As a responsible cat owner, you’re always on the lookout for ways to keep your furry friend happy while maintaining a clean, fresh-smelling home. But have you considered the environmental impact of your cat’s litter? Traditional litters, often made from clay, are not only heavy and dusty but also environmentally unsustainable. That’s where green cat litter steps in.
Green cat litters are designed to minimize waste, improve air quality, and reduce your household’s carbon footprint—all while keeping your cat comfortable. Among the leaders in this space is Next Gen Pet, a brand that combines innovation, sustainability, and practicality. Let’s explore why their products are a must-have for eco-conscious cat parents.
Using green cat litter isn’t just a trend—it’s a step toward a more sustainable future. Unlike traditional clay-based litters, green options are made from renewable or recycled materials, such as corn, wood, or paper. These litters are often biodegradable, flushable, and free from harsh chemicals, making them better for your home and the environment.
Eco-conscious cat owners also love green litter for its reduced dust and allergy-friendly features, providing a healthier living space for both pets and humans.
Corn litter is a popular eco-friendly option made from natural corn kernels. It’s biodegradable, lightweight, and clumps effectively.
Activated charcoal litter is a powerful odor absorber, making it ideal for multi-cat households.
Recycled paper, wood pellets, and plant-based fibers are common materials in eco-friendly cat litter. Each offers unique benefits, from low dust to hypoallergenic properties, but they vary in performance and cost.
Clay-based litters dominate the market but come with serious drawbacks:
Switching to green cat litter helps eliminate these concerns, offering a cleaner, safer alternative for you and your pet.
When it comes to eco-friendly pet care, Next Gen Pet sets the gold standard. With over two decades of expertise in creating innovative, sustainable products, this brand has revolutionized the way cat owners think about litter. Unlike many conventional options, which often harm the environment or fall short in performance, Next Gen Pet provides a solution that meets the needs of both cats and their eco-conscious owners.
Next Gen Pet was founded with a mission to offer environmentally responsible products that don’t compromise on quality. Their approach is rooted in sustainability, using materials that are renewable, biodegradable, and safe for both pets and people. This isn’t just about providing a product—it’s about leading a movement toward better choices in pet care.
Understanding that every cat (and every household) is different, Next Gen Pet offers a range of green cat litter products designed to cater to various needs. Whether you’re seeking superior odor control, a hypoallergenic solution, or a litter that’s gentle on the environment, they’ve got you covered.
One of their flagship offerings, Green Tea Fresh Cat Litter, combines the natural antibacterial properties of green tea with recycled wood to create a highly effective and eco-friendly solution.
Perfect for single or multi-cat households, Green Tea Fresh Cat Litter offers a balance of performance and sustainability that’s hard to beat.
For those seeking a hypoallergenic option, Cypress Fresh Cat Litter delivers exceptional results. Made from reclaimed cypress wood, this litter prioritizes both your cat’s health and the planet’s well-being.
This litter is an excellent choice for pet parents who value sustainability without compromising on effectiveness.
If odor control is your top priority, Zero Odor Litter is the answer. This premium litter is designed to tackle even the toughest smells, ensuring your home remains inviting and fresh.
For households with multiple cats or high-traffic litter boxes, Zero Odor Litter ensures that unpleasant smells never linger.
Next Gen Pet’s litters aren’t just about environmental responsibility—they’re about creating a superior experience for both you and your cat. Here’s what sets them apart:
Switching to a new litter can sometimes be a challenge, but Next Gen Pet makes it easy. Here are a few tips to help your cat adjust:
By following these steps, you’ll ensure a smooth switch while enjoying the benefits of a greener, cleaner home.
Ready to upgrade to Next Gen Pet? Their full range of products is available on their official website, along with detailed descriptions to help you find the perfect fit for your cat.
Switching to green cat litter is a simple yet impactful way to improve your cat’s quality of life while supporting a healthier planet. With innovative solutions like those from Next Gen Pet, you don’t have to choose between performance and sustainability. Their products offer exceptional odor control, flushability, and hypoallergenic features—all wrapped up in an eco-friendly package.
Wood pellets may seem like a strange material to use as cat litter, but it has proven to work really well for many environmentally conscious cat owners. If you are looking for a natural and cost effective alternative to clay litter, this might just hit the spot.
Disclaimer: Some links included in this post may be affiliate links, which means the site earns a small commission if you purchase through those links (at no extra cost to you).
Wood pellets work as cat litter by absorbing the liquid – along with the smell – and then crumble into sawdust. The sawdust ends up at the bottom of the litter box, while fresh pellets remain on top.
To clean the litter box, you scoop the feces, and some of the sawdust, on a daily basis. You can also opt for a special sifting litter box, that removes the sawdust automatically. Find out more about the best sifting litter box for pine pellets here. Or read about the scooping method further down in this article.
Change the entire contents of the litter box about every 14 days, depending on number of cats and usage.
Tip: Click here for Top Picks for Best wood pellet cat litter products.
Pellets made from wood are highly absorbant compared to clay, and can take more than 500% of their own weight (or even more in some cases). This means 1lb of wood pellet cat litter will last you longer than 1lb of clay litter, since the amount you will need to use is far less.
The high absorbancy of wood also helps with smell, because the pellets quickly soaks up the cat’s urine and neutralizes its odor. Many cat owners also appreciate the natural scent from wood, such as pine.
A little really goes a long way. For that reason it is important not to overfill the litterbox, as the pellets will expand and swell up when they are exposed to liquid.
When you pour the pellets into the litter box, they should end up covering the entire surface, and go about an inch deep.
Maintaining the litter box on a daily basis will consist of removing the solids and scooping out some of the sawdust, as well as adding some fresh wood pellets.
Scooping the wood pellet litter seems puzzling at first, but luckily, it is actually pretty easy. The technique for scooping this kind of litter is a little different from what you are probably used to, but the video below and the step-by-step guide shows exactly how to do it.
In the following Wood pellet litter cleaning tips-video, you can watch the entire process, showing how one cat owner scoops the litter box.
A gentle warning: The video shows cat feces (ie. cat poop) – if this is not something you are OK with, please do not watch this video.
To summarize, these are the main steps to scoop wood pellet cat litter:
If you are going to use the method above, and use the scoop to “sift” the litter, the size of the holes is important. The scoop needs to have holes that are large enough for the sawdust to fall through, but small enough for the fresh pellets to stay on top.
The size of the holes in the litter scoop is less important if you are only going to use it to remove feces. Larger size holes could be a benefit, if they are large enough to let some of the pellets fall through. However, if you already have a litter scoop, that should be sufficient for this purpose.
Other cat owners have opted for a litter box with a built in sifter. This can speed up the process, and some think it makes cleaning the litter box easier. Read more about sifting litter boxes for pine pellets here: What Is The Best Litter Box For Pine Pellet Cat Litter?
How often you should change out the wood pellet litter will depend on a few things. A good rule of thumb is, however, to empty the entire contents of the litter box abount twice a month.
Scooping out the sawdust is a major factor. If you scoop out most of the used sawdust regurarly, say whenever you remove the solids, and add more fresh pellets – the litter box will stay cleaner for longer. Instead of emptying the contents of the whole box, you might find it sufficient to tilt the pellets to one side, while giving the bottom a quick wash.
You will get efficient and thoughtful service from Lordship.
Other factors to consider are how many cats you have, and how much they use the litter box. Cats are individuals, the same as humans, and some of us simply use the toilet more than others.
When it comes to disposing of wood pellet cat litter, you have a couple more ways to do that compared to regular clay litter. These are also better for the environment, than simply throwing the used litter in the trash.
Wood pellets are biodegradable, and can be composted according to Energy Pellets Of America. You can compost it once it has served its initial purpose, and later use it for fertilizer in the garden or for indoor plants!
Please note that composted wood pellet cat litter should never be used as fertilizer for vegetables or other edible plants, as the produce will not be safe for consumption. This is because of a parasite that may be present in your cat’s feces – not because of the wood pellets themselves.
Tip: Read the article Cat Litter Composting Guide – How To Compost Cat Litter for more information.
According to one brand, it is OK to flush wood pellets in small amounts. However, it might not be worth the risk. The risk being clogged pipes. Not a pleasant or cheap potential outcome.
This could happen because the pellets expand when they are exposed to moisture.
There is also the risk of spreading a parasite found in cat poop, which poses a health risk to wildlife. Read more about this issue here.
If you are switching from a different kind of litter, you should do so gradually. One way is to simply use two litter boxes for a while. Allowing your cat to choose which one to use. Once your cat is used to the pellets, you can remove the other one.
Another option is to mix the two litters in the same litter box. Gradually increase the amount of pellets, while using less and less of the old litter. Eventually you can stop using the old litter completely.
Read the article “How To Get Your Cat To Use Pellet Litter” for more in depth information and step-by-step instructions.
Cats can have allergies or even asthma, the same as humans. Some cat owners have noticed that their cats have reacted to pellet litter made from wood, others have seen improvements in these areas after switching to wood pellets.
It really depends on the health of each cat individually. Different cats will react differently to different materials. If your cat is allergic to clay litter, but not wood, the allergy should disappear when switching to wood pellets.
It is important to pay a bit closer attention to kitty whenever you change to a new litter. Look out for skin irritations and unusual licking or grooming habits, as well as wheezing sounds or other indications of respiratory problems.
With this said, the potential allergen found in tree types such as Pine and Cedar, is supposed to be eliminated during the heat treatment when producing the pellets. You can read more about the effect heat treatment has on wood pellets in this study: Development of a Heat Treatment to Enhance The Antimicrobial Properties of Wood Based Mulches and Animal Bedding Materials
If your cat has issues with several allergies, paper based pellets may be the way to go. Yesterday’s News from Purina is an example of this. The cat litter is made from recycled newspapers, so it will still be a win for the environment. The paper pellet litter is also biodegradable and can be composted.
Cheap cat litter is on the wish list for many cat owers. Inexpensive wood pellets made from pine can grant this wish! Read on to find out how to get the cheapest cat litter out there.
Nobody really wants to spend money on a temporary toilet for their cat. Dealing with cat poop and other deposits simply comes with the territory of being a cat parent.
Price is also a major factor for many people when they are considering a more eco friendly cat litter. Many of the natural options are more expensive than the cheap ones that are clay based. Although the natural ones may last longer, the initial cost can have a deterring effect.
So, what does this cheap wood based alternative actually cost? That will depend a little on which of the two following alternatives you choose: Wood pellets that are made to be used as cat litter, or wood pellets that are ment to be used as animal bedding.
Cat litter pine pellets: One 40 lb bag of Feline Pine Original Cat Litter is about $16 on Chewy.com.
Ment to be used as cat litter by cats, so you know it is a safe product for your kitty.
You can read more about this product in the Best wood pellet cat litter section of this article, by clicking here or scrolling down.
Equine bedding pine pellets: One 40 lb bag of Tractor Supply Pine Pellet Stall Bedding is $5.99. If you want to save money on cat litter, that price is pretty hard to beat.
These pine pellets are mainly marketed as horse bedding, but it also says on the packaging that it can be used for small animals. Compared to a horse, your cat would certainly qualify as a “small animal” – although with a larger than life personality!
Anyway, having the company describing this “bedding” as suitable for cats is a nice assurance that it is safe to use as cat litter, without any unwanted additives.
Note that these pellets will not crumble as easily as the ones ment for cat litter, since the pellets for bedding are supposed to withstand more pressure.
As you can see, both options are very inexpensive. Especially when you keep in mind that some wood pellets can up to 500% of their own weight, so they will last you longer than a clay based litter. A win for the environment and your wallet.
The source of the pellets’ high absorbancy stems from wood itself being a highly absorbant material, and the processing of it further elevates its ability to hold liquid.
The raw wood is finely ground, heat treated and compressed into pellet form.
The pellets are most often made from excess wood from the timber industry, or recycled materials.
Common types of wood that is used are Pine and Cedar. You can however find different types as well, though these are less common. Some wood pellets will also be made of mixed types of wood.
Pellets intended to be used as cat litter, may even have plant based ingredients added to the mixture for clumping ability. The binding agent from the plants, causes the pellets to form clumps when they are exposed to fluids (such as cat urine). Corn and wheat are examples of such plants, since they contain starch – a common binding agent.
These are some of the types of softwood that pellets are made from:
These are some of the types of hardwood that pellets are made from:
So what is the best wood pellet cat litter out there? From all the different options and brands to choose from, we have selected two different cat litters based on customer reviews. The first is a traditional wood pellet cat litter from Feline Pine, and the second one is a newer formula with clumping abilities from Next Gen. Spoiler: The last one is our top pick!
Simply wood pellet cat litter made from 100% pure pine.
Feline Pine is a well known brand, that has been around since . Their cat litter has been tried and tested by thousands of cat owners – they must be doing something right? It has more than a thousand reviews on the product page on Chewy.com alone. It has been rated 4 out of 5 stars, with over 50% of customers giving it a full 5 stars rating.
The pellets are made from recycled wood, more specifically Southern Yellow Pine, due to its ability to absorb moisture and neutralize odors.
“We believe in sustainability. So no new trees are cut down in the production of our litter. Instead, we use kiln-dried shavings reclaimed from lumber production.” Source: Felinepine.com
Feline Pine Original Cat Litter is available on Chewy.com, where you can also read customer reviews, and answers to questions that people have asked.
Made from recycled Japanese Hinoki wood (a species of cypress), and green tea leaves.
Cypress Fresh Cat Litter from Next Gen Pet Products ” … combines the power of Japanese Hinoki wood and green tea leaves to fight bacterial growth that causes litter box odor” according to their website.
This litter is flushable – but be sure to read the Can you flush cat litter? section in our other article, before considering if you should flush your cat’s waste. As mentioned before, flushing too much of the wood litter could also cause your pipes to clog.
The smaller pellets are softer on your cat’s paws comared to traditional pellet litter made from wood.
This wood pellet litter actually clumps – although the clumps are not very firm, according to some of the product reviews on Chewy’s product page. Still, if you prefere to be able to scoop up and remove your cat’s deposits as they are made, you should be able to do this with more ease than with a non-clumping pellet litter.
Cypress Fresh Cat Litter with Green Tea is available on Chewy.com, where you can also read customer reviews, and answers to questions that people have asked.
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