Catalyst Cat Litter Review

Amy Brown-Towry / Cats.com

Catalyst Pet makes litter engineered from upcycled softwood fiber that would normally go to waste. They currently offer three kinds of litter: Healthy Cat, Unscented, and Multi-cat which are 99% dust-free.

The sustainable formula is lightweight, soft on paws, and offers sturdy clumping with powerful odor control. One pound of Catalyst litter can do the work of three pounds of clumping clay.

How We Tested:

• We were sent 3 bags of multi-cat formula to test.
• We spent multiple days testing the litters on several cats
• We did not receive these products in exchange for a favorable review

Brand Overview

Compared to many other natural litters, Catalyst litter offers softwood fibers that provide more performance per pound. The lightweight formula is 4 times more absorbent than other leading litter brands

Also, depending on how many cats you have in your home and the formula you select, one 10 pound bag can last a month.

Catalyst also uses LDPE #4 plastic bags that are 100% recyclable. There are numerous recycling facilities nationwide that take their bags and you can recycle anywhere that takes grocery bags for recycling.

As for the benefits for cats, Its soft wood and unscented formula are easy on paws and noses and is all-natural clumping agents to create stronger clumps for easy clean-up. There was some dust when pouring the litter out of the boxes, but practically no dust when scooping.

Popular Alternatives To Catalyst Cat Litter

Here are some of our favorite cat litter brands you can choose from today. Most offer a heavy discount on your first order so you can see how your cats like it.

• Feline Pine
• Frisco Pine Pellets
• Tidy Cats Pure

What Kinds Of Litter Does The Brand Offer?

Catalyst offers three formulas for upcycled, natural litter; Healthy Cat, Multi-Cat, and Unscented. All of these formulas are made by Lignetics who upcycles over 1,500,000 tons of wood waste a year.

This waste is turned it into products such as heating pellets, BBQ pellets, animal bedding and cat litter, to name a few. Each formula is made with pine wood, a bio-based oil, a natural clumping agent, zeolite and a mild natural scent.

The unscented formula, includes only a bio-based oil and a natural clumping agent.

All Catalyst Litter Formulas Offer the Following Benefits

• Made from all-natural ingredients
• Dust-free formula
• Highly Absorbent
• Natural Clumping Agents
• Compostable
• Biodegradable

Most people are not informed that traditional clay cat litters are made of sodium bentonite, a mineral that is strip-mined and not biodegradable. A 2017 report reveals that more than five billion pounds of sodium bentonite are mined each year for cat litter. The majority of that ends up in landfills which is more than 125,000 truckloads per year.

Catalyst cat litter helps lighten this issue with its biodegradable formula that does not require precious resources to manufacture. The upcycled softwood fiber used to make their litter is collected from wood processing facilities which prevents it from ending up in a landfill. Also one pound of Catalyst litter does the work of three pounds of clumping clay litter, reducing pollution and carbon emissions.

The litter starts as a wood fiber which is a by-product from a sawmill at an industrial plant. These materials are upcycled to create the litter.

Top Cat Litter Reviewed

#1 Catalyst Multi-Cat Formula

Amy Brown-Towry / Cats.com

Buy On Chewy Buy On Amazon

The dust-free formula and all-natural ingredients with an enhanced formulation for additional clumps and multiple cats.

Catalyst Multi Cat formula is made from soft wood which limits air-borne dust and offers a mild scent. While there is a little dust when pouring the litter there was nearly no dust when scooping. Also, the company also claims that one pound of Catalyst does the work of three pounds of clumping clay litter, which reduces pollution and carbon emissions that come from production and transportation.

With that in mind, the multi-cat formula contains a woody and floral-like scent, which does a good job with controlling odor but can be overpowering in small areas.

Because it is a clumping formula, it is fairly easy to know when its time to scoop, but depending on how much your cat goes or how many cats frequent the box, it may not absorb quickly.

Pros

• Superior Odor Control
• Clumping
• Low Dust
• Light Weight

Cons

• May have a very strong scent
• Does not absorb quickly
• Some dust when pouring

This litter comes in a 10 pound bag which should last your cats a month. This can be purchased and subscribed to on the Catalyst Pet website.

What Do Customers Think Of Catalyst Cat Litter?

All varieties of Catalyst Cat Litter scored well with customers, with the multi cat formula scoring 3.6 stars, the Healthy cat formula scored 4.0 stars and the unscented formula scored 3.4 stars on Chewy.

With all litters, there are always good and bad reviews, so you may have to do some experimenting to find out what works best for you and your cats

Keep reading to read positive and negative reviews for the Catalyst Cat Litter formulas.

Positive Customer Reviews for Catalyst Cat Litter

“We have 4 cats and have tried every litter out there. Basic clay, scented clay, clumping clay, pine, “naturals”, the blue one with the “odor locking crystals. And then Catalyst. The litter itself smells good but even after it has been used, NO SMELL. All of the others tend to smell in some way after a few/several uses and you end up having to toss the whole box after a while because it smells bad, even after you empty the poop and clumps. But Catalyst consistently retains no odor. And the clumps really clump and are removed with ease. But the best part is the NO SMELL PART. Also, since it doesn’t end up smelling after a week or two, you can keep using it all the way til the litter box is low then you just add more. NO WASTE. When it first arrived in the mail, I thought that’s a small bag for the price. But because you can use all of it without having to discard any of it for being smelly, it turns out to be cheaper than a bigger bag. Cheaper, better, and sustainable to boot. I am never going back! Thank you!!” – Tamara

“So gotta admit, never ever heard of this company, brand, or even cat litter material existence. I got a new kitten and wanted something other then the same old basic kitty clay litter. We all know as cat owners how that ammonia strong smell can leave odors. (Worst part about having a cat) 😂 So they did not have my item i was wanting some crystal litter so i saw this brand and style. Gotta say i love it. If you don’t mind the smell of fresh wood then you will love. They even have unscented. But i love scents so bought the scented one. It lasts for a long time and no need to change but every few days before the smell hits. Well just thought i would share some helpful information on this product and cat litter material i myself was unaware of.” – Valerie P

Negative Customer Reviews for Catalyst Cat Litter

“Meh, not the best
I’ve been using natural clay alternative litters for a very long time. Got this bag because we were traveling and size, weight and touted virtues sounded like a great fit. The smell is off putting which is further exacerbated by small spaces. It is rather dusty leaving my little black panther rather white alone the edges after a litter box break. We definitely need more than recommended amount on the bag. It does loosely clump, but not enough to actually remove the clumps. And even with a very large litter trapping mat it seems to just get everywhere. It is so light it just seems to float about. Happily returning to our preferred litter after our travels and will look into anything else for future trips.” – Faswop

“Disappointed
I really really wanted to like this cat litter. It was recommended to me by a fellow cat lover, who said they loved this stuff. I bought it because I loved the natural material and the lack of artificial fragrance. This stuff tracks so badly that my apartment looks like a barn when I came home. It also SMELLED like a barn, I personally did not like the smell of this stuff and I love natural scents. The odor control is also not great. The litter stuck to my kitties paws, even their fur, and the mess was just out of control.

Additionally, the bags I ordered came ripped. I’ve noticed other reviewers stating this as well, and it needs to be fixed. This contributed even MORE mess to my home, and it’s just another thing people do not need to be dealing with when they’re trying to clean the litter box. Sadly I couldn’t wait to get rid of this stuff. I really wanted to love it, but there was nothing I liked about it. I now use Arm and Hammer platinum and it works great.” – Maddie B

How Much Does Catalyst Cat Litter Cost?

Catalyst litters are not the most affordable when compared to a lot of other clumping and natural litters on the market. However, its long-lasting usage definitely contributes to it being a very good value.

The formulas are all the same price, and they break down to $2.30 per pound at $22.99 a bag or If subscribed, $20 per month. The environmentally friendly packaging may also be a perk when considering it’s overall value.

Overall, Is Catalyst Cat Litter A Good Choice?

There is both good and bad when considering Catalyst Multi Cat Formula Litter when we reviewed it. The litter itself did average and the downsides really depend on your personal preferences.

The soft-wood particles and natural materials do emit some air-borne dust and a strong woody and floral- like scent. If strong odor litters are not your thing, you can always opt for the unscented formula.

This cat litter has decent clumping ability and is much better at absorption than other cat litters. However to absorption of liquid is slow and tends to spread while absorbing.
A bag of Catalyst cat litter lasts up to 2 times longer than clumping clay cat litter, resulting in the same price per use on average.

Where Is Catalyst Cat Litter Sold?

Catalyst Cat Litter formulas is sold online at their website or through Amazon,Chewy, and other online retailers. PetCo and Pet Smart also carry Catalyst litter and offer much lower price points if purchased with auto-ship.