Editing Litter box (section)

===Biodegradable litter===
Biodegradable litters are made from various plant resources, including pine wood pellets, recycled newspaper, clumping sawdust, Brazilian cassava, pea husk, corn, wheat, walnuts, barley, [[soy pulp]], and dried orange peels.

Each year, more than two million tons of cat litter ends up in landfills in the US alone. Primarily, this is not biodegradable or renewable and adds to the waste burden.<ref>{{cite book |first=Judd |last=Alexander |title=In Defense of Garbage |publisher=Praeger |date=1993|isbn=0275936279|page=60}}</ref> Some pet owners prefer biodegradable litters due to its friendliness to the environment. Biodegradable cat litter can also be eliminated completely by safely [[composting]] the used litter at home. Other cat owners can be attracted to the biodegradable litters because of their flushability or deodorizing properties.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/sep/23/practicaladvice.ethicalliving |title=Tackling the carbon pawprint |access-date=30 November 2008 |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |date=23 September 2006 |first=Dave |last=Hall}}</ref> Some pets, such as those with [[asthma]] or sensitive senses of smell, may also benefit from the reduced dust in some forms of biodegradable litter.

Biodegradable litter packaged for cats tends to be more expensive than traditional clay litters, so cost is often not a positive factor in their selection. Most biodegradable litters last longer than the equivalent clay or clumping clay litters.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://welovecatsandkittens.com/cat-litter/eco-friendly-cat-litter/|date=24 November 2024 |title=Best Eco-Friendly Cat Litter (2024): 6 Top Sustainable Choices }}</ref> Grain-based animal or poultry feed also provides an economical alternative to products marketed specifically as cat litter. Additionally, most of these forms of litter are recycled from human usage and are thus reusing a waste product as opposed to drawing clay from mines.

[[Guar gum]] was the principal clumping agent used in biodegradable cat litter as of 2013,{{sfn|Vaughn|Kenar|Felker|Berhow|2013|p=798}} with a clumping rate of 69.8%, while [[xanthan gum]] (73.9%) and [[plantago]] [[Natural gum|gum]] (57.5%) were identified in one study as potential alternatives.{{sfn|Vaughn|Kenar|Felker|Berhow|2013|p=800}}{{r|AG}} It is also added to bentonite litter to increase its clumping capacity.{{r|AG1}} In 2020, it was still being used in tests of new wood-based biodegradable litter formulations.{{sfn|Vaughn|Winkler-Moser|Berhow|Byars|2020|p=4}}