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Natural Alternatives to Clumping Clay Kitty Litters: Summary

By Marina Michaels

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This article has been superceded by Alternatives to Clumping Clay Kitty Litters. Please read that page instead.

Clumping Clay Kitty Litters: A Deadly Convenience?
Natural Alternatives to Clumping Clay Kitty Litters
Letters and excerpts from letters concerning the experiences others have had regarding clumping litters

Natural alternatives to clumping litters, such as plant-based litters, are now available at many pet and health food stores. Plant-based litters are usually made from some combination of alfalfa, oat hulls, corn cob, peanut hulls, or paper. I've tried most of these litters, and discuss their advantages and disadvantages below, though there are one or two other points I'd like you to note.

For another summary of the types of litters available, visit Columbia Animal Hospital's Pet State University: The Scoop on Litters.

Recycled Newspaper Litters

Recycled newspaper as a kitty litter comes in two basic forms: fluffy and pellets. Generally, all of them are biodegradable, more or less dust-free, flushable, and incinerable. The fluffy loose kind is, in my opinion, the best. They are easier on the paws and underfoot (when you accidentally step on the pellets, it hurts). The pellets are fine too, though. Both forms tend to get kicked out of the box, even with one of those boxes with a slight overhang, though of course if you have an enclosed box this isn't a concern

Advantages and disadvantages of recycled newspaper kitty litters

Because these products are made from recycled newspaper and are flushable, compostable, and incinerable (rather than having to go to a landfill), they are environmentally friendly.
The cost is quite reasonable and they last a long time.
They are messy, but easy to sweep up.
Some have not been de-inked, and the inks used in newspapers can be quite toxic. Look for products that state that they are "de-inked."

Peanut Hull Litters

Peanut-hull-based litters are made from peanut shells. They are generally formed into large, hard pellets that nonetheless get kicked out of the box readily and that, like all pellets, hurt underfoot. This litter (like all plant-based products) forms into rather large masses when wet. I find that this makes changing the cat box easier, rather than more difficult.

Advantages and disadvantages of peanut-hull-based litters

The pellets in most of these products are far too large. Cats can't do a satisfactory dig-and-bury.
Peanuts are a highly sprayed crop. That means a high amount of pesticides; I worry that those pesticides are still in the product, and I wouldn't want my kitties to be anywhere near them.
Because the pellets disintegrate when wet, the box is easier to clean than if the pellets stayed hard.

Cedar-Based and Wood-Based Litters

Cedar- and wood-based litters have some amount of cedar in them; the chief advantage being natural odor control. These litters tend to be in pellet or wood-flake form.

Advantages and disadvantages of cedar- and wood-based litters

I have some concerns about the safety of using anything with cedar oils in it. I have heard that cedar oils can be harmful to cats. Also, be aware that cedar oils will antidote homeopathic remedies.
The wood flakes seem a little harsh for cats' paws. The pellet forms tend to fall apart into a dusty mass when the cat uses the litter; some may find this an advantage, others may find this a disadvantage.
The wood-based litters are not very good at deodorizing.
When wet, the wood-based pelleted litters fall apart into masses, much like the peanut-hull-based litters, with the same advantages.

Citrus-Based Litters

Citrus-based litters are fluffy, light-colored, dried citrus materials. In fact, they look a lot like large flakes of citrus flowers and peels.

Advantages and disadvantages of citrus-based litters

The product I tried is too light and fluffy. It was unsatisfactory for the cats.

Wheat-Based Litters

Wheat-based litters are pellets made from wheat and corn.

Advantages and disadvantages of wheat-based litters

I have heard, though I haven't experienced this myself, that these litters can be quite sticky. Some people even report using a vegetable-oil-based cooking spray on their litter boxes to keep the stuff from sticking.
The litter is said to form scoopable clumps, though reports from others have it that you should scoop and change the litter more often than the package recommends.
The main product that uses wheat and corn supposedly uses a deodorant, which some cat owners find objectionable.

OTHER OPTIONS

Alfalfa In the spirit of experimentation, I went to a feed store and purchased plain alfalfa pellets (the kind you feed to rabbits). I could only find large-sized pellets, which were about the same size as the pellets in the peanut-hull-based litter. In fact, they worked just about the same, with perhaps slightly better deodorizing power. I paid $6.25 for a 50-pound bag, which makes it the most economical alternative. If I could find it in smaller pellets, I'd use this as my cat litter.

Corn Cob Corn cob is also available for $6.25 for 50 pounds. Before I discovered my favorite brand of fluffy newspaper-based litter (CareFresh), I used corn cob for the bottom of my bird cage, and it made the very best cage-liner I had ever used (until, as mentioned, I found the newspaper litter). However, as a cat litter, I suspect it wouldn't be as good. The pellets are small enough (barely), but they are quite rough and I wouldn't think that cats would enjoy scratching about in them. Also, corn cob isn't at all good at deodorizing. And I have heard that corn cob is so highly dehydrated that it enlarges when ingested, which might cause the same sorts of problems that clumping clay litters do. It isn't very digestible, either. All in all, I wouldn't recommend it.

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