Natusan Cat Litter Review
I’m always on the look out for a good, eco and purse friendly cat litter, that the cats will like. There are so many new options available so where to start?
There are lots of types of cat litter for sale at the moment. What to choose? Clumping, non clumping, scented, non scented, hard lumps or soft powder, low dust.... But now there are other options including as flushable and compostable. I've been having a look around recently and found that there is so much choice, I didn't know where to start.
Eco friendly cat litter doesn't stop at the actual litter itself, but also the packaging, how it can be disposed of, plus resources used getting to the home.
Natusan
Over the last few months, Natusan adverts kept popping up. This made me think more about the effect on the environment and the about of waste my cats produce. So when I saw Natusan had an offer on, I thought I’d give it a go.
What is Natusan?
Natusan is made from "PEFC-certified, recycled wood material" which is a by product. This natural material is biodegradable. If you live in London, they have a service where they collect the waste and compost it. I wish this was countrywide, as this sounds like a brilliant service. Please note it is not advisable to compost the used litter at home.
The litter feels so soft! The particles are tiny, without any sharp bits that the cats would dislike. Normal wood pellet litter is sharp and hard on the cats feet.
I was surprised at how clumping this litter was. The cats waste ended up in tiny, packed lumps. As it clumps tightly, it traps smells, uses less litter and therefore lasts longer.
Another way to dispose of the Natursan used litter is to flush it down the toilet. (Please consider if this is wise in your area as some toilets/drains may not be suitable for this.) Also, I'm not sure how good this is for the environment. Also, don't just tip the whole litter tray full of the litter in the toilet at once either as that would cause a blockage.
On a card that came with the litter, there were some helpful hints – have a tall litter tray, enclosed is best; have a mat outside the box to collect litter off feet; keep a dustpan and brush to tidy up litter before it spreads.
Even the packaging is recyclable. It is made of paper - not plastic covered paper!
Waste Calculator
How much waste do you produce from litter? Well Natusan has a calculator on the website to see how much waste is produced from Natusan cat litter and how this would differ to yours.
I know how much litter I buy, and I know the bin is heavy when I put it out. But thinking how much my three cats get through each year is astounding. Their waste calculator said about my usage:
“Your household produces up to 82kg of cat litter waste every year. By switching to Natusan you could reduce this by up to 68kg per year and save up to £45 a year.”
Introducing New Litter
If you are going to change the litter, it is best to mix it with your normal litter so the cat can get used to it. Sudden changes can mean that the cat won’t use the litter tray or may cause the cat stress.
How to Use Natursan
Pour it in the tray so there is a couple of inches. Scoop out ‘usage’ and top up as required.
Trying out Natusan Litter
As we have 4 litter trays, I thought to try it out properly, I’d just put it in one tray and see who uses it and how we get on. I decided to try it in one of the litter trays that all three cats used – but not that much.
It is fantastic for wee as it clumps in one big lump. It is light so the cats can easily cover up their usage easily and with minimal side scratching.
Daisy-Bear couldn’t wait to get in and play. (See picture below.) Anything new is so much fun for her. As she is only little, her little wee were hard to find in this.
Fermi took this this litter easily and was the cat that used this litter tray the most. Her massive wees were easy to spot and remove. She doesn’t tend to cover her faeces so these were easy to remove too.
Bean investigated the tray a few times but I didn't see him use it. I think it was because he is blind and it was completely different to other litter. Part of me was pleased as if he eats one of the other cats food, he gets an upset tummy so I have to wash his litter tray out at least twice a week.
All four litter trays are large, hooded trays with the cat flap door taken off (as Fermi can’t work them out). I found that the litter was contained when the toilet was covered up.
All litter trays have mats outside so the cats can wipe their feet on the way out – in an ideal world obviously. All litter spreads, but I did find that this one came out of the box more. The bits are very small and light. On the other hand, it meant that the bin was lighter to put out. I did find that the large, fluffy cat didn’t bring too much litter out on her feet. However, Bean at top speed brought quite a lot out. The behaviour of the cat will determine how much spread there is.
The downside is the price. Normally it is £16.99 for a 10ltr bag up to £42.99 for 40ltr. They offer a cheaper price for subscription. I was fortunate to get the offer so it was £8.50 with free postage. They recommend that you will need a 10ltr bag a month for each cat. It did last about 3 weeks but it was in a tray used infrequently and by only two of the cats.
If you are interested and want to try Natusan, to get 50% off a 10ltr bag, click this link. Please mention "Livi Parkins" and I will get 15% off a bag. In line with their eco values, if you sign up to go on their mailing list, they will plant a tree. I think this is an amazing idea.
Natusan Assessment in Brief
Eco friendly *****
Weight *****
Waste *****
Liquid absorption *****
Smell absorption ****
Ease of use ****
Carpet Scatter ***
Price **
Speed of delivery *****
Cats liking it - 2 out of 3
Please note this is just my view. Every cat is different so may take time to adjust to different litter.
Final Thoughts
Natusan was really good. The bag lasted well in the one tray. The clumping ability was fantastic but it was hard to find the kitten's wee at times as she covered them up well. Fermi did massive wee's , didn't cover them up and these were easy to remove.
I would like to make a change to a more eco friendly cat litter. At the moment I currently get through about 30ltr of clumping litter a week. This is obviously a lot! Problem is the price difference, even if I need less. Bean’s bum is a liability.
It is at the top my list to find a eco friendly and less wasteful alternative. Having a Google search brings up lots of results but without trying them, it is hard to know what is best or if the cats will use it. Would I use Natusan again? Yes definitely.