10 Best Organic & Natural Cat Litter Brands Safe for Your Cats ( 2018 Updated)
You search for ‘natural cat litter‘ or ‘organic cat litter‘ because the words ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ are reassuring, right?
Well, clay is natural and organic but the ever popular clumping clay litter can kill your cat. The process of strip mining that extracts the main component of clay based cat litter destroys the Earth’s surface.
Read, NOT all organic or natural cat litter is SAFE.
We compiled a list of cat litter derived from natural / organic materials which are safe for your kitty’s health and pose no threat to your well-being, either (as silica based cat litter does). They are also all biodegradable, environment friendly, and manufactured from sustainable resources.
One of our readers has warned us (in the comment section) of the possible dangers of pine oil in cat litter. I will research this later. For now, I’m going to quote her comment here so that everyone reading this article at least has an opportunity for due diligence while choosing organic litter.
Pine oils are toxic to cats! Even though pellets are kiln dried and most oils gone, when wet , it releases dangerous phenol are released. Stop recommending pine litter!!!!!
Pine is toxic to cats. https://articulateanimals.com/blog/2009/10/essential-oils-pine/
Kathleen Rog
For a comprehensive overview on Cat Litter visit our home page.
Natural Cat Litter Brands
Brands that do not explicitly state the components, as well as litters with baking soda (with one exception), have been left out.
- Pine + Disposable Box & Scoop – Litter One –(Very Highly Recommended)
- Shaved Pine Organic Cat Litter ~ OnlyNaturalPet
- Grass Seed Natural Cat Litter ~ OnlyNaturalPet
- Grass Seed Natural Cat Litter ~ So Phresh (Highly Recommended – “clumps to perfection”)
- Paper Pellet Cat Litter ~ So Phresh
- Paper Pellet Cat Litter ~ Yesterday’s News
- Alfalfa Meal Reptile Bedding ~ Zilla
- 100% Reclaimed Wood Natural Cat Litter ~ ökocat
- Wheat Based Natural Cat Litter ~ Swheat Scoop
- Corn Kernel Organic Cat Litter ~ World’s Best
Litter One All in One Litter Box Kit
This one deserved the first place in a list of natural cat litters for too many reasons – not the least being that there’s nothing like it to our knowledge.
Litter One arrives at your doorstep in a carton sourced from recycled material.
Each litter box contains 8.5 lbs of Pine litter pellets.
The box measures 19″ x 14″ x 9″ with a front opening of 11″ width and 4.5″ height.
Every Litter One kit comes with disposable waste bags and a disposable scoop.
Don’t know how it can get any better than that.
A lot of natural litters are good at disposing of poop; it is the pee that sometimes pools below and creates a mess (not to mention odor). The pine pellets used in Litter One are engineered to dissolve into sawdust once in contact with urine.
The litter box has a patented false floor, perforated to let the urine-soaked sawdust to fall to the bottom. Being highly absorbent, this dust simply contains the liquid waste and does not let it collect anywhere at the bottom.
In any case, you will not be scooping the dust – because the entire box is disposable and biodegradable.
Once the life-cycle of a litter kit (4 – 6 weeks) is over, you can close it with the disposable scoop thrown inside, pack the entire box in the disposable waste bag that came with the kit and, well, dispose of it, of course!
In case you are worried about adding to landfills, don’t be: everything is biodegradable, as mentioned.
Other biodegradable litters do not degrade readily since they are frequently packed in ordinary plastic garbage bags. Litter one is one complete disposable unit.
From Earth it comes, to Earth it returns!
As for the materials used, Litter One only buys from vendors who belong to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI).
We strongly recommend that you give this perfectly organic and natural cat litter a try – it will make your life simpler and help you save the planet.
Click here to see if Litter One ships to your location.
(Also Read about completely biodegradable Flushable Cat Litter made from sustainable resources).
Only Natural Pet is a great site to find all natural, sustainable pet friendly products including pet food. We were pleasantly surprised to notice that they have their own range of natural (or organic) cat litter now. Their in-house products are created and packed in the most environment-friendly way – you can find out more by clicking here.
All Natural Clumping Shaved Pine Organic Cat Litter
This natural litter is made out of finely shredded pine wood. It is treated with heat to increase absorbency and reduce dust and allergens.
The clumping property manifests itself differently from that of clay litter. In clay litter, the clumping starts from the top and forms hard, flat, uneven crumbs. Yes, these are easy to scoop out but does nothing to control odor or make the surface of the litter box look inviting.
This pine litter, on the other hand, absorbs from the bottom up from both solid and liquid waste and traps the odor more effectively within itself. The clumped material is both scoopable and flushable.
Having said that, nothing clumps as hard as sodium bentonite clay litter – but we have good reason to strongly recommend you do NOT let your cat use it.
The result is an organic litter that is safe and convenient for both you and your fur babies. The pine itself is harvested sustainably and is USDA certified – which means farmed with zero chemicals and with no negative impact to the environment. 
To sum up, this litter is clumping, flushable, biodegradable, low-dust, low tracking and with superior odor control. Sounds good to us.
Click here to read the reviews for yourself.
Non GMO Fast Clumping Grass Seed Organic Cat Litter
We don’t know what kind of grass seed they are using but the litter looks promising enough.
This one’s supposed to be good for both single and multi-cat households (like the previous one), with good clumping properties and odor control. Being GMO free is a further guarantee of safety.
As far as we know of grass seeds, they cannot possibly be dusty – well, maybe a little bit. Most litters track, so we wouldn’t be too sure this one doesn’t.
At the time of writing this article, there were no reviews available for this one but since they have a 100% guarantee policy, it probably wouldn’t hurt to give it a try, more so since it was on sale.
Click here to check current price & free-shipping options
So Phresh Extreme Clumping Unscented Grass Seed Cat Litter
Highly Recommended
In continuation with grass seed based cat litter, this one from So Phresh claims to be 50% lighter than clay litter, is practically dust free and with strong clumping properties (‘clumps to perfection’, according to reviews).
Farmed in the USA, this one looks good and has had rave reviews till date. Customers are loving this in spite of the fact that it tracks and is a bit on the expensive side.
You might want to click here to check this one out for yourself – scroll down a little for customer reviews.
So Phresh Odor Control Paper Pellet Organic Cat Litter
This is also an environment-friendly cat litter but it has two drawbacks – it does not handle urine well and it has baking soda (and zeolite which is harmless as far as we are aware) in it for odor control.
We have included this one in our list because of good customer reviews.
People are so impressed with the fact that it contains virtually no dust and almost does not track, that they are buying it, anyway.
If you have a cat with respiratory troubles, this could be the one for you since it has little or no dust. Also, its odor control properties are reportedly phenomenal.
Click here to check customer reviews (scroll down a little when you reach the page).
Yesterday’s News Original Formula Natural Cat Litter (Unscented)
Chemical free and safe for your cat; 100 percent natural and organic cat litter made from recycled newspaper.
Has excellent odor control properties and is recommended by veterinarians especially for post-operative care.
You should probably go for the SOFTER version of this litter if you do have ailing kitties at home.
As if recycled newspaper pellets weren’t eco-friendly enough, this organic cat litter brand comes in recyclable packaging as well (unlike some brands who still use plastic).
User reviews also indicate that it is dust free and with low tracking, but we have found observations with regard to these aspects of cat litter highly subjective and frequently contradictory.
On the subject of being dust free, this one claims to be exactly 99.7% dust free! With that kind of precise description it might be worth your time to check this one out.
Check current price & discount
Zilla Alfalfa Meal Reptile Bedding
This is not cat litter per se. It is bedding material for reptiles, actually. However, its odor absorption capacity is reportedly awesome, and definitely worth a try.
Do you remember Litter Green? It was, perhaps, the first alfalfa pellet based cat litter, and it was so good that people who used it search for alfalfa pellets even to this day.
Litter Green is no longer available but some of our readers have talked about their success with alternative litters such as this one. It is extremely cheap and with the alfalfa odor absorption legacy of Litter Green, doesn’t look like a bad choice to us.
Here’s a 1971 Litter Green commercial for old times’ sake:
Check current price & discount
ökocat Natural Wood Cat Litter – 100% reclaimed wood
ökocat is not really a new brand. It has been a leading natural litter brand in Europe for the last 15 years under the label ‘Cat’s Best’. Currently, it is also manufactured in the USA. Check out the comparison with clumping clay litter:
All natural and pet safe; no chemicals, silica dust or fragrances and 7 day odor control.
Absorbs 500% its weight but weighs 70% less than clay. The texture is clay-like which should make any transition from traditional clay litter easier for the kitty.
Apart from reclaimed wood, ökocat also uses paper which is made by processing the same reclaimed wood.
The company does not use recycled paper on purpose since newspaper and other printed paper would invariably contain ink and dyes. They aim to make a completely safe and natural litter for cats and if you can get over the tracking issues, this could be The Organic Cat Litter you’ve been looking for.
Check current price & discount now
Swheat Scoop Multi Cat Clumping Natural Cat Litter
Trivia:
Nuclear waste facility with 15 years of perfect record shut down after sWheat causes explosion
This one is made from wheat, is completely biodegradable and non-toxic.
Of all the organic cat litter brands, we recommend Swheat highly not because we have used it but because raw wheat chaff has worked for us. However, some consumers have reported finding bugs (mostly harmless, but bugs…!!) inside sealed packets and bugs crawling around in used litter. It is gross, yes, but not really a cause for concern if you scoop out the used and clumped parts of the litter everyday (which is what you are supposed to do – you don’t flush your toilet once a week, do you? ).
As for bugs inside sealed packs, well, some people have all the (weird) luck!
The odor control part is endorsed by too many customers to be unfounded. And you can flush it too.
Check current price & discount
World’s Best Cat Litter
At the time of updating this article there were 2836 reviews on Petco with a rating of 4.836 stars.
Still, we might add that some of our readers have complained about World’s Best being exceptionally dusty.
There are four varieties to choose from: Clumping, Multiple Cat Clumping, Forest Scented and Advanced Pine Blend (made with real pine)
World’s Best is made from renewable whole kernel corn and 100% natural plant / wood fibers.
It is safe for both septic and sewer based toilet systems and has good odor control and clumping properties.
The pine blend was created for people who might prefer that scent but the odor can be too strong for some users and their cats.
The original sales copy is good enough to quote:
World’s Best Cat Litter Original Strength is an all-natural litter made from whole-kernel corn. Why Corn? Corn has a unique microporous structure that provides a large surface area to effectively trap and absorb ammonia. By using Corn, it’s safe for both cats and kittens without worrying of ingestion, dust or allergy problems. World’s Best Cat Litter is 99% dust free, containing no clays, silica, synthetic binding or dust reducing agents found in other litters.
Despite the somewhat pompous name, World’s Best is supposed to be very good, and certainly worth a try. Also, In addition to using renewable methods to manufacture biodegradable and safe litter, World’s Best also has an altruistic side which we do appreciate. Each purchase adds up to a donation of litter to shelter cats. In their own words:
Cats light up your life. When you purchase World’s Best Cat Litter™, you help support GiveLitter™, and make life a little better for thousands of cats in shelters.
Check current price & discounts
Also read our comprehensive guide to choosing a flushable cat litter from among a list of litters that are completely biodegradable and environment-friendly.
To Kapush and others. Regarding spraying your litter box with Citronella Oil. Although I grew up with a mother in traditional medicine (reading her books) I went natural as soon as I came of age (to avoid open heart surgery) and have studied natural therapies along with main stream health care at the pre Masters level, background in legal and medical research, and earlier on pre vet (before it became almost Rx as it is now (collage and else wise) for decades. I mention my background as although I use anecdotal remedies and solutions I do some research to find out what’s behind it – Material Safety Data Sheets, OSHA and EPA as some sources.
As well I have major experience toxic chemicals (building fire) and again used natural therapies to return from almost dead (took years however). (most all fragrance products are now made from highly toxic chemicals including petrochemicals). Much of this in any library but simple search (Rx companies make these products.) Not good for cats or humans.
Scent of Danger: Are There Toxic Ingredients in Perfumes and Colognes?
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/toxic-perfumes-and-colognes/
Ahhh…the sweet smell of petrochemicals! The Environmental Working Group (EWG) reports that, while many popular perfumes, colognes and body sprays contain trace amounts of natural essences, they also typically contain a dozen or more potentially hazardous synthetic chemicals, some of which are derived from petroleum. To protect trade secrets, makers are allowed to withhold fragrance ingredients, so consumers can’t rely on labels to know what hazards may lurk inside that new bottle of perfume.
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Cats are ancient – and have differently systems then ours, and the Tabby comes from desert environments and like camels store water (reason why dry foods cause much harm down the line).
See the article below on cats and their unique liver enzyme system
Using Citronella Oil as a Cat Repellent
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Cats and missing liver enzymes
http://roberttisserand.com/2011/06/cats-essential-oil-safety/
Cats almost completely lack important liver enzymes that humans do possess, and which are important in the metabolism of many essential oil constituents. These are primarily UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes such as UGT1A6, UGT1A9 and UGT2B7 (Court 2013, Van Beusekom 2013). Therefore, there is a theoretical risk of increased toxicity to cats, though this is very much less of an issue with dogs. Menthol, for example, is primarily metabolized (in humans and rodents) through glucuronidation, and toxicity testing shows that menthol is 3-4 times more toxic to a cat than a rat (Opdyke 1976). We don’t know for sure that the greater toxicity to felines is because of the missing enzyme, but it’s very likely. But, while 3-4 times is a significant difference, it’s not a massive one. I certainly don’t advocate dousing your cat in large quantities of neat essential oils – ever. And cats are quite susceptible to toxicity from nutmeg oil and tea tree oil. But, a small amount of any essential oil, and a moderate amount of most, will not harm your cat.
https://www.vetinfo.com/using-citronella-oil-cat-repellent.html
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Cat’s can cause issues if they are hanging out where they don’t belong. Because of this, many people look for types of cat repellent. While there are many products out on the market that claim to repel cats, not all of them are safe and nontoxic. There are several types of natural cat repellent, but one of the most popular cat repellents is citronella oil.
Citronella Oil
Citronella oil is a strong smelling oil that is usually thought of only as a repellent for mosquitoes, but there are several other uses for citronella oil, one of which is repelling cats from places that they don’t belong. Citronella is a natural substance that originally comes from Sri Lanka. It is believed that the strong smell of this oil is what will keep the cats out of the areas that you don’t want them to be in. Citronella oil is safe to use indoors and outdoors so no matter where you are trying to keep the cats away from this should work for you.
Thank you so much for the detailed explanation (along with citation). It would be great if I could have your permission to include your write-up as part of my content in the future – with due acknowledgement, of course.
Pine oils are toxic to cats! Even though pellets are kiln dried and most oils gone, when wet , it releases dangerous phenol are released. Stop recommending pine litter!!!!!
Pine is toxic to cats. https://articulateanimals.com/blog/2009/10/essential-oils-pine/
Sorry about the late approval of your first comment (and thanks for trying again): my security plugin thought your comment was spam probably because it has only five words plus a link.
I don’t have the time to research this thoroughly but I assume you have, so I’m putting both your comments in the intro of the article to let our readers know of the possible dangers.
Thank you for taking the time to point this out.
World best cat little is not made with organic corn . Call company and they will tell you.
Please accept my apologies for the late approval. My system and backup system had both gone down plus there were some family problems to deal with.
Calling the company across the continent would be prohibitive. In any case, I’d like to take your word for it.
This article lists organic and natural litters – organic has a somewhat wide range of meanings, but without trying to be sneaky and playing with words, the fact that the company uses renewable methods of cultivation is good enough for me, and the fact that corn is definitely organic and natural when compared to, say, synthetic silica gel.
Either way, thank you for taking the time to put in a comment.
I’ve been using “Smart Cat” litter made from grass seed. It really works great, clumps extremely well, and has virtually no smell, but is really expensive! Anyone know how this is made, or if I can simply use regular grass seed?
Never heard of this one, but sounds mighty interesting! Thank you for telling us about it, will see if I can gather enough info to write an article on it. As for your question, I’m sorry I have no answer at the moment… hope one of our visitors is able to help you out.
I’ve had cats all my life. In the beginning I used regular non-clumping clay litter. Then I heard about the clumping corn litters and used them for years. Then I had some cats urinating outside the litter box, so I tried some clumping litters. They seemed to like it better. But some of the brands were so dusty I couldn’t use it and there was dust all around the house. I have a cat with asthma and that’s my main concern. So I found a knew brand of silica cat litter, stating dust free. But when I poured it into the box I saw this dust flying around. Then got conflicting info on the internet. I’m worried about my cats and I inhaling any kind of litter dust. Please advise which is the best dust free cat litter and safest to use. Thank you!
Hi Diane,
Obviously, your vet would be the best person to advise you on this issue. However, you can read about a silica cat litter which claims to be completely safe, here: http://kapush.net/cat-litter/silica-gel-cat-litter-problems/
Please scroll down to the content after the sub-heading ‘ Is Any Silica Gel Cat Litter Safe?’
We have been using a mix of fine saw dust and wheat chaff. I usually spray a mix of citronella oil and water over the fresh litter before the cats get a chance to use it to minimize the dust.
If you find a good alternative litter that helps your cats, please let us know.
Thank you for visiting.
Wheat-based or nut-based litters can have the same problems with the molds as corn-based. The safety of the pine or cedar or sawdust is up in the air, and definitely not safe for cats with asthma or other sensitivities. I cannot use wood-based litters as I am very allergic. Some litters use zeolite which is a clay litter. They claim it is completely safe, but zeolite is also on the lists of carcinogenic substances, as well as causing problems if inhaled or ingested. The only one I have found that seems to have no health problems associated with it is the safflower seed litter used with the Smart Cat Box system. I have not tried this yet, but so far it seems to be the safest available. http://truthaboutpetfood.com/caution-to-use-of-corn-based-cat-litters/
Thanks for your observation, Tyne. Since our cats stay mostly outdoor in an enclosed space, we have the luxury of mixing litter with ordinary garden soil and that and a little bit of water sprayed on to the mix ensure that things don’t get too dusty for the cats. Never tried safflower, though … if you do, please consider posting your experience here.
Hi Diane, when I redirected my old site from kapush.net to kapush.org I lost some comments. This was posted in reply to your comment by HB (******@comcast.net) on 2016/05/26 at 10:06 pm :
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To Diane about silica sand cat litters; I’ve been a cat parent to 2 cats for 12 years until this past Sunday when the oldest died of undetected lung cancer. All their lives I used what seemed to be the safest/cleanest litter for them always opting for silica sand. However, I have always been concerned about the dust that flies up when scooping or even when the cats cover. My beloved little friend who died never had any diseases or parasites and all his lab tests, etc came back negative. The only culprit left for me to conclude for his demise was perhaps genetic predisposition but the daily exposure to silica dust that has been proven to cause lung legions & in extreme cases, cancer of which my poor cat died.
For that reason I’m here on this site, looking for a safer litter for the surviving brother who is a year younger, hoping I’m not too late!
The above article does not address the health risks from the use of organic litters. Kitty litter made from grains such as corn or wheat is susceptible to contamination by aflatoxin producing Aspergillus. Grains are particularly susceptible to infection if stored in warm temperatures and moist environments – exactly like your cat litter box. Aflatoxin exposure predominately attacks the liver and can lead to a whole host of serious illnesses.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041255_kitty_litter_bentonite_clay_harmful_ingredients.html##ixzz31hR3SvVU
Hi Knowledge,
Thank you for the insight. I’ll certainly read up on this and, perhaps, write a separate article on it for our readers.
I do not agree with any of the above cat litters being organic, they may be compostable and biodegradable, but where are teh organic Certification?? our cat litter CATSENS is certified ORGANIC by LETIS S.A.