With everything I’ve learned through all my cat, and cat product, research, I’ve vowed never to use clay litter again. I’ve read a lot about clay litter alternatives and Sustainably Yours has always stood out to me.
After our orange tabby, Joshua, passed away, we added two kittens to our household. We only want them to use natural cat litter and Sustainably Yours was first on the list to try.
We wanted to see how Sustainably Yours compared to the clumping clay litter our household was so used to.
This article covers the common questions about Sustainably Yours cat litter and outlines the pros and cons I, and others, have experienced when using the sustainable litter.
What is Sustainably Yours cat litter made of?
Sustainably Yours cat litter is made of corn and cassava, which are ground into small sand-like granules. Both corn and cassava are renewable resources, biodegradable, and natural, so your cat will be able to digest any small amounts they might ingest.
How long does Sustainably Yours cat litter last?
Sustainably Yours will last about a month, at which point the entire contents of the litter box should be tossed. This is similar to clumping clay litters. Although a clumping litter makes it easy to remove waste, there will always be bacteria left behind.
Once a month you should dump the entire contents of the litter box, thoroughly wash and dry the litter box, and refill it with 2 – 4 inches of fresh cat litter.
I’ve found that Sustainably Yours cat litter lasts as long, if not longer, than clay litters. I don’t set a timer to track when it’s time to change the litter, but I do keep a rough timeline and more so go by the smell and appearance of the litter.
As the litter depletes due to scooping out the clumps, and as I notice more pieces of smaller waste that can’t be removed with the scooper, I know it’s time to change the litter. I don’t find I need to change Sustainably Yours cat litter any more frequently than I did clumping clay litter.
Does Sustainably Yours cat litter expire?
Sustainably Yours cat litter does not expire, however, improper storage of unused cat litter can make the litter less effective. Be sure to keep litter in a cool, dry spot to ensure moisture won’t get into the bag or container.
Is Sustainably Yours cat litter flushable?
Sustainably Yours cat litter can be flushed after soaking one or two clumps at a time for 15 minutes. Because the litter forms such solid clumps, soaking is needed to break them apart before flushing. This will help ensure a clump doesn’t clog the drain.
You simply need to scoop the clumps into the toilet and let them sit until they break apart. Once they’re no longer solid, you can flush the toilet.
However, in most cases, you should never flush cat litter, even if it’s “flushable”.
In California, it’s illegal to flush cat litter. And many wastewater treatment plants aren’t equipped to treat water with animal waste in it. So flushing cat litter down the toilet can contaminate drinking water and/or local lakes, rivers, or oceans.
Although you can flush Sustainably Yours cat litter, it’s not recommended.
Is Sustainably Yours cat litter compostable?
Corn and cassava are both biodegradable, which makes the litter compostable. However, the parasites found in used cat litter make composting dirty litter harder to do safely.
The bacteria can be transmitted through soil and contaminate vegetable gardens and even groundwater.
If you’re able to kill the parasites in the dirty litter during composting (with high heat or carbon), you may be able to safely use the compost in ornamental areas of a yard.
Alternatively, you can use compostable garbage bags to place dirty litter in and toss them in the trash. This will make it easier for the litter to break down in a waste disposal site.
Sustainably Yours cat litter Pros
I’m a Sustainably Yours cat litter fan for life. I do plan to test a few more litters along the way, but there’s so much I love about this litter and company.
Pro #1 – Clumping
This litter creates hard clumps. I would even say it forms more solid clumps than clumping clay litter.
We’re diligent about keeping the litter boxes clean and scoop multiply times a day. When the kittens hear us scooping, they of course need to add some fresh waste to the litter box as soon as it’s clean. So we wait and scoop again after they’re done.
The clumps are immediately solid with Sustainably Yours cat litter.
This is not the case with clumping clay litter. One of our cats was diabetic near the end of his life, which often meant he had large and frequent pees. With the clay litter, we often found the urine clumps were still wet when it was time to scoop and they wouldn’t be solid. The wet litter would also stick to the scooper and make a mess.
The other pro to Sustainably Yours’ fast and hard clumping litter is that it doesn’t stick to the sides or bottom of the litter box.
I’ve found several urine clumps along the side or bottom of the litter box and they scrape right off the plastic litter pan. You can see from the picture below, one of the kittens peed right up against the side of the litter box. When I scooped it, you can see the flat side of the litter that was against the plastic and how cleanly it came off.
Pro #2 – Scooping
The hard clumps mixed with the smaller granules means it’s easier to remove only the waste.
When I scoop a urine clump, I shake the scoop thoroughly to let un-clumped litter fall through the scoop. The urine clumps do not break apart at all; even when the clump is “fresh”.
Scooping is so easy with this litter. Nothing gets stuck between the scoop’s grooves and the clumps don’t fall apart.
Pro #3 – Color
A couple of months after bringing the kittens home, we noticed blood in a urine clump. The color was so faint, a light pink, and was often only a small spot in the middle of the litter clump.
I fear we would have missed this had we been using traditional clay litter.
Sustainably Yours cat litter is light yellow in color. Being able to see the color of the urine in the litter box helped us catch the issue right away, get him to the vet clinic, and monitor the situation so we knew if it was improving or getting worse.
Pro #4 – No Dust
This litter does not produce dust, at all. I always hated the big dust cloud that resulted from filling the litter box with clay litter. Even when I couldn’t see a dust cloud, I could smell the clay dust every time I scooped.
That’s not the case with Sustainably Yours. I haven’t noticed even the slightest bit of dust.
Pro #5 – Safe
When we first introduced the kittens to their litter box, they thought it was a playground. They’ve since gotten much better and no longer play in the litter box, but there is the occasional time I find litter stuck to their little noses.
One kitten is also a low squatter when he uses the litter box. So sometimes he dips his parts in the litter. Then he’s left with litter on his hind end that he must clean off.
Although cats wouldn’t naturally have corn or cassava in their diets, they are digestible ingredients. The same can’t be said about clay litter.
Should a cat eat its litter? No. But let’s be honest, they’re going to ingest their litter at some point. When they stick their nose in the litter and then lick their nose, when litter is stuck between their paws and they clean it out, etc. I feel better about them ingesting small amounts of a natural litter than clay litter.
If your cat is purposefully eating their litter, that’s not safe or normal, and you want to talk to your veterinarian.
Pro #6 – Doesn’t Stick Between Toes
There has been the odd time a kitten steps in wet litter and we do have to wipe their paws with a damp cloth. But aside from those times, we never find litter stuck between their toes. Because the granules are so small, they fall out from between their toes really easily.
Pro #7 – Environmentally Friendly
To keep the litter box as clean and safe as possible, the entire contents of the litter box should be dumped every month. This leads to a LOT of waste. Especially when you have two cats and three litter boxes.
It makes me feel better knowing that I’m using a sustainable litter.
The brand that makes Sustainably Yours cat litter, Petfive, also partners with Brazilian and US animal shelters, donates to programs that help cat owners struggling with medical or financial issues, and donates a portion of every purchase to the Rainforest Trust. The Rainforest Trust helps to rescue and protect rainforests worldwide.
Overall, I feel good about supporting Petfive and using their litter.
Sustainably Yours cat litter Cons
Let’s be honest, no cat litter is perfect. Sustainably Yours does come with a few downsides. For me, the pros outweigh the cons, but let’s take a look at a few product features I don’t love.
Con #1 – Tracking
The fact of the matter is, litter is going to track no matter what kind you use. Because the Sustainably Yours granules are smaller and lighter than clay litter, they travel a fair amount.
However, Petfive has come out with a “Large Grain” version of their litter, which is supposed to help reduce tracking. I haven’t tried it yet, but will as soon as it’s time to restock.
When we were getting the kittens adjusted to their new home, we were keeping them in a big family room. Their litter boxes were on one side, and although we had litter-catching mats under the boxes, we’d find Sustainably Yours cat litter all the way across the room.
I’ve since created a setup that keeps both the kittens and us happy and keeps more litter in the litter area. It’s still in a main area we walk past every day, it’s just a few little kitten steps away from where they love to play, and there’s nothing noisy or scary about the space.
I have these cat litter mats under the litter boxes, which catch a ton of cat litter.
And I’ve also put a leftover piece of carpet under that, as it catches some of the litter that makes it past the mats.
Outside of the room, I have a rug that helps catch any other little particles that make it out of the room.
This setup significantly decreases the amount of litter found in main areas.
Con #2 – Cost
This litter is definitely more expensive than traditional clumping clay litter.
Where you buy it will dictate how much you pay, however, when compared to a popular clumping clay litter brand, Sustainably Yours cat litter is about $0.08 more per ounce than the clay litter.
Con #3 – Odor
When it comes to urine ordor, Sustainably Yours does a great job of trapping it. We have never noticed the smell of cat pee.
We’ve never used scented clay cat litter, but even unscented clay litter does have a stronger odor to it than Sustainably Yours.
If you were to stick your nose into a bag of clay litter, you’d notice the smell of clay. Right out of the bag, Sustainably Yours doesn’t have a discernible smell. This may be why the smell of cat poop in the litter box seems stronger.
We stay on top of scooping but after one of the kittens poops in the litter box, we’re definitely aware of it from several feet away; even after they cover it.
Sustainably Yours cat litter reviews
You don’t have to take my word for it. These are the most common pros and cons cat owners have mentioned when reviewing the product. And the pro list is much longer than the con list:
Pros mentioned in customer reviews
- Clumps amazingly well
- Litter has no smell
- Zero dust
- Environmentally friendly
- Doesn’t stick to the litter box
- Fine, soft texture that’s gentle on cats’ paws
- The light color that makes it easy to spot urine color changes
- Works with Litter Robot
Cons mentioned in customer reviews
- Odor control isn’t as good as clay litter (mostly with feces)
- Sticks to the fur of long-haired cats
- Tracks more than clay litter
Where to buy Sustainably Yours cat litter
Sustainably Yours cat litter can be conveniently purchased through Amazon and delivered right to your door. You also have the option to subscribe and save so you never have to remember to order more cat litter; it’s simply sent to you on a regular basis.
Some people do wonder if Sustainably Yours is safe for their cat since cassava root can be toxic when raw. Read more about the safety of the litter here.
