This article lists organic cat litter alternatives that you can use for manual scooping as well as with the LitterMaid LM900 Mega Self-Cleaning Litter Box.
To summarize our take on Clay Clump Cat Litter and Silica Gel Crystal Cat Litter:
the first one could harm your cat seriously, even causing death ,
and the second one shows evidence that it is best avoided since there are alternatives.
Regarding whether they are eco- friendly, neither is biodegradable and both add to landfills. The process of strip mining adopted to extract the main component of most clay based cat litter literally mutilates the surface of the earth.
Once again, both Clay Clump Cat Litter and Silica Gel Crystal Litter are best avoided if there are organic cat litter alternatives (and there are).
Our homepage (Overview) has a comprehensive write-up on Cat Litter in case you are interested in getting all the details in one place.
Update: August, 2016: Particularly for our readers from Canada and India
We get quite a few visitors from CANADA
I got in touch with Jud McCracken, Sales Manager, CaribSea, Inc. who said that it should be safe to use as cat litter but added that he had never personally used it as such. At the time of writing this update there were no reviews in amazon on Cocofresh.
We’d be happy to have you leave a comment here on our blog on your experience with this litter should you choose to use it.
Cocofresh naturally eliminates odor, it doesn’t just cover it with smelly perfumes. Plus, this product is truly green. It is completely biodegradable, organically processed, and does not harm any trees in its production. CocoFresh doesn’t have any timber or even timber by-products, no resins, nothing artificial. Seeing, or rather smelling, is believing.
Our Indian visitors seem to search for cat litter India online and cat litter in India and end up being distracted with colourful images of cat litter that almost invariably contain bentonite clay. Next time you want to buy cat litter online – more specifically, organic cat litter online in India (there’s hardly any google.in search for that, unfortunately), Try This:
Curiously enough, I could not find a single review of this litter in the Amazon.Com site. Last I checked, there were only 10 units left which could be hype or fact, but definitely no reviews. If you are from the US, you might want to go Take a Look:
Let us also add that we have never used any of the brands listed below in our cat shelter. We use a mix of sawdust and raw wheat chaff and have found the combination very effective both in respect of odour control and clumping property. Our personal recommendation, therefore, would be Swheat Scoop
Organic Cat Litter Brands (in alphabetical order)
For each cat litter brand only features that are not debatable are listed. For example, ‘unbeatable odor control’ or ‘better than any other cat litter’ is invariably left out.
We have also avoided litter brands that do not explicitly state the components, as well as brands with baking soda, just to be on the safe side. Litter that is specifically meant to be flushed out after use has not been mentioned either.
(You might also want to read our comprehensive post on Flushable Cat Litter; all of the brands mentioned there use renewable resources to make their litter and are completely biodegradable).
Cat Country Litter 
This is an organic cat litter made from wheatgrass and comes in pellet form; consequently, there is no dust. In any case, wheatgrass is good for your cat. We have it all over our shelter and the kitties seem to like it. We found it surprising that this particular brand did not seem to have too many takers at the time of writing this post, at least, it appears that way from the complete absence of user-reviews. Definitely worth a try.
Feline Pine Original Cat Litter
Chemical free and safe for your cat; 100 percent natural.
Designed for multiple cat homes.
Even though this is one of the most popular brands available, users complain that contrary to what the company may advertise, there is definitely a lot of dust in Feline Pine.
Kitty’s Crumble All Natural Coconut Husk Cat Litter
All natural and pet safe; no chemicals, silica dust or fragrances.
Made of organic and biodegradable coconut husk (coir) with Small Carbon Pawprint.
Recyclable in garden, compost bin or green waste bin (with solids removed).
Kitty Crystals Premium Cat Litter
This is another one that does not seem to have too many takers. It uses Zeolite, a volcanic rock that has superior odor absorption capacity (it releases the odor when kept in the sun after which it can be used again). We don’t expect cat litter made from zeolite to be reusable, but it ought to be effective. Plus, it is non-toxic and biodegradable. We are thinking of using zeolite for odor elimination in our shelter. If we do, a review shall be in order!
Nature’s Miracle Odor Control Clumping Cat Litter
Natural corn cob granules with odor control; pine fragrance for freshness, good absorption capacity and completely biodegradable. Apparently, has good clumping property as well.
Purr&Simple All Natural Clumping Cat Litter
This cat litter is made from nutshell! Apart from being completely biodegradable, the materials used in making this litter are renewable in one year. That is, in a nutshell, this product gives back to the environment what it takes in a relatively short span of time. Beats cutting down trees and planting saplings!
This one is made from wheat, is completely biodegradable and non-toxic. Of all organic cat litter brands we recommend Swheat 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!
But here’s the scoop on Swheat Scoop: It was instrumental in causing an explosion that prompted the US Government to shut down a nuclear waste facility with 15 years of perfect record !!
World’s Best Cat Litter, Clumping Formula
There are four varieties to choose from: Clumping, Multiple Cat Clumping, Forest Scented and Advanced Pine Blend (made with real pine)
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. At least, all the varieties have very good ratings. It should serve as the perfect clumping litter if you have LitterMaid Self-Cleaning Litter Box
Also read our comprehensive guide to choosing a flushable cat litter from among a list of litters that are completely biodegradable and environment friendly.
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.