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What is the best natural clumping cat litter?
Want a natural cat litter, but without giving up the lovely clumping ability that makes scooping a breeze? No wonder: Removing those nasty clumps also means removing the cause of cat litter odor.
Disclaimer: Some links included in this post may be affiliate links, which means the site earns a small commission if you purchase through those links (at no extra cost to you).
Nobody wants a smelly litter box! Not you, and not your kitty either.
By removing the clumps, the litter will also last you longer. Say NO to clay – and YES to natural clumping cat litter!
Luckily, there are several natural clumping cat litters avaliable on the market today. So choosing a natural cat litter does not mean that you have to give up on clumping. But which one will be best for you and your cat?
What natural clumping cat litter is made of:
- Grass seeds – Our top pick
- Corn
- Wheat
- Coconut
Our top pick for best clumping litter is grass seed cat litter – but every cat and cat owner are different, and have their own preferences. By reading the following article, we hope you will be able to make an informed decision that will work for you and your furry friend.
To help you decide which eco friendly alternative to choose, we have put together lists with information about the pros and cons of each type.
Grass seed cat litter
This is our top pick because of its exceptional clumping abilities, and general performance. We have previously written an article about an in depth review of SmartCat from Pioneer Pet, that you can read here.
Pros
- Eco friendly: Grass seed is a renewable material. It biodegrades, so the litter can be composted.
- Clumping: Excellent. Out clumps clay and will remain in one piece without breaking apart.
- Odor control: Good.
- Dust: Minimal. You can see a demonstration here (start video at 3.05).
Cons
- Flushable: No.
- Recycled: No.
- Tracking: Because it is a very lightweight cat litter, there will be some tracking. We suggest you use an eco friendly litter mat to remedy this issue.
- Allergies: Some cats and humans who are allergic to grass can react.
Corn cat litter
Pros
- Eco friendly: Made from renewable material. Recycled from waste product. Corn is biodegradable, so the litter can be composted.
- Clumping: Yes. (World’s Best Cat Litter Clumping Formula: “Quick Clumping and Easy Scooping”)
- Odor control: Good.
- Can be used with automatic litter boxes (World’s Best Cat Litter Clumping Formula).
Cons
- Flushable: No.
- Tracking: Lightweight cat litters tend to track more, so we suggest you use a litter mat to help contain it to the litter box area..
- Allergies: Some cats and humans who are allergic to corn can react.
Wheat cat litter
Out of the three brands of cat litter, this is the one with the lowest score. However, 4.6 out of five stars is still a pretty good result. This is also the only one that can be flushed.
Pros
- Eco friendly: Made from renewable material. Corn is biodegradable, so the litter can be composted.
- Clumping: Yes. (sWheat Scoop Scoopable Cat Litter Multi-Cat Strength: “Wheat starches clump firmly – for easy scooping cat litter”)
- Can be used with automatic litter boxes (sWheat Scoop Scoopable Cat Litter Multi-Cat Strength).
- Odor control: Good.
- Flushable: Yes (sWheat Scoop Scoopable Cat Litter Multi-Cat Strength) – but be sure your cat does not have Toxoplasma gondii before flushing feces!
Cons
- Tracking: As with other lightweight cat litter types, there is a bit more tracking. Adding a litter mat to the litter box area should improve this though.
- Allergies: Some cats and humans who are allergic to wheat can react.
Coconut cat litter
Coconut cat litter is a new one to the natural clumping cat litter market – which is pretty exciting!
You might already have heard of natural cat litter made from coconut shells, but know that it does not clump. So what gives the following cat litter from CocoKitty its clumping abilities?
CocoKitty Clumping Coconut Cat Litter
Instead of coconut shells, this clumping coconut litter is made of coconut pith, and even coconut-based activated carbon for added odor control.
Coconut pith is a waste product from the coconut industry, that is highly absorbant:
” Due to its superior absorption capabilities when compared to products made of clay, silica and diatomaceous earth-based absorbents, dry coconut coir pith is gaining popularity as an oil and fluid absorbent. Many other absorbents have to be mined, whereas coconut coir pith is a waste product … Coconut coir pith is also used as a bedding in litter boxes, animal farms and pet houses to absorb animal waste.”
Source: Wikipedia (Coir)
Pros
- Eco friendly: Yes. Since coconut pith is a waste material, the cat litter is recycled. It is also biodegradable and can be composted.
- Clumping: Yes. This cat litter does clump, though not very firmly.
- Odor control: Removing the clumps should also remove the odor.
- Flushable: No? Although the manufactor says: “In a pinch, Cocokitty is also flushable” (see source on Amazon). In any case, read this before flushing cat litter.
Cons
- Tracking: Some reviews criticize this litter for too much tracking. If this is not a great concern to you, using a litter mat should provide some help with this issue.
- Allergies: Some cats and humans who are allergic to coconut can react.
Where to buy
Avaliable on Amazon.com, where you can also find more photos and information about this natural cat litter.
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