Verdict: Top Choice for Kittens [8.3/10]
Catlux? It’s one of the most badass kitten-friendly cat litters down under in Australia.
Picture this: it’s like a cloud for kitty paws, yet tough as nails when it comes to clumping. Low dust? Check. Odor? It’s got that under control like a boss.
But hey, no hero is without a flaw. Tracking’s the kryptonite here, probably because this stuff is lighter than air.
Full Catlux cat litter review below:
Pros
Easy on the paws
Kitten friendly
Australian made
Easy to scoop
Cons
Tracks easily
Sticks a little
Plastic packaging
Weird bag sizing
Features
Made from softwood
Unscented
Clumping
Flushable
No additives
$7.59 to fill litter tray
52% litter fills per kg
Made in Australia
Catlux ranks #1 of 16 Australian based cat litter products.
Catlux Cat Litter Review
Overview
What: Catlux, a wood-based cat litter.
Where: Available in Australia, online and in supermarkets.
Testing: Tested with my kittens, Maxie and Cleo. I also used an air-quality monitor for dust testing. Learn more by reading out review guidelines.
First Impressions: The plastic packaging seems cheap, but it’s just cat litter, right?
Value for Money | Rating: 7.7/10
Sizing: Available in 6L and 24L sizes. Could use a mid-range size (e.g. 12L).
Fills per bag: 6L bag yields 1.2 litter tray fills at $7.49 each. 24L bag offers almost 5 fills (4.8) and saves about $1.5 per fill.
Volume: Gets around 52% of a fill per kg. A 6L bag equates to around 2.3kg so will comfortably fill a cat litter tray with left over.
Overall: Catlux offers good value, though lacks intermediate sizes.
Dust Control | Rating: 8.4/10
Out the bag: Catlux is a small sized litter made of wood. I didn’t notice much of a dust cloud.
Air-Quality Test: The levels of fine particle dust (PM2.5) stayed in good levels when tested with an air quality monitor. Peak dust was 6.6 µg/m3 which is lower than the average max for tested cat litter 14.1 µg/m3.
Overall: Very good for health and those with breathing difficulties.
Learn more:
Absorption | Rating: 9.7/10
Paper Towel Test: Catlux absorbed 97% of 30ml water at 4cm depth, exceeding the market average of 90%.
Clumping: Forms easy-to-scoop clumps due to small granule size.
Sticking: Minimal, especially with daily tray cleaning. Got a tiny bit of sticking due to cat peeing near the sides.
Overall: Excellent absorption performance with Catlux.
Odor Control | Rating: 8.0/10
Smell Test: Based on my subjective smell test, I found this did a great job considering there’s no additives like activated carbon.
Overall: Gets the job done with consistent daily cleaning.
Note: Odor control is subjective and depends on many factors (e.g. diet, litter tray, ventilation, cleaning habits).
Tracking | Rating: 4.9/10
Density: One of the lightest cat litter products on the market at 2.6 g/ml (market average is 1.8 g/ml). More prone to getting kicked about.
Size: Comes in fine wood granules that are about 2 x 1 mm. Can stick to paws and get kicked out the tray.
Tracking Observation: Gets kicked around as expected, and leaves some residue (see pictures below).
Overall: This litter tracks quite a bit and leaves some residue. Warrants a high sided tray and litter mat.
Cat Enjoyment | Rating: 8.0
Usage: Cats preferred Catlux over generic clay litter, using it 2.5 times more often than the average preference ratio of 1.2.
Softness: Firm yet cushiony and gentle on the hands.
Overall: Excellent, kitten-friendly litter that’s soft and paw-friendly.
| Day | Test | Control |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 1.5 | 3 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2.5 | 2 | 1 |
| Total | 10 | 4 |
Review Limitations
I tested the litter for three days, with one day for acclimation and two for testing, which might be insufficient to determine the kittens’ preference.
The litter tray was emptied three times a day to maintain cleanliness and minimize bias, except at night, which could have affected the results.
Experiment litter boxes used were 42cm long, shorter than the recommended size, which is at least 1.5 times the cat’s length.
Research suggests cats prefer larger boxes (at least 1.5x the size of your cat).
Catlux Softwood Cat Litter Review Notes
- Review date: 20 October – 23 October 2023
- Testing methodology: 1.1 (see here)
- Test cat litter: Catlux softwood cat litter
- Control cat litter: Smitten clay litter
- Cats: 2 cats (Cleo and Maxi) (see our cat testers here)
- Temperature: 30 degrees Celsius
- Humidity: 31%
Changelog:
- 07 January 2024 – Update
- 23 October 2023 – First upload of content using testing methodology 1.1
Catlux Cat Litter Alternatives
Here’s a comparison of Catlux with two similar competing products.
Reviews:
Catlux
Cat’s Best
World’s Best
Conclusion
Catlux is a wood based cat litter found in Australia.
Best suited for:
- Kittens
- Multi-cat houses
- Those after clumping litter that’s easy to scoop
- Affordability
Unfortunately the litter main weak point is it tracks due to it’s light weight texture. Get around that (e.g. mat, high sided tray) and you’re golden.
