If you, like me, have a cat you may have wondered if cat litter is biodegradable.
You may also have wondered, as I did, if biodegradable or compostable litter is better.
Traditional clay cat litter is not biodegradable.
Clay is a mineral instead of a living resource such as plants.
Other mineral based cat litters are also not biodegradable. In addition, any synthetic cat litters would also be non-biodegradable.
There are types of cat litter that are biodegradable.
Some of these are even compostable. The key is to look at what the cat litter is made of.
What is Biodegradable?
Biodegradable refers to items that will break down naturally over time.
Different biodegradable substances and products will have different breakdown timeframes.
For instance, something made of wood takes longer than something made of paper.
Some Cat Litter brands are biodegradable.
If the cat litter is made from natural ingredients that are biodegradable.
Examples of biodegradable cat litter ingredients include grasses, nut shells, pine, corn, wheat, rice, and paper.
What Cat Litter is Biodegradable?
- World’s Best Cat Litter
- Okocat Litter
- Pioneer Pet Smartcat All Natural
- Little Maid Walnut Litter
- Frisco Corn and Wheat Litter
- Feline Pine Litter
- Frisco Natural Grass Litter
- Naturally Fresh Clumping Litter
These are just a few of the options for biodegradable cat litter.
As time goes on and science improves some options may become more popular than others.
It is important to note that if you or your kitty shows signs of allergies around a natural biodegradable litter, it may be time to switch to one that uses different ingredients.
Neither you nor your cat enjoys sneezing while dealing with the litter box.
What is Compostable?
Compostable refers to items that break down quicker and can be used in the making of compost.
Most biodegradable cat litter can be compostable if the proper steps are taken.
Cat litter has to be 100% plant-based for it to be used in the making of compost.
What Cat Litter is Compostable?
- World’s Best Cat Litter
- Okocat Litter
- Tofukitty Club
- Pioneer Pet Smartcat All Natural
- Littermaid
- Arm ; Hammer
- Frisco Corn and Wheat Litter
- Feline Pine Litter
- Frisco Natural Grass Litter
- Naturally Fresh Clumping Litter
As with the biodegradable cat litter brands these brand names are changing as science and demand work together to create more options.
As all compostable cat litter is made with natural plant ingredients it is possible to be allergic to the ingredients.
Are there Organic Cat Litter Options?
There are Organic Cat Litter Options.
They are less common than the Biodegradable and Compostable options.
Organic Cat Litter must be made from organic ingredients.
These organic ingredients are biodegradable and often compostable as well.
What Cat Litter is Organic?
- Catspot Organic Coconut Cat Litter
- The Original PoopBags Catfidence Organic Bamboo Cat Litter
- HempAlta Pets Premium Organic Hemp Cat Litter
- Copycat Organic Clumping Cat Litter
- Cat Best Original Litter – Organic Cat Litter
More Organic options may appear as biodegradable, compostable, and organic litter becomes more popular.
Is Compostable, Biodegradable, or Organic Cat Litter Better for Cats?
One of the pros of compostable and biodegradable cat litter is that it is often less dusty than traditional clay litter.
Dusty litter can be a health hazard for your cat.
For this reason, Organic and Biodegradable or Compostable litter is a better option.
Should I Switch Litter Immediately?
If you are worried about your cat’s health or about the environment it is important to switch.
If you have left over clay cat litter it works great for driveways in the wintertime if you need to prevent icing.
When switching to a new cat litter keep an eye on your kitty and look for signs of an allergic reaction.
If you think your pet may be reacting to the litter, buy another litter that has different ingredients.
For instance, if you purchased a corn litter, try a pine or walnut litter.
Cats can have allergies and when they use the litter box, they often kick up the litter to cover their potty spot.
This action of kicking up the litter can get it into their lungs and throat, something you do not want if your cat is allergic to the litter ingredients.
It isn’t always easy to test for allergies in cats, so watching your cat’s behavior is the best indicator of an allergy.
Try different litters with different ingredients until one seems to work.
What Cat Litter is Not Biodegradable?
Cat litter that is not Biodegradable includes Clay Cat litter, Crystal Cat Litter, and synthetic cat litters.
Clay Cat Litter and Crystal Cat Litter are both mined and processed.
The process to mine and turn these into cat litter is not eco-friendly.
In addition, Clay and Crystal cat litter can be toxic and harmful to cats if inhaled.
Synthetic Cat litter is a recent creation. While they often prevent odors best, they can be toxic to cats.
Synthetic cat litter is so new that there may be other harmful effects that have not yet been realized or recognized.
