Most cats have got their humans well trained. There is nothing we won’t do to keep our bundles of feline joy happy and comfortable, and that includes dutifully scooping out their kitty litter. A healthy cat will use its litter tray three to four times a day, so keeping it fresh and hygienically clean can be challenging, especially if you are environmentally conscious and want to use biodegradable wood litter.
Wood pellet kitty litter is environmentally friendly, highly absorbent, lightweight, low dust, and low tracking.
We would all like a kitty litter that is kind to the environment, but we also need it to absorb moisture effectively, and most importantly, it must get the paw of approval from our pampered cats.
In this post you’ll learn about some of the highest-rated cat litter made from wood pellets. Keep scrolling toward the bottom if you want to learn about wood pellet cat litter in general.
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Naturally Fresh Non-clumping Cat Litter
ökocat Clumping Wood Pellet LitterArm & Hammer Feline Pine Cat Litter
What to Look For in a Wood Pellet Cat Litter
When shopping for wood litter, take note of the variety of textures of the natural wood varieties. The benefit of wood pellets, as opposed to finer textured wood material, is that it produces less dust and is much less likely to stick to your cat’s paws when it leaves the litter box — so wooden pellet litter stays in the litter tray, where it belongs.
Cats don’t always read reviews (they’re too busy sleeping) and they tend to stick to products that they are familiar with instead of being eager to try new things. So when making the change to wood pellet kitty litter, start by buying a small bag of your preferred choice. The transition to wood pellet litter may take a few weeks, and you will need to begin by adding a layer below a topping of your cat’s regular litter until it gets used to the change in texture and odor.
Wood pellet litter can cost slightly more than you would pay for clay litter, but it does last longer, and because it is made from natural wood, it tends to absorb odor better. You will also need to change it less often because once the pellets make contact with moisture, they crumble to form sawdust. When you shake the tray, the finer material sinks to the bottom of the litter tray, leaving the fresh wood pellet layer on the surface.
When choosing a wood pellet litter, always ensure it is specifically safe for cats. Remember that cats are fastidious cleaners, so even trace amounts of any harmful substance will be ingested by your kitty.
Wood pellet litters are made from natural, absorbent, biodegradable materials and are usually by-products of the timber industry. This also makes them a sustainable alternative to clay litter.
FInd the Best Litter (and box) for Your Cat
Let’s go through some of the best wood pellet kitty litter brands to see which is best for your feline family.
ökocat Natural Clumping Litter with Wood Mini-Pellets
ökocat Natural Clumping Litter with Wood Mini-Pellets
Ökocat makes the leap from traditional clay litter to wood litter much easier for cat owners as this is one of only a few brands of wood pellet litter that clumps. (Wood litter usually breaks down the pellets to form sawdust instead of clumping, so the entire litter tray cleaning process usually needs to be changed when you switch to wood pellet litter.)
All the usual benefits of wood kitty litter are included in Ökocat, and it can be easily scooped. This is a huge benefit for people who want to use wood pellets, but are kinda grossed out by the idea of urine-soaked sawdust laying around.
Also, this is a great wood pellet litter for kitties with long hair (like Maine Coons), as it’s less likely to get stuck in the fur around their paws and, uh … rear end.
This reviewer did a great job of describing the pros and cons of Okocat litter:
Pros:
- Odor control. Wow. Some of the best I’ve encountered, either with natural, clay, or unnatural (e.g., silica-based). It works remarkably well w/o heavy masking scents. I have three very large cat boxes; I use World’s Best (or Swheat) in two, and Oko in the other. The first two boxes need to be scooped out at least once a day and emptied completely after 3-4 weeks. With the Oko, I confess I’ve gone as long as 4-5 days without scooping at all (while I’ve been away). After 5 days w/o scooping, the Oko smells about the same as World’s Best or Swheat after 1-2 days.
- Dust. There isn’t any, to speak of. I notice this when vacuuming the mats under my litter boxes. No dust at all around the Oko box. I thought the other “natural” litters were good about dust, but this is the best, as far as I can tell.
- Weight. Fantastic. I have a bad back, but the containers are light and easy to handle. Environmentally I prefer the cardboard containers to World’ Best’s plastic bags. I have an Oko subscription; both my package delivery people and I are much happier these days. Also, even heavily used Oko litter can be dumped out of the box and carried with much less trouble than other lightweight litters …
Cons:
- Tracking, tracking, tracking. It’s not a particularly trackable litter, ironically; the problem is that whatever does track consists of large particles that are highly visible and painful to bare feet (and believe me, you don’t want the stuff anywhere near your bed) …
- Scooping. You may need to replace your litter scoop. The particles are too large to go through the fine scoops that normally work well w/clumping litters.
Arm & Hammer Feline Pine Platinum Non-Clumping Cat Litter
Arm & Hammer Feline Pine Platinum Non-Clumping Cat Litter
Combining the best of two odor-controlling agents — fresh pine and baking soda — Arm and Hammer Feline Pine is Amazon’s Choice to lock away kitty tray urine smell and keep things fresh. And there are no added fragrances, so you don’t have to worry about allergies or weird, artificial smells in your home.
These wood pellets are made from reclaimed pine lumber, so no trees are destroyed to create it. The pellets are highly absorbent and quickly convert to sawdust when wet.
Arm and Hammer Feline Pine Platinum is a good choice for cat owners who want an added boost of freshness to the already low-odor natural pine formula. And don’t worry, the baking soda additive is pressed into the pellets, so the litter is still low-dust.
This reviewer summed up the litter’s pros and cons:
Pros:
- No smell from urine at all! – turns urine into sawdust
- Much lighter than clay
- Doesn’t turn into wet cement texture like clay litter ,,,
- Doesn’t stick to cat pads like wet clay litter! This was huge for me as cats lick their paws and think of all that wet cement like clay they are ingesting!
- MUCH more cost-effective …
- Doesn’t track like most litters. You may get the odd pellet here and there, but I don’t have dust tracks like with many other litters …
CONS:
- In ordr to be cost effective, because urine turns to sawdust, you REALLY need to sift …
- SOME cats may not like texture of pellets to start with …
- I DO have to clean out the poo, which isn’t a big deal for one small cat. Once or twice a day, as I see poo, I just remove it with a piece of toilet paper, make sure no pellets on it and flush it.
BOTTOMLINE:
YES, there is some maintenance, but there is with ALL litter and there is LITERALLY NO URINE SMELL, EVER! I live in a small condo and that is HUGE. And two of the 18 pound bags can last me for MONTHS using the sifting system.
Small Pet Select Premium Pine Pelleted Cat Litter
Small Pet Select Premium Pine Pelleted Cat Litter
Small Pet Select Pine litter is similar to most of the other pine pellet litter options in terms of low dust, low tracking, and providing a natural pine scent that keeps odors at bay.
Although this brand is slightly more expensive than some other pine pellet litter, these pellets are ideal for sifting tray litter boxes as the fine particles created by Small Pet Select quickly separate from the dry bulk of litter above. You will find that cleanup is quick and easy if you have the correct system.
This reviewer has an entire system for using this litter that works well for them:
I love the new way I have incorporated this pellet litter into my boxes. I have 1 cat that would stink the entire house.
I bought along with this the Arm and Hammer sifting liter box for like 15 or 16 dollars.
I also purchased puppy pee training pads 100 for 20 dollars.
I line the bottom on the solid trays with the pad to absorb the urine.
Each night I pick up the sorting tray and knock the sawdust underneath and scoop any poo. Then I take the second solid tray with a pad already in it (the two solid trays fit within each other) and I place the sifter one right in it and put back. This allows me to easily change the pad with the sawdust. Then clean the bottom tray with soap and water, air dry and reline with a new puppy pad …
Naturally Fresh Pellet Formula Unscented Non-clumping Cat Litter
Naturally Fresh Pellet Formula Unscented Non-clumping Cat Litter
If odor control is one of your primary concerns, then Naturally Fresh should be your first choice of wood pellet kitty litter. These pellets made from walnut shells can control odors up to seven times more effectively than other wood pellet brands. This makes it the best choice if you have a small home or apartment and need to keep the kitty litter tray in a shared space.
Another plus for Naturally Fresh is that it is safe to use for all small animals and not only cats. So if you have hamsters or rabbits, you can purchase one type of litter rather than specific pet litters for each species.
This dust-free formulation is non-clumping, so it requires daily poop scooping, and used sawdust should be removed from the bottom regularly.
Amazon reviewer Yanna has 13 cats — yup 13! — and says there is NO cat smell in her house, thanks to this litter:
i have 13 cats in my house. 13. let that sink in.
i foster animals for the humane society, and after using every litter i could get my hands on, my house still smelled of pee within 3 days of changing litter. no amount of baking soda, scooping, air freshers or anything worked.
YOU CANNOT SMELL THIS. unless you have the nose of a bloodhound or pregnant woman, you will not smell cat litter or cat waste when you use this. it absorbs the smell … My house, with 13 cats, has NO CAT SMELL. there is no dust. it’s light. it clumps so much better than anything I’ve ever used. it pours like coffee grounds and there is no dust. perfect for my asthmatic family members. i am never going back …
Simply Pine 100% All-NaturalCat Litter
100% All-Natural Pine Pellet Cat Litter
Simply Pine is similar to many of the other 100% pine litter brands but is slightly less expensive. This wood pellet litter can be bought in bulk and has a no-dust and low tracking promise. If you have more than just one kitty and need to service multiple litter trays, this may be the way to go.
Besides the cost, the only significant difference between Simply Pine and other natural pine brands is that the pellets have a slightly harder texture. This can be uncomfortable or unfamiliar to cats that are used to plush interior living or senior cats with joint issues. However, once your cats are accustomed to pine pellet kitty litter, Simply Pine is a convenient and budget-friendly choice.
Next Gen Pet Green Tea Fresh Cat Litter
Next Gen Pet Green Tea Fresh Cat Litter
Next Gen Pet Litter has combined the benefits of green tea with wood litter to produce a product that is excellent in controlling odors naturally. This clumping litter produces a fresh odor — however, be aware that while you may love this scent, some cats may not.
This wood pellet is noticeably smaller than many other wood pellet litters, making it more likely to be tracked out the litter box. However, the finer texture is usually more acceptable to cats, especially when transitioning from clay to wood litter.
Are Wood Pellets Good For Cat Litter?
When considering making the leap from a clay-based litter to wood pellets, the first thing we all want to know is if it will work effectively. After all, as cute as our purring cuddle balls may be, they produce some pretty powerful smelling urine which needs to be quickly absorbed up and neutralized by the litter.
Fortunately, wood pellet cat litter is surprisingly effective, and it is amazing that this eco-friendly trend has taken so long to catch on. Cat owners everywhere are switching to more sustainable natural options. Wood pellet cat litter is also bulkier and lighter than traditional clay litter, so lugging from the grocery store isn’t such a workout.
We all know the feeling of dumping out a new bag of kitty litter and being covered in fine dust. If you change to wood pellet kitty litter, those days may be over! Wood pellets produce considerably less dust than most other types of litter, especially clay. This also means that kitty is less likely to get tiny litter particles stuck on its feet while doing its business and tracking them all over the house.
The action of wood pellet litter is a little different from traditional types of litter in that the pellets absorb urine which expands the wood pellets to form wood dust. If you have a sifting tray litter box, this feature is particularly helpful as the fine sawdust material that forms when the cat urinates can easily fall through from one tray to the other.
One of the major limitations of using wood pellet kitty litter is that your cat will probably not be used to the new texture or wood smell right away and may be reluctant to use it. After all, you would also be suspicious if the shape of your bathroom toilet suddenly changed entirely!
Before making a sudden switch to wood pellets, keep a bag of your regular cat litter on hand so that you can slowly introduce your cat to its new eco-friendly wood pellet litter. Fill half the litter box with the wood pellet litter and add a layer of your regular litter.
As your kitty digs into the litter, it will encounter the new wood pellets, and it will quickly make the association. Each time you refill the litter tray, add less of the old and more of the new wood litter until you have completely switched over.
How Often Should I Change Wood Cat Litter?
Wood pellet kitty litter usually works a little differently from clay or silicone litter.
The main difference is that it doesn’t usually clump. That means you won’t be able to scoop out neat little balls of urine. However, it’s easy to identify used litter, because the pellets absorb the wetness and become sawdust.
How frequently you need to change wood pellet kitty litter depends entirely on what brand you use, how many cats you have, and the size of the litter box. You will still need to remove all solid material every day, but instead of scooping out clumps of wet litter, you can just refresh wood pellets by giving the tray a shake. This makes the larger, dry pellets rise to the top of the cat tray.
For a frame of reference, Arm and Hammer Feline Pine says that the litter only needs to be replaced when 90% of the wood pellets have broken down.
You will be able to monitor the ratio of sawdust to fresh wood pellets when you do the daily shake, but when the clean top layer starts becoming thin, it’s time to scoop out good litter and discard the sawdust.
Some brands of wood pellet litter indicate that it can be disposed of by flushing. But since not all wood pellet litter is the same, don’t ever assume! Only flush it if the bag specifically says that you can.
Even if you’re sure the litter is flushable, do it sparingly, unless you enjoy having your plumber come for a visit. A better way to dispose of used natural wood litter is to add it to compost.
What Kind Of Wood Pellets Can You Use For Cat Litter?
Wood pellets are a super alternative to regular kitty litter and can often be bought in bulk for horse owners or even for use in wood stoves.
However, don’t start dumping any old wood pellets into your kitty’s litter box until you check for a few things.
First of all, pine — and most other types of wood — naturally contain a substance called phenol, which is toxic to cats. But most phenol evaporates when the pellets are kiln-dried, so when you are choosing wood pellets to use for the litter box, make sure that it has been through the kiln drying process and also does not contain any other harmful chemicals.
If you’re purchasing wood pellets that are not specifically intended for use as kitty litter, it’s best to contact the supplier and check that the wood pellets will be non-toxic for your kitty.
Although most kinds of wood can be used to create wood pellets, the most common cat litter variety is pine or cedar. Pine, in particular, has naturally high antimicrobial properties, which makes it easier to keep clean and hygienic than many other types of cat litter.
It is rare but not impossible that you or your kitty may be allergic to wood pellets. If this is the case, try using paper pellets as they work similarly but with less chance of causing an allergic reaction.
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