Our Favorite Litter and Why it Should be Yours Too

Mom says it was time we checked in on the topic of waste management…also known as the litter box!

Next to food, diet, and related allergies, the litter box and its contents is the next big topic on the various kitty Facebook groups that mom belongs to. The “debate” is an on-going conversation between pets parents as to which litter is better for which issue, and why, etc.

Some litters have a lot of dust, some track worse than others, some have a certain odor which can be an issue for the pet parent and/or the cat, some cats are allergic to certain types of litters and corn litter can occasionally have an insect in it – yikes not in my box please!

When mom adopted me, I had a yeast infection all over my body making me itchy, scratchy and licky – causing me to over-groom and go bald in spots. At this time, in addition to researching the best food to combat the yeast infection from the “inside, out”, she also investigated the litter we were using.

The more she compared the litters online, the more she knew that she was not going to ever find the “perfect litter” but she could come close once she set the parameters which adhered to our focus on all things “organic and sustainable”. 

And, what does organic and sustainable litter actually mean?

• The litter, itself, be 100% organic with no chemicals and synthetic scents added

• It had to come from a natural source

• It had to be sustainably available all the time

…pretty simple standards – no?

Last year after trying a few different types, we wrote about ÖKOCAT litter and Mom, Beau and I are all happy to report that we are still using it!

ÖKOCAT litter is 100% reclaimed fallen timber in the forest and unused lumber materials which go through a “green-processing” with plant-based binders. It is a naturally occurring organic material (trees) and since a certain percentage of trees regularly die off every year in the forests, it is sustainably available all the time, lastly since it comes from the Earth, it can be returned to the Earth as it is biodegradable and flushable.

In full disclosure, mom does not flush the litter as we have an old house with original pipes underground.  We dispose of the litter in a tightly closed paper bag in our regular trash and it will biodegrade, whereas clay litter will sit in landfills forever, clay-users think about that!

In addition to meeting our basic organic/sustainable criteria, it is also lightweight, has virtually no odor itself, contains our waste odors and has amazing clumping ability (absorbs 500%) and lasts “forever” – one 7lb box lasts at least 4-5 weeks and we have 3 litter pans.

Last but not least - it is affordable and accessible - she buys it at our local ShopRite and regularly gets coupons for it from the grocery store.  

Mom says after getting all those benefits, we did still have to deal with a little dust and some tracking of the litter, so she wears a little cotton mask when she scoops and she got a litter-trapping mat for outside the box to help trap the litter on our little paws!

By the way, in writing about our favorite litter, please note that we receive no financial remuneration from the company or anyone for our reporting and recommendations.  

When we created Best Life Pets, our mission was (and still is) to share with pet parents the simple things to give their pet its best life based on our research and practical application...and to demystify the concept that an organic lifestyle for your cat (or dog) is difficult to achieve and expensive….because it’s not!

Our hope is to give you a “roadmap” to follow so that it will be easier for you to transition your pet to an organic and sustainable life free of chemicals, additives and synthetics.