Best Flushable Cat Litters
Updated by Brandon F. on May 8, 2020
For people who are just starting their cat ownership or that struggle to keep up a good habit of maintaining their cat’s litter box, we will sometimes recommend a flushable cat litter. Not only are these more user-friendly than standard cat litters but they are also better for the environment.
In this article, we will go over the unique qualities of a flushable cat litter and also list out what the best flushable cat litters are. What is a flushable cat litter? It is quite simple. It is a cat litter that can be flushed down your toilet!
Before we get into more detail, below are some of our top choices for the best flushable cat litters.
Benefits to the environment
A vast majority of cat litter is disposed of in conventional trash bags which means that it is sent to landfills, where it sits for years, can swell up and take up even more space, and can also produce smells that can be difficult to subdue. There is already a major push to reduce landfill waste and cat litter can contribute significantly due to its size and quantity.
Flushable cat litters are designed to be biodegradable and since they go through a treatment process no different than human waste, they are broken down, sanitized, and the strong odor is removed. This leaves a much smaller environmental footprint both in regards to landfill size as well as lingering smells.
What do flushable cat litters look like?
Flushable cat litters come in a variety of materials, clumping abilities, and price points. Many would assume that flushable litters would be restricted to only lightweight and organic materials and this simply isn’t the case. There are flushable cat litters made of clay, gels, wood, corn, paper, and much more! With the great array of material choices also comes a huge selection of clumping abilities.
Some products are designed so that you periodically remove clumps and flush them down your toilet. Others are designed to not clump and when the litter box is exhausted you simply dump the entire contents into the toilet. Whatever type of litter you choose, it is important to understand that not all cat litters are designed to be flushed. We encourage you to read the labeling on the bag to see what the proper method of disposal is.
The added convenience of flushable cat litters
So we know the environmental benefits that flushable cat litter brings to the table. Another huge pro is the convenience of being able to dispose of it in their toilet rather than their trash can.
–Cat litter can be very heavy, which can make transporting it to the trash bag and then moving the trash bag out of the trash can very tedious
–The significant weight of the cat litter can potentially cause trash bags to break
–Exhausted cat litter can smell pretty bad, so you are either stuck immediately throwing out a trash bag or having the smell linger for even longer while you fill the trash bag up with other items
–Many people will place their litter box close to a toilet, which minimizes how far they have to go to dump out the litter.
These and other things are why flushable cat litters have become quite popular.
So what’s the catch?
So why doesn’t everybody use flushable cat litters? They seem to be better for the environment, easier to dispose of, and come in plenty of material and clumping options. Well, despite what people may tell you, even “flushable” cat litters can still cause damage to your toilet. That is why many of the brands will state that they recommend disposing of conventionally but that it is acceptable to flush every once in a while.
Cat litters can be quite heavy and abrasive and can scratch up the inside of your toilet. It is also prone to causing clogs. Finally, it can take multiple flushes to empty a cat litter box, which ends up with you having to stand over your toilet for 10 minutes constantly pouring cat litter in when you could have just dumped it into your trash can, to begin with.
In other words, don’t rely just on flushing your cat litter when disposing of, even if the product is advertised as being flushable. This is especially true for non-clumping litters where you are expected to dump out the entire box at once. So are you interested in giving a flushable cat litter a try? We have listed a few of our favorite choices for flushable cat litters. Feel free to check out our more thorough reviews if you want to learn more about each.
World’s Best Cat Litter Multiple Cat Clumping
Our Rating:
It is a tough choice between this and the Precious Cat and you can’t go wrong with either. Great clumping and fully biodegradable. In addition, the odor control is on point even in a multi-cat litter box. It is available in 7, 8, 14, 15, and 28-pound bags, is comprised of wood fiber and corn kernels, and is available in the budget to mid-price areas.
Pros: Fantastic clumping, natural litter scent, easy clump removal and only marginal dust
Cons: Can give off foul smells when exposed to a lot of fluid, minor tracking
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Nature’s Miracle Intense Defense Fragrance-Free Clumping
Our Rating:
Great odor control, a good price, and some of the hardest clumps that we have come across. A good flush-friendly solution for those that don’t want to deal with throwing litter in the trash. It is available in 20 and 28-pound bags, is comprised of clay, and is available in the budget to mid-price range.
Pros: Very good at clumping, easily masks cat waste odors, easy cleanup
Cons: Actually has a litter smell despite being “fragrance-free”
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Healthy Pet ökocat Pine
Our Rating:
For those wanting to go all-natural, this is a good wood cat litter that is completely biodegradable, and also happens to have pretty good odor absorption and is reasonably priced. It is available in 7.8, 12.4, and 18.6-pound boxes, is comprised of pine pellets, and is available in the budget-priced tier.
Pros: Pleasant litter smell, absorbs nearly all cat smells, great price
Cons: Doesn’t clump so have to watch more closely, light tracking
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Swheat Scoop Multi-Cat
Our Rating:
This product struggles a bit with clumping, but that isn’t as big of a deal considering you can flush parts when necessary. We like that it is also all-natural, being made of wheat. It is available in 7, 14, 25, and 40-pound bags, is comprised of wheat, and is available in the mid-priced tier.
Pros: Litter smell is subtle, does a good job of locking in feces smells
Cons: Strong ammonia smell can come out from urine, clumps are somewhat weak, tracking is a concern
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Feline Pine Non-Clumping
Our Rating:
Another competitor for the all-natural and biodegradable wood lines, this one comes with some tracking issues but overall smells lovely and is priced right. It is available in 20 and 40-pound bags, is comprised of pine, and is available in the budget-price range.
Pros: Great price, enjoyable litter smell, great moisture absorption
Cons: Can’t handle multiple cats, bad tracking
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