Green and healthy cat food, kitty litter, beds, toys, cleaning supplies and other accessories
Why It's Good:
Maybe your cat wheezes exiting the litter box, or maybe you'd just like healthier and more effective alternatives to everything from food to cleaning supplies for your little loved one. We combed the web to find gorgeous and green products that’ll give even a finicky cat (like mine) something to purr about.
Why It's Green:
Organic cat chow is grown without chemicals, and although extensive research has yet to be done, the health benefits of feeding your cat organic food are said to include a reduction in digestive problems, allergies and skin irritations, plus a stronger immune system and increased energy levels. Bliss-inducing organic catnip is grown without pesticides and packs more of a punch (my kitty can attest to this!) than conventional catnip, which often also contains fillers. We also recommend the best biodegradable and dust-free kitty litter (conventional litter has been linked to feline asthma), and the most effective stain-removing supplies, a great alternative to toxic cleaners, which can cause skin irritations and allergies, among other health issues, and can be lethal if ingested by your pet.
Where To Get It:
Click on the product links to purchase directly.
What's Green, Kitty Cat? How to Eco-Chic Your Cat
When I was in college, I adopted a golden brown tabby from the deep Vermont woods. Back in the days of chips and late-night pizza runs, I picked up her vittles from the supermarket shelf, but as we both grew older, healthier choices made their way into our home and diet. See below for Tabitha’s paws-up picks for feline green bliss.—Elizabeth McMullen
Cat Food
Tabitha pretty much rejects every fancy food I plunk down on her plate, yet her current favorite is Organics wet food from By Nature, which comes in USDA-certified whisker-lickin’ flavors like turkey and chicken. For dry, she loves an organic bowl of Newman’s Own, which she literally inhaled the first time she tried it. Castor & Pollux’s Organix wet and dry foods and treats also made the grade. If you have any questions about what your pet's food contains, scrutinize the ingredient list and discuss things with your pet's vet: for a helpful primer, click here. And why not make sure kitty’s bowl is lead- and cadmium-free, like this adorable Jumping Cats water dish from Harry Barker? I also love the ingenious whisker-accommodating 100% recycled glass dishes from Big Shrimpy.
Toys & Scratchers
Last week, I brought home a boxful of kitty toys, and Tabitha went into stimulation overdrive until she finally blissed out into an organic catnip-induced coma, bright red felt lobster trapped in her happily flexing paws. She went bonkers for SmartyKat’s Fuzz Bugs, which have this satisfying crinkly backside and contain organic catnip and are made with 100% recycled plastic fiberfill. SmartyKat makes a host of other eco-toys (like the Chickadee chirp, which loses its charm in the middle of the night!) made with organic and recycled materials. Yeowww!’s retro-cute organic catnip rainbow really puts kitty in the mood, and she loves mice of any stripe, like these Itchy Knee’s reclaimed garment-district fabric ones, and these bright Harry Barker AZO free-dyed critters, which are sweet lurking in corners.
Not so sweet are Tabitha's claws, which she regularly sharpens on my bed, heirloom chairs, and the vintage loveseat. So I’m putting out more scratchers like the décor-friendly Wallflower, which is made with renewable, recyclable materials and non-toxic adhesives.
Kitty Litter
I’ve tried every litter under the sun, and after seeing kitty come wheezing out of a box filled with dusty clay litter—which stinks the most and usually contains harmful things like silica, binding agents, and artificial dyes and perfumes—I was determined to find a healthier, more environmentally friendly alternative. However, many of these left a soggy, smelly mess. I finally found the World’s Best Cat Litter, which honestly lives up to its name. It clumps perfectly (not like clay-based types, which can be like cement), totally commands odor, and, though pricey, lasts forever because you only add it to refresh and replenish. Made from corn, it’s 99% dust-free, biodegradable, and if caught in kitty’s paws, can safely be licked away. World’s Best tops my list, but other effective natural brands include Swheat Scoop, made from wheat, and Feline Pine, made from recycled pine.
Cleaning Supplies
Tabitha's a shedder, and loves to groom, which means regular hairballs on the hardwood floors. I recently tried both Zoomies certified organic and Castor & Pollux’s natural enzyme Out Spot! odor and stain removers and was amazed at how easily they dissolved the ick spots—so much better so, in fact, than the chemical cleaners I used to use. And since kitty doesn’t always leave her calling card on the floor, but rather on my billowed curtains or organic cotton linens, I love The Laundress' all-natural Le Chien et Le Chat laundry detergent, formulated specially for such deposits. It even contains an enzyme that keeps future hair from sticking! And Mrs. Meyers has a whole line of cruelty free, natural ingredient pet cleaning supplies; let’s just say I didn’t even realize that there was any odor at all until I spritzed some of the pleasant Freshening Spray. To keep things sweet, sprinkle a bit of the Pet Litter Freshener in the loo. Bath time? Mrs. M makes a mild Oatmeal Pet Shampoo; or try Castor & Pollux's natural, hypoallergenic Head to Tail.
Cat Beds
Ever-present stray hairs clinging to clothes don't always make the best first impression, so I’ve decided to establish designated “kitty lounge” areas, in hopes that she’ll leave her fur elsewhere. SmartyKat makes super soft, recycled soda-bottle beds like the chic CozyClamshell, deep Love Bucket, and Sassy Sofa; I’m laying Point Beach Outdoors' Cat Mat (made of recyled EcoFleece and monogrammable!) on the windowsill and lining her carrier with Harry B’s recycled plastic pet blanket. For a modern décor pick, Bella’s recycled cotton, recycled soda-bottle fiber-filled pet beds are plushy coils of fun that kitty will love to retreat into.