The scoop on eco-friendly cat litter

Leah writes:

Hey Enviromoms, what's the deal with cat litter? I've read here and there that clay based cat litter is one of the worst things for the environment, yet there does not seem to be much talk of it, and I've never heard anything about the alternatives... Any of you or your readers have experience with the "eco-friendly" cat litters on the market? Are they effective? Do they clump like my Cedar Fresh Step does? How's the stink factor? Are they more expensive?

I haven't had a cat for six years so I don't have any personal insight to share (other than the fact that I don't miss scooping kitty poop). I found some info at TreeHugger, the Times News and Planet Green. Traditional clay 'clumping' litter is strip-mined, is not biodegradable and contain carcinogens like silica dust and sodium bentonite, which is used in manufacturing industrial sealants. Because kitties lick themselves, these chemicals can easily end up in their bodies. Flushable litters are also controversial because waste water treatment plants cannot always remove the toxic parasites in kitty poop that comes from eating birds, rodents, etc. and ultimately end up in our rivers, lakes and oceans. (This might not be an issue if your cat is indoors all the time, but I've also talked to a guy from the Department of Environmental Quality who says our sewer systems are so overtaxed that ANYTHING beyond toilet paper and human waste really puts a strain on the system.) So what's a kitty owner to do?

There are eco-friendly options out there. Brands like Feline Pine and Swheat Scoop are made from renewable resources, are biodegradable and contain no chemicals. I'm sure there are other brands, too. But how do they work? And has anyone tried composting kitty litter? It seems like composting potentially toxic kitty poop would be as risky to the water table as flushing it...but I don't know. Maybe you scoop out the poop first? Please share your eco-friendly kitty litter stories with Leah and the rest of the cat-owning EnviroMom population!

(Photo from Cat Facts)