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If clay clumping litter is frustrating you (or your cat), it might be time to check out an alternative cat litter. Quite a few natural litters are available these days, and we’ve found—and checked out—some of the best options. Plus, we’ve gathered some tips on how to help your cat make a smooth transition to a new type of litter.
The Downsides of Clay Cat Litter
Clay litter revolutionized the cat litter market in the 1980s. Suddenly, instead of dealing with a few pounds of increasingly wet, smelly sand in the cat box, you could simply scoop a few neat little clumps of waste. That left a clean, dry, and very appealing litter box for your fussy cat—and a sweet-smelling house for you.
But soon the downsides of clay litter emerged. The processes for extracting bentonite clay from the ground are similar to strip-mining, and the way the clay is processed to produce litter is carbon-intensive. According to veterinarian Bruce Kornreich, director of the Cornell Feline Health Center, clay litter is convenient but environmentally unfriendly. “People are looking for alternatives that are effective, but more sustainable,” Dr. Kornreich explains.
In addition to its environmental drawbacks, clay litter can also be a problem for cats, or households, with respiratory problems. Most of the clumping clay litters we’ve investigated (though not all) stirred up quite a bit of dust. Dr. Kornreich notes that the dust associated with clay litter also makes it a poor choice for animals recovering from surgical incisions, such as recently neutered male cats.
From a household logistics viewpoint, clay litter can be a literal pain. That’s because it’s heavy. If you live in a house or apartment with lots of stairs, have multiple cats, or have mobility issues, clay litter is difficult to bring into the house and take out.
Finally, the premium clay litters—known for strong clumping and good odor control—are often quite pricey.
Tofu litter with green tea powder. Anna Chaplygina via iStock
What’s the Best Alternative to Clay Cat Litter?
These days, there are quite a few good alternatives to choose from, including lightweight litters, odor-control litters, and very affordable litters. Natural cat litters are made from wood, nutshell, corn, newspaper, and even tofu.
There are also homemade litters, such as shredded newsprint, sand, and wood shavings. But Dr. Kornreich advises sticking with a commercial alternative cat litter. He notes that some litter ingredients, such as pine, need to be heat-treated to remove toxins. “Don’t just take some wood shavings from your workshop,” he cautions. “Make sure any pine litter you buy has been heat-treated.”
If you are worried about how a cat accustomed to clay litter will adapt to a new litter, there are some strategies for success. First, choose a natural cat litter that looks and feels similar to the clumping clay litter your cat has been using. (My cats would not get near large, hard pine pellets but hopped right into a fine-grained wood litter.)
Dr. Kornreich advises patience and a gradual switch to the new litter. “For a successful transition, what’s really important is doing it slowly,” he says. “Start with 75 percent clay and 25 percent new litter. Then switch to 50/50 so they don’t have to make the jump overnight. You don’t want the cat to reject the litter and go off someplace else.”
The Best Alternative and Natural Cat Litters
If you and your cats are ready to go natural, here are some of our favorites among the new alternative cat litters.
Best Clumping Nutshell Litter: Naturally Fresh Walnut Shell Cat Litter (Verified Review)
This super-absorbent alternative cat litter is made from walnut shells, making it a 100% natural and environmentally friendly option. It’s quick-clumping and easy to scoop, which is popular among owners who are replacing clay-based products. If you need more odor control? There’s also an Ultra Odor Control version of this litter that includes three enzymes that neutralize the chemicals that cause litter box odors—it made our list of best litters for odor control.
What we like:
- Similar texture appeals to cats transitioning from clay litter
- Since it’s so absorbent, one bag lasts a long time
- The dust-free formula keeps you and your kitties sneeze-free
What to know:
- Walnut litter can lightly stain a white kitty’s paws (as our tester discovered)
- Clumps are a little looser than some traditional clay litters
Test kitty Ramona’s walnut-colored paws.
Best Clumping Wood Litter: Catalyst Pet Unscented Formula Cat Litter (Verified Review)
This ultra-fine-grain wood litter may trick your cat into thinking they’re using a traditional clay litter. It worked with two of my cats! While Catalyst does not clump as hard as the clay litter I’d been using, it is certainly very absorbent and the clumps are easy to scoop. The odor control is, indeed, impressive. Catalyst is made from softwoods (including pine), but unlike many pine litters, it’s completely unscented. Extra benefit: It is lightweight, making it easy to carry. Downside: Like some online reviewers, I found the fine, lightweight litter tended to leave my cat’s paws covered with beige dust, which then turned up on the furniture.
What we like:
- A good substitute for cats accustomed to traditional clay litter
- Excellent odor control
- Lightweight and easy to carry
What to know:
- Dust tends to stick to cat paws
- Clumping action isn’t quite as powerful as clay litters
Best Paper Litter: Ökocat Natural Paper-Based Cat Litter
This innovative cat litter comes from 100% reclaimed paper fibers. Dust-free and low-tracking, it’s also biodegradable, which means you can easily just scoop and flush it down the toilet (but don’t flush if you have a septic tank, or if your municipality does not allow it). It’s also ideal for people with allergies and sensitivities since it doesn’t contain scents or airborne dust. You’ll find Ökocat on our list of best dust-free litters.
What we like:
- Free of chemicals, dyes, and fragrances
- Blocks the creation of ammonia odor for up to seven days
- Easy to scoop for simple cleanup
What to know:
- Texture is significantly different from clay clumping litter
Best Grass Litter: Frisco Natural Unscented Clumping Grass Cat Litter (Verified Review)
This popular alternative clumping cat litter is made of grass, with the addition of white sorghum seeds to allow the litter to clump. Our testers found the clumping ability of this litter outstanding—though a few reviewers noted it’s almost too good: if your cat kicks wet litter out of the box, it will adhere strongly to your floor or walls (a mat is a good idea). The pellets are so small and sandy that your cat may well think they’re using a traditional clay litter.
What we like:
- Environmentally friendly
- Fine-grained pellets that are likely to appeal to cats used to clay litter
- Excellent clumping, making scooping a breeze
What to know:
- Mild tracking comparable to clay litter
- Unusual but not unpleasant smell akin to rabbit or guinea pig bedding
Best Pellet Paper Litter: Frisco Unscented Recycled Paper Dust-Free Cat Litter
Here’s a great dust-free cat litter alternative for those of you who prefer non-clumping litter. From Chewy’s in-house brand Frisco, this litter is made of paper pellets (from 95% post-consumer recycled paper) and uses baking soda to control litter box odor.
What we like:
- Dust-free
- Highly absorbent
- Eco-friendly
What to know:
- Some cats don’t like the mild rubbery scent
- A few reviewers find the larger 1.5-inch pellets difficult to scoop
Best Clumping Corn Litter: World’s Best Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Corn Litter
One of the best clumping litters for multiple cats is this biodegradable corn-based litter, which gets rave reviews from people with two or more cats. It made our list of best dust-free litters. It’s flushable too (but check with your plumber and local sewer authority before flushing). Watch out for excessive moisture—warm, moist corn can invite aflatoxin mold. As long as your litter is stored and used in a cool dry place, however, this might be the right choice for your kitties.
What we like about it:
- Biodegradable corn formula
- Effective odor control
- Sizes include a smaller seven-pound bag so you can try it affordably
What to watch:
- May not be suitable for warm, humid environments
Most Innovative Litter: Frisco Tofu Clumping Litter (Verified Review)
This tofu litter gets high marks for absorbing waste and for keeping the house dust-free and litter-free. But like a number of natural litters that clump, it’s hard to avoid scooping up a lot of clean litter along with the soiled clumps.
What we like about it:
- Biodegradable tofu formula
- High absorbency
- Low dust
What to watch:
- Texture can be a significant adjustment from clay clumping litter
- Some reviewers report odor control is weaker than other clay litter alternatives
How We Chose
The products featured here were selected based on a combination of our own hands-on testing and a survey of customer reviews across a wide variety of retail platforms. We selected alternative cat litters for this article based on their sustainability, ease of use, ability to reduce dust and odors, and (of course) cat approval.
