Updated Oct 24, 2025
I’ve used lots of different types of cat litter in my home’s litter box over the years. And I have danced between the merits of pellet cat litter, traditional clay options, and even silica gel litter. Some have clumped. Some have not. Some have smelled worse than others. Some have been tracked all over the house or kicked around by my overzealous kitties. Some have been easier to clean out than others.
Each type of cat litter has things I love about it, and each type has at least one thing that annoys me. I recently experimented with pellet cat litter, particularly feline pine cat litter, in a bid to be a bit 'greener' with a natural litter.
Is Feline Pine Cat Litter Better for the Environment?
Feline pine cat litter (aka pine pellet litter) is promoted as being better for the environment, as many types use by-products of the wood industry. If you've not seen pine cat litter before, it's like little wood pellet litter instead of the clay-clumping cat litter that many people are accustomed to.
Wood pellet litter crumbles when exposed to moisture (cat pee). The pellets contain shavings from lumber yards and similar sources, which are dehydrated and formed into pellets. So, it's great to know that these waste products are being used for something useful.
However, I noticed that I had to use a large amount of the feline pine litter to fill the litter box to a level my cats found 'useful'. Because the pellets are so big, and my cats like to dig, they couldn't cope with a thin layer. This meant I found myself using more of the wood pellet litter than I would have of a traditional clay litter or crystal-based kitty litter.
Also, as the wood kind or natural cat litter turned into a weird, wet mush once wet, I wanted to empty the whole litter box rather than just taking the lumps out. Ultimately, I would have had to buy the natural litter more frequently. This means more trips to the store or more deliveries to my home, thus increasing my carbon footprint and undermining the goal of choosing the product for environmental reasons. I can't help feeling that's going to negate the beneficial impact of using a sustainable product.
Does Pine Cat Litter Smell?
I will say this, for natural feline pine litter: it smells better than clay cat litter and does a decent job at odor control. When dry, it has a pleasant, sawdust-like aroma that's reminiscent of a good pet store. When wet, it does a really good job of keeping that acrid ammonia odor of cat pee tamped down. However, another smell from the litter box becomes apparent, which is more reminiscent of a farm! It's definitely a very organic smell, and a pretty tough odor.
I have nasal allergies, so anything dusty (aka regular kitty litter) is no good for me. This is why I've moved away from the clay-based litter type, as they tend to be dry and dusty. Pine kitty litter is kind to my nose in this way, as it doesn't seem to generate much dust. I wouldn't choose it over a crystal cat litter, though, because of the weird, farmyard smell. But I can see how some owners might prefer the scent. The odor control and dust control of silica cat litter is the perfect combination for my pet and me.
Is Cat Pellet Litter Better for My Home?
Cat litter gets stuck on the cat's paws and is dragged around the home to a certain extent. It's unavoidable. I've found that clumping litter, clay-based litters are the worst for this, and crystal-type litters are better for keeping a clean litter box at home. A bag of pine pellet litter falls somewhere in between.
If you keep the litter box regularly clean, it's not so bad because the natural pine pellets can't stick to the cat's fur. Once the pellets get moist and crumble, they can be tracked around a little, but it's easy to clean.
The worst thing I've found is that the consistency of the wooden pellets encourages my cats to dig like crazy and kick the wood litter all over the floor! Maybe that's just my weirdo cats, though.
Feline Pine Cat Litter vs Silica Gel Cat Litter
While pine pellet litter has its perks—mainly sustainability and a natural scent—it also comes with its fair share of drawbacks, like messy cleanup and frequent replacements. Silica gel litter, like PrettyLitter, offers a more low-maintenance, odor-controlling solution compared to many other options, lasting longer and providing helpful health insights. Here’s how the two stack up:
- Odor control: Pine litter masks smells with its natural scent, but once it’s wet, odors can shift toward a “farm-like” smell. PrettyLitter provides strong control of feces-related odors and maintains consistently low ammonia odor levels for 30 days.
- Longevity: Feline Pine requires more frequent full-tray changes, while PrettyLitter is designed to last up to a month with regular scooping.
- Mess and tracking: Pine pellets are less dusty than clay, but they can crumble into sawdust and get kicked around. PrettyLitter is lightweight, making cleanup easier.
- Health monitoring: PrettyLitter has the advantage of changing color to help detect potential urinary issues early, which is an extra layer of peace of mind that traditional litters don’t offer.
At the end of the day, the best litter is the one that works for both you and your cat. If you’re looking for something that minimizes mess, lasts longer, and helps monitor your cat’s well-being, silica-based litter might be the way to go.
What’s been your experience with pine cat litter? Did it work for you? What made you change? Let us know in the comments!
Sources:
- Pet happy. Clumping vs non-clumping litter: A Comprehensive Guide. https://pet-happy.com/cat-litter/
- Happy Cat Corner. Pine Pellet Cat Litter Pros and Cons: Is it Really Worth Using? https://happycatcorner.com/pine-pellet-cat-litter-pros-and-cons/
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