The Essential Guide to Alternative Cat Litters: How To Choose the Best Cat Litter for Your Cat

AFF | We’ve been privileged to share our lives with many beloved cats over the years. And whenever we’ve been planning on adopting a new cat, top of our essentials list are cat food*, their own microchipped cat feeder* (to avoid squabbles), a litter box or tray, and a plentiful supply of cat litter. Because you need to keep your new furball indoors for at least a few weeks until they realise this is their fur-ever home and you can let them go out through their microchipped cat flap*. And there are a LOT of alternative cat litters out there, so how do you choose the best cat litter for a fussy feline?

Alternative Cat Litters – Clumping vs. Non-Clumping Litters & Scented vs. Unscented

Your choice of cat litter comes down to odour control, price, ease of disposal, and yes, what your cat prefers, but here are some types of cat litter pros and cons to consider.

Clumping cat litter, as the name suggests, is typically made from bentonite clay and forms solid clumps when it comes in contact with moisture, making it easier to scoop out the waste. This type of litter allows for the removal of only soiled portions, reducing waste and extending the lifespan of the litter box.

Non-clumping litter is typically made from materials like recycled paper, wood pellets, or grass. It doesn’t form clumps when exposed to moisture, requiring regular replacement of the entire litter box contents, but it’s usually less expensive than clumping litter. Word of warning: cats are very clean animals, so if you don’t change the litter regularly, they’ll find somewhere else in your house to toilet.

Although you can get scented cat litters, this is for your benefit, not your cat’s. Cats have a super strong sense of smell, so you may well find they refuse to use lavender-scented litter, for example. Start out with unscented litter first and see how you go. You can always start mixing in some scented litter as time goes on, but if your cat objects, you’ll soon know about it!

Clay Cat Litter

One of the most popular and traditional types on the market, clay kitty litter* is relatively cheap, highly absorbent, and it’s easy to scoop out any soiled waste. It’s one most cat owners start off with. You can get scented cat litter* or unscented cat litter*, and clumping litter* as well as non-clumping litter* options. However, it’s also non-biodegradable and usually quite dusty, which can cause respiratory issues for some cats and their owners.

Pros: Easy to clean, lightweight, excellent odour control, high absorption rate.
Cons: Non-biodegradable, usually ends up in landfill, can be dusty, tracking issues as pellets can get kicked out of the box, can stick to the litter box.

Wood Pellet Cat Litter

Our favourite cat litter, this is made from compressed sawdust or recycled wood, often pine, wood pellets absorb moisture and control odours naturally. Because this is such an absorbent litter, it’s ideal for multi-cat households or cats with urinary tract issues. However, the pellets can be quite large, so some cats may feel uncomfortable walking on them.

Wood pellet cat litter* is an eco-friendly option as it’s made from renewable materials and breaks down quickly in landfills. Or you can flush it down the toilet. Tip: one scoop at a time though, because when the pellets swell up, they can quickly block your U-bend and…. well, I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.

Pros: Environmentally friendly, biodegradable, can be flushed down the toilet, natural odour control, low dust.
Cons: May require additional sifting to remove smaller waste particles, tracking issues, more frequent litter box changes required, your cat may not like the smell of pine.

Corn Cat Litter

Corn-based cat litter* is a biodegradable alternative made from renewable corn kernels, is highly absorbent, clumps well, and offers effective odour control. It’s lightweight, easy to clean and dispose of, and relatively dust-free, making it a great option for cats with respiratory issues. However, some cats may be allergic to corn and the smell of used corn litter can be somewhat unpleasant!

Pros: Biodegradable, can be flushed away, good clumping ability, natural odour control.
Cons: Potential allergy concerns, can be expensive.

Tofu Cat Litter

A new kid on the block, and not one we’ve tried, tofu cat litter* made from food-grade soy pulp is another biodegradable, eco-friendly option. It clumps well, is virtually dust-free, and is flushable, making cleaning easier. This type of litter is super soft and gentle on your cat’s paws, making it a great option for kittens or older cats with sensitive paws. However, it’s not as effective at controlling odours as some other options.

Pros: Eco-friendly, biodegradable, flushable, good clumping ability.
Cons: Limited odour control, can be pricey.

Walnut Cat Litter

Walnut shell cat litter* is made from crushed walnut shells and is a natural, sustainable and biodegradable option offering good odour control and clumping ability. We’ve not tested it but it’s supposed to be a lightweight option that doesn’t track as much as other types. However, some cats may be allergic to nuts, and the strong scent can be overwhelming for them.

Pros: Biodegradable, good clumping ability, natural odour control.
Cons: Potential allergy concerns, tracking issues, strong scent.

Coconut Cat Litter

Odourless and made of coconut shells, coconut litter* is considered hypoallergenic. Many cat owners apparently use coconut litter on their flowerbeds and yards, making it virtually a zero-waste product. However, it doesn’t clump well and is often higher in price compared to other sustainable and traditional cat litter options. That said, it’s longer lasting, so better value for money.

Pros: Biodegradable, good odour control.
Cons: Non clumping, can be pricey.

Grass Cat Litter

Soft and absorbent, grass-based cat litter* is an eco-friendly alternative made from dried grass that claims to provide good odour control and can be composted or flushed down the toilet. However, it may be less effective at clumping than other types and some cats may not like the texture and the strong grassy smell.

Pros: Eco-friendly, natural odour control.
Cons: Limited clumping ability, higher cost, not easy to find.

Paper Cat Litter

Made from recycled paper products, paper cat litter* is a biodegradable, dust-free, and often fragrance-free option making it a great option for cats with respiratory issues. However, it can quickly become soggy so requires more frequent litter box changes, and it can be less effective at controlling odours.

Pros: Biodegradable, dust-free, fragrance-free.
Cons: Less effective odour control, more frequent litter box changes required.

Sand Cat Litter

If you ever had a sandpit in the garden as a child, or have one for your kids now, you’ll know why they need a lid. Cats originate from the desert and will instinctively try to use sand as a toilet. Not really what you want your toddler to be building castles with! Tip: in an emergency (if you have an injured or ill cat) it’s a brilliant homemade cat litter substitute. You need to use child-grade play sand* though, as beach sand contains parasites. Mixing in some bicarbonate of soda will help with most smells.

Pros: It’s cheap.
Cons: Doesn’t absorb odour, tracks everywhere, you’ll need to keep an eye on your child’s sandpit from now on…

Silica Gel Cat Litter

Silica gel litter* consists of porous granules that absorb moisture and lock in odours. It’s low-dust and long-lasting, but the granules can be uncomfortable for cats with sensitive paws, and it can be expensive. The downside to silica gel is that you need to mix it frequently to distribute the urine so it absorbs better, and it’s quite expensive.

Pros: Excellent odour control, low dust, long-lasting.
Cons: Potential discomfort for sensitive paws, non-biodegradable.

Diatomaceous Earth Cat Litter

Made from crushed fossilised algae, the most common use of diatomaceous earth for cats is to combat fleas as it effectively smothers these pests. However, the jury is still out on whether it’s actually safe to use for cats, given they will lick their paws to clean themselves, thereby ingesting small particles. Because it’s an abrasive, it could cause severe damage to your pet’s digestive tract. So I’m including this option in here for the sake of completeness, but I’m not recommending it.

Cat Litter Accessories

Once you’ve made your choice of alternative cat litters, here are some additional cat litter accessories you’ll probably need to consider too.

Litter Tray

Tip: placement is more important than aesthetics, so as long as you put the litter tray somewhere quiet and out of the way of general household footfall, your cat will be happy.

While you might like the idea of an enclosed cat litter tray*, it can get very smelly for your cat – remember what I said about their sense of smell? Usually the first sign of this is them choosing to toilet elsewhere. They’re also a pain to clean properly.

Based on our experiences, I’d always choose a large, open, high-sided litter tray* that’s easy for your cat to get in and out of (particularly if they’re elderly and arthritic). And it’s easy for you to clean too.

Litter Tray Liners

If you’re not going to use a flushable cat litter, it’s a good idea to line your litter tray with a liner*, which makes it really easy to lift out and dispose of the entire contents in one go.

Litter Tray Scoop

If your chosen litter tray doesn’t come with its own poop scoop, you don’t spend a fortune, you only need a plastic litter tray scoop* that’s strong and easy to clean.

Litter Tray Mat

If you have a cat that loves digging and kicking litter everywhere (find me a cat who doesn’t) then a litter tray mat* to catch flying debris is a godsend.

Get one with a double layer structure, so the top layer catches the litter, which then falls through the holes to the bottom layer, and you can pour it back into the box. This type of mat is also easy to clean with a vacuum or a wet paper towel. You really don’t want to be picking out bits of litter (and other undesirables) from a fine mesh mat!

A Guide to the Different Types of Cat Litter

As any responsible cat owner knows, caring for your feline friends involves much more than just snuggles and cuddles. One of the most important aspects of cat care is providing them with a clean and comfortable litter box, and the accepted rule is one box per cat plus one. So for multi-cat households, that’s a lot of litter! We were lucky in that all of our cats were perfectly happy with wood pellets and occasionally corn litter, both of which were easy to dispose of down the toilet.

However, with so many different types of cat litter available on the market, choosing the right one for your cat ultimately comes down to your cat’s preferences, and in some cases, specific health needs. I hope this guide to alternative cat litters has been helpful, and I wish you lots of joy and many years of happiness with your new furry friend(s)!

* This post contains affiliate links – please see my Disclaimer.