I've tried both swheat scoop and the world's best cat litter. We are pretty vigilant about cleaning our litter box - emptying it each morning and evening. Having said that, the swheat scoop started to smell very ammonia-y after just a few days. The multi-cat "world's best cat litter" is by far my favorite - clumps easily, flushes down the toilet. The only odor is a little bit "corny" - as it's made from corn! Paired with my modcat - it's awesome!

World's Best Cat Litter is, literally, the world's best cat litter. It's super clumping, majorly odor trapping, and works for me and my four rescue cats. It's corn based rather than clay, and SO worth its higher cost. It helps that the company is both environmentally and socially conscious as well.

http://www.worldsbestcatlitter.com/

I can definitely second the World's Best Cat Litter. I use it religiously and it is FLUSHABLE too! Granted, neither flushing OR bagging and throwing away is eco-friendly, however...flushability paired with a corn-based litter = pure happiness!

You can probably go on their website to get a rebate, that's what I did!

yikes! anyone who flushes cat litter is probably a renter, not an owner!

just a word of warning about World's Best-- I used to use it until I discovered carpet beetles love to eat it, after all it's corn. After that I switched to Feline Pine clumping flushable, which is pretty great imho.

Yesterday's news is good. Not too cheap and less easy to scoop since it doesn't clump, but it's easy to tell the soiled stuff from the non. It works well since there's no dust our kitty has serious skin sensitivity and O.C.D. probably, so any litter with any kind of dust and she cleans herself all day 'til she licks to the skin.

We don't flush, we just keep doggie waste bags right next to the box, scoop every day, and take it directly to the trash chute.

I use Feline Pine. But I'm not sure how apt. dwellers would fare. I've always lived in the country and dump it in various ditchy areas, hedgerows, etc. where it decomposes neatly (when scattered) over the seasons. I've also blended it half and half with Yesterday's News and had the same results. Neither are odor producing.

I know that I am in the minority here, but my cats love schweat scoop. I use the multi-cat formula and I supplement with Arm and Hammer baking soda to deodorize.

I use Feline Pine also. We're in an apartment with 2 cats and it works very well. You do have to scoop it out twice a day to keep the solid waste odor at a minimum, but there's only a hint of ammonia smell when the whole thing needs to be changed. We have a wooded area behind our building and are able to dump it there. It tracks a bit, but the extra sweeping is ok with me since I think it's the healthiest option.

Please tell me you are NOT flushing your cats' poop down the toilet! You are infecting the water supply and hurting wildlife!

Plain old generic cedar shavings are what I use and that's the best for odour, imo. It's very small (like sawdust) and does clump. My cat seems to like it?

I use Arm&Hammer which, I'm sure, is not eco-friendly. But she loves it.

When I use anything else, she poops in the tub. :(

I am surprised to find myself in the minority here, but World's Best did NOT work for me. It left this horrible diarrhea smell that only abated when we back to Fresh Step. I was trying to find something that didn't smell like Cat Litter, you know? And it turns out, cat poo smells worse than cat litter. I tried Feline Pine too, but it is so light, the cats tracked it all over the apartment; it flew out of the box when they jumped into it and stuck to their feet and fur when they left it. Now that we've moved into a house, I hope we can eventually train the cats to go outside in the yard, maybe in the compost pile :-)

The question should be, Is There a Good, Eco Friendly Cat Litter My Cat Will Use?

When you try a new litter, get a new cat box for it. Keep the existing cat box, with the old litter, in the same spot until you are sure your cat is used to the new litter. Sudden cat box changes may cause your cat to reject the new litter outright.

Honest question, how does flushing your cat's poop infect the water supply and hurt wildlife? Is it really that much different than flushing your own waste? And what about all the wildlife (and not so wild life) that poops outdoors on a regular basis?

@rckola - it's Toxoplasmosis. And keep in mind that water ends up being dumped into rivers and eventually oceans.

The life cycle of Toxoplasma gondii is complex and involves two types of host-definitive and intermediate. Cats, both wild and domestic, are the only definitive hosts for Toxoplasma gondii. This means that the parasite can only produce oocysts (eggs) when infecting a cat.

Scientists and researchers have recently discovered a correlation between Toxoplasma gondii and the decrease in the sea otter population off the California Coast. Since cats are the only creatures that shed the T. gondii parasite, through their feces, there seems to be a direct link.

My father used Feline Pine briefly and had a problem with it getting moldy in it's container. Then it would go in the little box and the cat would track it all around the house.

My dad was suffering from serious chest congestion and trouble breathing and no one in the house could figure it out until I suggested that maybe something was moldy (I thought it was the plants potted in terra cotta).

I used one of the corn based cat litters once and my cat thought it was food. She started eating it. Gross!

I currently use a silica cat litter and have to say the stuff is fantastic for small spaces. It's light weight, doesn't track especially when you use a top entry litter box and it absorbs odors really really well. It also will last up to a month with a single cat, of course you should scoop it out regularly.

An 8lb bag lasts me almost 2 months since I can fill the box twice with it.

Contrary to what a lot of people think silica cat litter isn't made of crystalline silica which is toxic to the respiratory system of cats and people. It's made of silica gel which is non-toxic.

I should also add that the purification water undergoes at water treatment facilities does not remove Toxoplasmosis from the water.

This isn't eco-friendliness per se, but I would strongly suggest you stay away from Tidy Cat as it's made by Purina; this is a shame, as I actually like their 'small apartment' variety. Long story short, they contract with labratories that abuse animals.

I would also suggest that litter is a much, MUCH smaller concern (in terms of mess and smell) if you feed your cats a raw diet. Yes, it's true that meat isn't as eco-friendly as grain, but cats are obligate carnivores. It's hard to be good on all fronts.

It's true, flushing cat litter and feces infects the water with toxoplasmosis, a parasite which is killing the California sea otter. Here is an article about it.

http://cats.about.com/cs/parasiticdisease/a/seaotters.htm

I didn't know this either until I asked a person at a pet store for eco friendly cat litter and he told me that the greenest thing you can do is simply not flush it!

For those of you using World's Best -- if you have a garden you can use it as mulch/fertilizer. Very eco-friendly!

Now if only it wasn't the world's most expensive...

World's Best works great for me. I have one, very long haired cat. I became concerned when litter would get caught between her furry toes and she'd eat some when cleaning her paws, plus I never liked the chemical smell of the traditional litters. World's Best smells very natural to me, kind of earthy, without being very noticeable. After scooping, I rarely have to do a complete litter change, so it's worth the slightly higher cost to me. all of that said, it's debatable whether or not a corn based litter is all that eco-friendly given corn subsidies and the related controversy, but I think it's better for my home and my cat than other litters I've used. (I also know people with old plumbing who say it's the only litter they'd flush, but I still never flush it for the toxoplasmosis reasons discussed above.)

I use tidy cat breeze system. Change the pee pads once a week and the pellets once a month. (Scoop solid waste daily of course).

Not sure if the pellets or pads are made of eco friendly materials, but the fact that you are using only 4 pads and a very small bag of pellets every month means you're generating alot less waste than dumping out multiple boxes of litter a month

oh and the breeze pellets have the extra added bonus of not getting stuck to paws and tracked around the house like regular litter

I love the breeze system! We have one for two cats in our apartment and it's the best litter system we've had.

I have a Litter Robot (which is the best thing ever for a cat owner who travels regularly) and Arm and Hammer unscented it my staple; have tried many corn and pine based litters but they don't handle odor as well. Before the automatic litter box, I did like Yesterday's News, but it does require very regular cleaning.

I tried the corn types with my cats, but had lots of bug problems, ugh! (worse than mere cat poo!) Now I use a combo of *unscented* crystals and Feline Pine (the finer milled stuff, not the version that looks like rabbit pellets). Not sure how 'natural' it all is, but it works, and there's very little to no smell, even after a week. Have tried others, but always go back to this concoction...kept in a lovely large decorative hatbox. :)

Swheat wheat does acquire a little bit of an ammonia smell after a couple days. I'd recommend cleaning the entire litter box every couple of days--it works for me because I'm toilet training my cat and use a minimal amount of litter anyway.
To those who say flushing litter is something done by renters and not owners: It's flushable for a reason! The litter breaks back up into tiny pieces of cut wheat berries when it hits the water. If you're flushing clay litter (which is terrible for many reasons) let me know where you live so I never have to deal with the nightmare that will be your plumbing one day.
To those upset about destroying the oceans with Toxoplasmosis: Cats acquire parasites from the outdoors. In the case of toxoplasmosis, from contaminated meat. This means that if you have an indoor cat--and a house free of vermin--it is extremely unlikely that they harbor any kind of parasites that will kill off the world's otters. If you're extra concerned, go to the vet and get a stool analysis. If your cat goes outside, why would they need to use a litter box anyway? Calm down, folks.

While it's true that there may be some link between domestic cat feces and dying otters, the real story is a bit more complex: http://www.f1000scientist.com/2010/7/1/22/1/
Ultimately, it's probably better not to flush it, though.

I've tried Yesterdays News and Feline Pine. Yesterdays News required vigilant cleaning and new litter, while Feline Pine was good until it tracked all over the house. Both started to stink of ammonia within a couple of days. When downsizing from a 3 bedroom house to a 1 bedroom loft, I bought the Breeze system and haven't looked back! My two cats did not have problems switching and there has been little to no smell at all. Tracking and dust is non-existent.

I can't say anything with regards to the eco-friendliness, but as other posters with the Breeze system have mentioned, the cleaning is a lot less, and I can stretch cleaning out the litter completely for about 6 weeks.

I just found a new one and it's awesome. It's called Green Tea Leaves. http://www.nextgenpet.com/ It smells really nice out of the bag, it controls odor really well, and since it's not tiny granules it doesn't track. There are two big issues though. 1- price. It's not cheap at all. 2- It's not sold everywhere. I think it's pretty new so not a lot of places carry it. But I am willing to track it down and spend the cash. It's that fantastic.

I tried the swheat litter and couldn't handle the smell. Ammonia, poop & decomposing wheat do not make for a great bouquet. I cleaned the box the day we saw & smelled a corpse flower blooming. Its carrion odor was a walk in the park compared to the swheat box. Thank you erinryan for pointing out that indoor only cats are unlikely to harbor the toxoplasmosis parasite. Feral cats & outdoor pet cats are the more likely source of the parasite ending up in waterways. Another good reason to keep kitty safe inside.

The one made from recycled paper of course!

http://www.fibrecycle.com.au/

"This means that if you have an indoor cat--and a house free of vermin--it is extremely unlikely that they harbor any kind of parasites that will kill off the world's otters."

Thank you for this.

And yes, World's Best multi-cat formula FTW.

As a non cat owner, I am surprised to hear they make kitty litter out of corn and label it eco-friendly. The growth of non-food uses for food products puts tremendous strain on the crop land in the US. Corn is irrigated with our scarcest resource-water-and heavily treated with fertilizers and pesticides. Plus, farms that are growing corn for fuel and non-food products can't be used to grow actual food. But, the product probably sells better when they label it eco-friendly.

I think the most eco-friendly option is not to have a cat.

I work in the animal care business, and I really caution against using clay-based litters. Not only are they not environmentally friendly, cats are very clean animals and when they are licking themselves they are ingesting parts of their litter. We have all seen what clay litter does when it gets wet---turns to cement! I have seen several cat owners that have actually had to get cat litter clumps surgically removed from the stomach.

I like World's Best as well for clumping, however I don't love the smell of it. I have also seen a lot of cats, if they are not on a grain-free food, eat the litter because it smells like their food.

My favorite is GREEN TEA LITTER!!! I LOOOOVE this product. It's lightweight, and smells awesome. It is made from green tea leaves and stems. It doesn't track, it's compostable, and it has natural bacteria killers.

I use wood pellets... same stuff I use as horse bedding (very similar to pellets for fireplaces but softer wood and more absorbent). If you use enough pellets, the wet spots will actually "clump" on the bottom. I clean out the solids regularly, but I probably only dump out the whole box once a week and refill. A bag of pellets is under $5, and probably lasts me close to 2 months or more for 2 cats.

The local shelter uses the pellets too. They use a smaller amount though, and clean and dump the boxes daily.

My mom uses old newspaper in the litter box. I guess it's better than yesterday's news litter, but she does have a closed bag of yesterday's news just in case she needs someone to pet-sit.

I have three cats and I love Feline Pine pellets! I find all scoopable cat litter to be awful and I never use it because it doesn't keep the smell abated and the cats track it all over the place. The pine pellets however, are just the opposite. We go days without a smell and while a few pellets pop out of the boxes when the cats leave, they're easy to pick up. I'd never use anything else!

One of my rescue cat hated Feline Pine and would pee on my bed in protest, I think the pine smell bothered her. Once I switched back to the clumping litter she was all happy again and the peeing stopped. She scared me away from Feline Pine for the rest of my life!

I may have to try the Green Tea stuff.

moderncat.net did a whole week on this! Here are some posts:
http://www.moderncat.net/tag/litter-week/

There's also more about flushing litter.

I use the Feline Pine litter for my furball. He hated it at first, but he seems to have gotten over it. I like it because it tracks less than the clay bits. His coat has improved and there are less digestive issues (cat vomit) in the house. Now if I don't clean his box regularly, the ammonia smell becomes obvious and he will let me know he's got a stinky box. Part of that is just having to deal with owning a cat. He's aggressively passive aggressive, but so long as his box is clean enough, he leaves the bed alone.

I don't have a specific answer to the question posed, but I will say you should not flush any cat litter. In addition to the problem of toxoplasmosis passing into the water (not just drinking water, but salt water ecosystems too), you are basically flushing clay. Sometimes it will pass happily through the pipes without ever sitting and clumping together, but every so often it will create a large clog - either around itself or other materials in the pipes. It's a really bad idea and I'm surprised manufacturers are still allowed to call their product 'flushable.' I once had a landlady who was fine with my having a cat, but she made it quite clear I could not flush the litter - she had had to deal with the disastrous results from previous tenants.

I found a great litter at Fairway thats all "organic" and its made of pine- it expands with moisture- but it doesnt stink up like cat litter does. plus my Mimi doesn't track litter all over like the Tidy cat brand does. higly reccomended!

Feline Pine is the best one I've found. I don't like the clay litters because they tend to be hard on my cat's paws. The Feline Pine is not only gentler on their paws it creates little to no dust, unlike clay litters. I live in 500 sq feet and don't notice odor or tracking. It does say you can flush it as it disintegrates completely in water. (I don't though. When I moved into my 100 year old apartment building my landlord asked me not to as it can clog the pipes, old plumbing being notorious for backing up.) My cat has been using it for several years now and I won't ever go back to the clay kind.

Feline Pine FTW!

For those of you who use Feline Pine... if you have a horse tack / feed supply store in your area, go there. Seriously. It's basically the same stuff as horse bedding, just with different packaging. And the horse stuff costs about 1/5 as much. Like people who spend $10 on a small bag of shavings for their rabbits at the pet store, when an entire bale of shavings might run you about $5. ;)

i just had a long conversation with my vet about toxoplasmosis, and learned that testing for it is a little more complicated (and expensive) than just a stool sample analysis. Due to the Toxoplasma life cycle, a stool sample can yield a false negative. A blood test is definitive. I just had it done b/c i hope to toilet train my cat, but not at the expense of sea otters. she was negative, and as an indoor solitary cat shouldn't be at risk of contracting it. So flushing should be ok. something others might want to consider doing.

Yesterday's News. Our vets have always recommended it, it doesn't track, and it doesn't smell.

Sadly, we can't get anything similar here in Europe, and are stuck using these horrible annoying "pearls". They get all over the place!

A friend wanted to get her cat eco-friendly litter and the cat rejected every single one. He either would do his business in her potted plants or poop so that his creations were draped over the lip of the litterbox. She ended up going with clumping clay litter. Just saying that while its good to be conscious of what products you use, your cat might not be amenable to going along with your plans. You know how they are.

I'm a avid user of Swheat Scoop. I've been using it for about 2 or 3 years now and haven't really had any problems. I scoop multiple times daily, so I haven't encountered any smelly issues. I also live in an apartment and have never had any issues with flushability.

Swheat scoop also just came out with a initiative of where you buy so many bags and you get one completely free.

It's also great because it has low dust. Dust in clay litter is terrible for cats. When they scratch around after they're done with their business, it kicks up a bunch of clay dust which gets into their lungs and can cause later respiratory problems.

I love the Tidy Cats Breeze system. I have a 16 year old, long haired female. She doesn't vomit anymore and her coat looks much better. I change the pads every 9 days and the pellets as needed about every 45 days. Keep a Litter Locker next to the cat box to take care of the daily scooping. We don't have any more issues with urine odor since getting rid of the silicon, corn, and clay litters. Just follow the instructions given on transitioning litters and enjoy a better smelling apartment.

If you're buying Feline Pine, you're doing it wrong. Pine pellet bedding for horses is $5 for 40 lbs at most farm supply stores. Only limitation is the fact you need a farm supply store nearby. Smaller sized bags are marketed for different animals, but the product is exactly the same.

http://www.planetwiseproducts.com/equine.htm

I was just about to suggest the pine pellet horse bedding. If you happen to have a yard, you can compost it in a discrete corner, too. Very eco-friendly--economically and ecologically.

I've been using Nature's Miracle clumping formula for a few months with my new cat. I think it's made from corn cobs but haven't had any problems with bugs as others mention. It works well and smells fine, sort of lavender-y. I previously tried World's Best and was very unhappy - the smell of it (which was not pleasant to begin with) mixed with pee pretty much smelled like vomit.

Another vote for Yesterday's News! It's great.

boston_kat: you're just plain mean.

Litter lite is a a cat litter that's 70% lighter and yet it absorbs more than most cat litters. It's Bio-degradable, flushable, scoopable and 100% recycleable! It's the PERFECT cat litter!