Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Free from artificial chemical compounds and poisonous components, Ökocat pure litter is marketed as a more healthy different to clay cat litter. However how does it maintain up in real-world testing? Discover out on this unbiased, in-depth overview.
Scores
- Worth Per Pound – 3/5
- Multi-Cat Formulation – 4/5
- Pure/Different Choices – 5/5
- Mud/Mess – 4/5
- Simple to Scoop – 4/5
General Rating: 4/5
Why Belief Cats.com
Ökocat was one of many first cat litters I attempted—it was beneficial for litter coaching by the shelter after I adopted my first two kittens, Bagel and Munchkin. Over a decade later, I’ve examined dozens of pure and different cat litters. When Ökocat introduced the discharge of up to date formulation and model new packaging, I used to be desirous to attempt it for myself.
To put in writing this overview, I examined three Ökocat formulation in a number of completely different types of litter field over the course of a month. Throughout testing, I made observations about how properly every product managed odor and restricted monitoring on prime of metrics like dustiness and scoopability. My cats didn’t show any objections to Ökocat litter and didn’t require any prolonged transition course of to start out utilizing it frequently.
Ökocat Litter and Wholesome Pet Overview
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Wholesome Pet was based in 1985 and at the moment operates out of two areas in the US—Ferndale, Washington and Jesup, Georgia. The Wholesome Pet household of manufacturers contains Ökocat pure litter, carefresh and CritterCare small pet bedding, and Pet Go Potty canine litter.
Ökocat is Wholesome Pet’s solely line of cat litter. Named after the German phrase for “eco” or ecological, Ökocat is created from 100% reclaimed wooden. It’s a sustainably sourced and biodegradable different to clay cat litter that is available in 5 completely different formulation.
All 5 Ökocat formulation are free from artificial chemical compounds and are available in 100% recyclable packaging. Relying on the system, the litter is bought in 9-, 12.6-, and 18.8-pound volumes.
You could find Ökocat litter in main pet retailers like Petco and Petsmart in addition to unbiased and regional pet shops and massive field shops like Walmart. Ökocat merchandise are additionally bought on-line at Chewy.com or on Amazon.com.
Ökocat Litter Options
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
In contrast to conventional clay cat litter, Ökocat litter is sustainably sourced and utterly biodegradable. It’s created from reclaimed wooden fibers—a mix of spruce, fir, and pine. The fibers come from suppliers that adjust to Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative insurance policies and are frequently subjected to third-party testing for security.
Wholesome Pet makes use of leftover by-products from native lumber mills (earlier than they add any chemical compounds) and dries the wooden at excessive temperatures to take away any phenols or risky oils that may in any other case irritate your cat’s nostril or lungs. No artificial fragrances or different chemical compounds are added to Ökocat litter, although the product does retain a refined pure wooden scent.
Ökocat presents the next cat litter merchandise:
- Unique Premium Clumping Wooden Cat Litter
- Tremendous Comfortable Clumping Wooden Cat Litter
- Low Monitoring, Much less Mess Mini-Pellets
- Featherweight Clumping Wooden Cat Litter
- Mud Free Non-Clumping Paper Pellet Cat Litter
All Ökocat merchandise are clumping cat litters excluding the dust-free paper pellets. It’s price noting, nevertheless, that the merchandise don’t clump to fairly the identical diploma as clay-based litter. The clumps might have to sit down for an hour or two to harden sufficient for simple scooping.
Three Ökocat merchandise are available in comfortable, light-weight granules whereas the opposite two are available in small, rectangular pellets. All 5 merchandise are free from probably dangerous silica mud however could break down right into a wonderful sawdust-like materials. The mini pellets are the bottom monitoring of the Ökocat lineup as a result of the pellets merely don’t follow a cat’s paws like smaller, finer granules may.
Although free from added perfume, Ökocat litter presents sturdy pure odor-control advantages. It’s extremely absorbent, absorbing urine and locking away the ammonia odor on contact. A small or medium bag of Ökocat litter can final a single cat for a number of months when scooped day by day and the big luggage are perfect for multi-cat households.
One last reality price mentioning is that Ökocat litter is biodegradable however Wholesome Pet doesn’t suggest flushing it. It’s not a lot a plumbing subject, nevertheless, as an environmental one. Wholesome Pet cites considerations concerning the potential influence of flushed pet waste on water high quality and wildlife as a proof.
What We Like:
- Sustainably sourced from reclaimed wooden fiber
- Eco-friendly different to clay litter
- Packaging is 100% recyclable
- Robust pure odor management capacity
- 5 completely different formulation to select from
- Free from artificial perfume and different chemical compounds
What We Dislike:
- Clumps want time to harden earlier than scooping
- Light-weight system could monitor greater than heavier merchandise
- Some cats may not like the feel of the pellets
What Did Our Check Cats Suppose?
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
To check Ökocat pure litter, I bought three formulation: Unique Premium Clumping Wooden, Low Monitoring Much less Mess Mini-Pellets, and Featherweight Clumping Wooden Cat Litter. These are the one three Ökocat merchandise my native pet retailer carries, although others are simple to seek out on-line.
Instantly, I used to be impressed by the brand new packaging. Not solely is it 100% recyclable, nevertheless it makes it simple to differentiate between the completely different merchandise. The bag for every product is a distinct coloration and there’s an enlarged image of the litter on the entrance.
The brand new luggage are created from fairly sturdy paper and the handles make them simply as simple to hold because the outdated bins. They’re a bit of tough to open however there aren’t any corners for the litter to get caught in (a difficulty I at all times had with the bins). Plus, they fold up properly to slot in the recycling bin.
All through the testing course of, I discovered Ökocat litter did a fantastic job controlling odor and it lasted longer than I assumed it will. It had a refined pure wooden scent that I favored and my cats didn’t appear to have any points with the scale, form, or texture of the completely different formulation.
The litter didn’t clump fairly in addition to clay litter however the small bits left behind by the news have been simple to stir again in for reuse. This was most noticeable with the mini-pellet system.
I truly discovered this high quality surprisingly helpful after I was testing it within the Petmate Booda Dome Cleanstep Litter Field. The clay cat litter I’d been utilizing at all times caught to the edges (particularly since my cat Munchkin sprays urine all around the partitions of the field), which made it tough to scoop. As a substitute of scraping, I merely stirred any leftover bits again into the litter mattress. The product did a a lot better job of minimizing odor than the clay litter I’d been utilizing as properly.
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
General, Ökocat stays considered one of my favourite eco-friendly alternate options to clay cat litter. I really like the big variety of formulation now obtainable and admire the model’s continued dedication to sustainability.
What Do Prospects Consider Ökocat Litter?
Ökocat litter seems to be usually well-liked, particularly amongst cat house owners on the lookout for a low-dust, fragrance-free different to clay. With 1000’s of buyer scores on Chewy.com alone, Ökocat merchandise earn a median of no less than 3 out of 5 stars. The least common product seems to be the non-clumping selection—the others common 4 out of 5 stars.
Optimistic Critiques
Glad clients usually remark that Ökocat litter isn’t dusty like clay and plenty of appear to understand the product’s refined fresh-cut wooden scent. Quite a few constructive evaluations point out the change to recyclable packaging with a number of clients saying they imagine the slight worth improve is definitely worth the enchancment.
“I admire that that is packaged in paper. I noticed that the worth elevated nevertheless it’s now bagged as a substitute of boxed so you might be truly getting extra litter although the load didn’t replicate that. Anyway, my cats like this, it’s simple to scrub and never dusty in any respect.” – Eve reviewing Ökocat Mud-Free Unscented Non-Clumping Clumping Paper Pellet Cat Litter on Chewy.com, February 25, 2024
“I’m delicate to scented issues, so it’s been actually exhausting to discover a cat litter that takes care of the poop odor but in addition doesn’t make my complete home odor terrible. Even the unscented cat litters have scents that trouble me. Anyway, this smells like sawdust, which is ideal for me.” – Lena reviewing Ökocat Tremendous Comfortable Clumping Wooden Cat Litter on Chewy.com, June 26, 2024
Detrimental Critiques
Dissatisfied clients incessantly complain that the light-weight Ökocat formulation monitor to a big diploma—greater than the mini pellets. Some clients say the product is simply too dusty or that it turns into sticky when moist. A number of clients assume the brand new packaging is simply too giant.
“This litter tracks rather a lot. I assumed it will be lower than the pellets, however, alas, no. It additionally permits urine to change into sticky within the corners of the litter field and begin smelling.” – Janet reviewing Ökocat Unique Premium Wooden Clumping Cat Litter on Chewy.com, August 18, 2024
“I really like the Ökocat wooden litter, however my most up-to-date buy was in a mylar bag as a substitute of the earlier field. The bag on this giant measurement could be very unwieldy — exhausting to pull down the steps and won’t keep upright when open and causes contents to spill.” – Eileen reviewing Ökocat Unique Premium Clumping Wooden Cat Litter on Chewy.com, August 21, 2024
General, Is Ökocat Litter a Good Alternative?
With regards to pure cat litter, Ökocat seems to be a well-liked selection. Not solely do the merchandise carry out properly within the litter field, however clients appear to assume the standard is definitely worth the premium worth. As a model, Wholesome Pet additionally seems to be dedicated to assembly the shopper’s wants whereas respecting the surroundings.
Ökocat is a very good selection for cats with delicate noses and for purposes the place a comfortable, clay-free litter is required (resembling post-surgical restoration or litter coaching for kittens). With 5 formulation to select from, Ökocat is flexible for each single- and multi-cat households. It’s additionally simple to seek out on-line or in shops, together with main pet retailer chains.
Related Manufacturers
On the lookout for different cat litter manufacturers just like Ökocat? Try a few of our different model evaluations.
Incessantly Requested Questions
What’s Ökocat litter created from?
All 5 Ökocat formulation are created from reclaimed wooden fibers sourced from native lumber mills. It’s a mix of spruce, fir, and pine that has been dried at excessive temperatures to take away any probably dangerous phenols or risky oils.
Are you able to flush Ökocat litter?
It relies upon. Whereas Ökocat is biodegradable like different flushable cat litter merchandise, Wholesome Pet eliminated the time period “flushable” from product labels out of concern for the environmental influence of flushing pet waste.
How usually ought to I modify Ökocat litter?
Like every litter, Ökocat must be scooped day by day to take away clumps and waste—the litter stage can then be topped up as wanted. A small or medium bag of Ökocat litter ought to final a single cat 2 to 2 ½ months or two cats as much as one month. A big bag can final a single cat as much as 4 months or a number of cats as much as 3 months.
Does Ökocat work in automated cat litter bins?
No, Ökocat is just not beneficial for automated litter bins. For clumping varieties, the clumps ought to sit for an hour or two to harden earlier than scooping or sifting for the most effective outcomes.
