type
 Clay
Type
Corn
Type
Wheat
Type
 Paper
Made In
USA
Made In
Made In
Made In
Made In
Made In
Made In
Odor Control
9.5/10
Odor Control
8.5/10
Odor Control
9/10
Odor Control
7.5/10
Odor Control
8.5/10
Odor Control
8.5/10
Odor Control
8.2/10
Made in
Made in
USA
Made in
USA
Made in
USA
Made in
USA
Made in
USA
Made in
USA

Best Rated Eco-Friendly and Natural Cat Litters Reviewed

The natural cat litter will form hard clumps on contact with liquid or solid waste, and it won’t track all over the house.

It may also be a benefit to choose a scented litter, and it’s always a good idea to choose a low-dust litter.

Overall Best
1.

World's Best Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Corn Cat Litter

Product Info

  • Type:  Clay
  • Made In: USA
  • Odor Control: 9.5/10
Pros
  • Hard-clumping action seals away odor on contact
  • Multi-cat strength for maximum odor protection
  • Septic-safe and flushable for easy disposal
Cons
  • Large bags can be very heavy to handle
For hard-clumping action and maximum odor control, try World’s Best Cat Litter Clumping Formula. This cat litter offers outstanding odor control with its fast-clumping, easy-scooping formula.

By forming hard clumps, this litter seals away odor on contact to keep the litter box smelling fresh for as long as possible.

It comes in a multi-cat strength, and it is 99% dust-free. You’ll also love that it is septic-safe and flushable for easy disposal. What more could you ask for?
Runner Up
2.

Healthy Pet Okocat Pine

Product Info

  • Type: Wood
  • Made in: USA
  • Odor Control: 8.5/10
Pros
  • Absorbs 500% its weight
  • Natural Pine Scent
  • Biodegradable
  • Flushable
Cons
  • Doesn’t clump
  • Does not adhere to poop, must be scooped every day
  • Light tracking
This cat litter is highly recommended for its pleasant natural pine scent, ease of use and affordability. It has the ability to absorb weight. Also, it is available in 7.8, 12.4, and 18.6-pound boxes, and is comprised of pine pellets. All eco-friendly customers will love this. Obtainable in the budget-priced tier.
Best Biodegradable
3.

Feline Pine Original Non-Clumping Wood Cat Litter

Product Info

  • Type:  Pine, Wood
  • Made in: USA
  • Odor Control: 9/10
Pros
  • Made from 100% natural pine
  • Absorbs liquid quickly and locks away odor
  • Designed for multi-cat households
Cons
  • Absorbs urine smell more than feces odor
  • Pine scent can be overpowering for some
If you’re looking for an all-natural cat litter that doesn’t clump, consider Feline Pine Original Cat Litter.

This cat litter comes in a variety of sizes, and it is 100% chemical free, so you can have peace of mind knowing that your cat will be safe.

It has a pleasant pine-fresh scent, and it has no dust and is a very low-tracking formula. It absorbs liquid quickly and fully to lock away odor, keeping your home smelling fresh for longer between scoops.
Best Natural
4.

Naturally Fresh Walnut-Based Quick-Clumping Cat Litter

Product Info

  • Type:  Clay
  • Made in: USA
  • Odor Control: 7.5/10
Pros
  • 100% natural walnut shells are environmentally friendly
  • Forms hard clumps quickly to lock away moisture and odor
  • Virtually dust-free and low-tracking formula
Cons
  • Somewhat more expensive than clay litter
  • Might be dustier than the packaging suggests
If you want hard-clumping action, but you don’t like clay litter, try a natural option like Blue Buffalo Naturally Fresh Quick-Clumping Cat Litter.

This litter is made from walnut shells, so it absorbs liquid quickly and forms hard clumps to lock away odor. This formula is virtually dust-free, and it doesn’t stick to your cat’s paws either. Plus, it is 100% natural and environmentally friendly.
Best Affordable
5.

Arm & Hammer Litter Naturals Scented Clumping Corn Cat Litter

Product Info

  • Type: Corn
  • Made in: USA
  • Odor Control: 8.5/10
Pros
  • Affordable
  • Acceptable at masking odors
  • Very lightweight
  • Lasts longer
Cons
  • Poor clumping
This cat litter is a very cheap option for your natural litter clumping needs. It has clumping ability and the scent can be a bit bad. However, it locks in cat smells without making an absolutely awful mess. It contains corn fiber and is available in 10.5-pound bags.
Premium Choice
6.

sWheat Scoop Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Wheat Cat Litter

Product Info

  • Type: Wheat
  • Made in: USA
  • Odor Control: 8.5/10
Pros
  • 100% Biodegradable
  • Great for multiple-cat homes
  • Litter smell is subtle, does a good job of locking in feces smells
  • Completely flushable
Cons
  • Some customers complained of their cats developing skin allergies while using it
This cat litter is one of the best multi-cat formula with odor control and great clumping ability. However, the fact that there is still a large wheat grain component is a downside. Moreover, it is available in 7, 14, 25, and 40-pound bags, and is available in the mid-priced tier.
Most Popular
7.

So Phresh Odor Control Paper Pellet Cat Litter

Product Info

  • Type:  Paper
  • Made in: USA
  • Odor Control: 8.2/10
Pros
  • 99.9% dust-free
  • Made with 95% or more post-consumer paper
  • Baking soda & zeolite for outstanding odor control
  • Very good for cats that have allergies
Cons
  • Gets tracked
  • A little pricey
This cat litter claims to be 50% lighter than clay litter, is 99.9% dust free and has strong clumping properties. Moreover, this earth-friendly formula helps you scoop sustainably without sacrificing on performance. Also, customers are loving this despite the fact that it tracks and is quite expensive.

Types of Natural Litter Materials

Some of the trendier natural litter materials include corn, walnut shells, recycled paper products, pine, wheat, grass, wood, sawdust, and citrus. Some of these can be used for fertilizer, mulched and/or incinerated.

  • Corn – Corn-based litter is eco-friendly, porous, and has great odor control. It, however, has health risks for some cats as they consume it during their grooming each day.
  • Walnut Shells – This litter is made from crushed walnut shells. Walnut shells clump very well, control odor excellently, are highly absorbent, and eco-friendly.  The color of the shells, however, makes it hard to differentiate them from litter and most of the time, the litter box has to be emptied to avoid odor caused by leftover litter.
  • Recycled Paper – This environmentally friendly litter is made from recycled paper that is turned into pellets or granules. It is highly absorbent, dust-free and biodegradable. The paper forms urine clumps in granule form but does not do so in pellet form.
  • Pine – Pine litter is a recycled type of litter and is typically made from lumber scraps that are heat-treated to remove toxins, oils, and allergens from the wood. It comes in pellets, granules, or roughly compressed pine. It has a pine scent, which helps control odor and gives the household a natural aura.
  • Wheat – This litter is made from ground wheat. It clumps well and provides odor control, is eco-friendly, and is low on dust and tracking.
  • Grass – Grass litter is new on the scene.  It comes as a fine-grained litter made from eco-friendly grass fibers controls odor, and has good clumping ability.
  • Cedar – Recycled waste products from lumber are also used to make cat litter.  A blend of cedar chips and hardwood is very light and exudes a cedar scent that absorbs litter box odors. Cedar has a lot of advantages, some of which are: less smell, easy transportation, lightweight, save some cash, less harmful to the environment and fresh air.  On the downside, cedar is so light that it does track more, urine does not form clumps and cats need to adjust to it.
  • Citrus – Recycled waste from the citrus fruit industry produces very fresh-smelling cat litter.  The final product from the processing is dust-free, highly absorbent, flushable, biodegradable and odor-neutralizing.

How To Choose The Best Natural Cat Litter?

There are many different options out there for cat litter, so it can be difficult to choose just one. If odor control is your priority, however, you can narrow down your options a bit.

Certain features are better for controlling litter box odor than others, so take the time to learn what you should be looking for.

Here are some things to look for in a cat litter for odor control:

  • Hard Clumping – Cat litter that forms hard clumps on contact with liquid or solid waste, helps lock in odor more quickly, and it makes scooping the litter box easier as well.
  • Low Tracking – Litter that stays in the litter box where it belongs is important for odor control. Look for a low-tracking litter so you won’t be cleaning up litter all over the house.
  • Scented – Cat litter that is scented does a better job of covering up litter box odor, but you will still need to scoop it regularly. You also need to make sure that the scent isn’t so strong that it irritates your cat’s nose otherwise it may stop using the litter box entirely.
  • Low Dust – Though it is not specific to odor control, low dust is a benefit for cat litter in general. If cat litter is too dusty, it can irritate your cat’s eyes and nose.

Final Thought

In the end, cleanliness, responsiveness and a highly developed sense of smell are some of the qualities associated with cats. Moreover, a clean and well-cared-for cat is a healthy and very happy cat.

Browsing for natural cat litters on the market can be overwhelming. This of the variety of brands, materials used and specifications. Furthermore, many customers prefer natural cat litter because of their health, environment and smell factors. Therefore, you could put these into consideration when deciding to get litter for your feline friend.

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Kate Barrington holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and is the published author of several self-help books and nutrition guides. Also an avid dog lover and adoring owner of three cats, Kate’s love for animals has led her to a successful career as a freelance writer specializing in pet care and nutrition. Kate is also a blogger for a number of organic and natural food companies as well as a columnist for several pet magazines.
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