(PRESS RELEASE) LOUISVILLE, CO – Every year, the world celebrates Earth Day to raise awareness about environmental issues and inspire action for a healthier planet. While the day is a great reminder about the importance of environmentalism, Catalyst Pet believes sustainability, as well as health, should be practiced every day of the year. That’s why the company created a high-performance cat litter that provides a healthier and cleaner option for cats and the planet. Since its inception, the brand has displaced 34 million pounds of clay litter.
“Caring for our pets in the best ways can sometimes be at odds with striving to be environmentally conscious but, with Catalyst Pet, that’s not the case,” says Jonah Levine, Catalyst Pet’s senior product manager. “We like to say that Catalyst Pet is healthy for your cat and healthy for our planet.”
Catalyst Pet is a completely sustainable, biodegradable, high performance clumping litter made of upcycled soft pine wood. Clay litters contain the chemical compound silica, which, when inhaled, is considered a carcinogen. The more a feline kicks up litter, the more of it gets circulated in the air, potentially causing respiratory problems for both cats and humans. Catalyst Pet is made with zero contaminants, and that includes silica. Plus, it’s 99% dust-free, leaving respiratory irritants behind.
Another reason clay litters can be harmful for cats is due to the sodium bentonite, which is used as a clumping agent. When exposed to liquids, sodium bentonite can swell up to 15 times its natural size. This can be concerning when the mineral gets on a cat’s fur and paws, and he licks it off. Ingesting too much can lead to sodium bentonite toxicosis and, potentially, intestinal blockings. Kittens are particularly vulnerable to this because they may want to taste the litter out of childlike curiosity.
Sodium bentonite isn’t only harmful for cats. How the mineral is strip-mined is damaging for the planet. A 2017 report reveals that more than five billion pounds of sodium bentonite is mined each year just for cat litter, with the vast majority ending up in landfills—more than 125,000 truckloads each year—since it’s not biodegradable. Catalyst Pet does not require precious resources for its manufacture. The upcycled soft wood fiber used to make it is collected from wood processing facilities that would otherwise be sent to a landfill.
The pet industry is responsible for around 300 million pounds of plastic waste per year in the U.S., according to an estimate from the Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC), a respected non-profit organization dedicated to creating a more sustainable pet industry.
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In 2021, Catalyst Pet received its accreditation from the PSC, which enables pet companies to act on their sustainability claims and make their impact come to life. “By getting accredited, we’re able to show our customers, retailers, and pet community at large how we’re protecting our planet while offering a high-performance product at the same time,” Levine says. “You don’t have to sacrifice one for the other.”
To become accredited, companies must complete a comprehensive third-party sustainability assessment, complete a formal verification of their assessment, and show annual improvement. “The process help us accurately benchmark our impact, revealing how we as a company are doing and what we can work on to do better – because there is always better,” says Levine.
And while Catalyst Pet is continually looking for ways to do better, everyone needs to do their part. The team has compiled a simple list of easy ways for pet parents to better care for the planet and its precious resource:
- Adopt Don’t Shop: Adopting from a shelter is one of the greenest actions you can take.
- Spay or Neuter Your Pets: In the U.S. alone, more than 70,000 puppies and kittens are born each day. Spaying and neutering helps to significantly reduce the number of animals that end up homeless or living in shelters.
- For Non-Consumable Products, Buy Organic: Opt for organic bedding, as well as toys, leashes, harnesses, and collars made from natural materials that do not contain vinyl, phthalates, or BPA. Use eco-friendly, natural pet shampoos and cleaning products free from toxic chemicals whenever possible.
- Choose Better Litter: As mentioned above, most cat lovers are not aware that traditional clay litters are usually made of sodium bentonite, a mineral that is strip-mined and not biodegradable. Since inception, Catalyst Pet has displaced 34 million pounds of clay.
Give Away, Don’t Throw Away: Animal shelters can make great use of old items that are no longer being used, including gently used water dishes, leashes, collars, brushes, grooming tools, and beds.
- Buy Food and Pet Supplies in Bulk: Not only does this reduce trips to the store and frequency of online orders, it also significantly cuts down on the amount of packaging that ultimately ends up in the landfill. Pay attention to packaging materials and try to buy products packaged in recycled or recyclable materials.
- Support Environmentally Conscious Manufacturers: Buy eco-friendly pet products, such as those made from recycled materials.
To learn more about Catalyst Pet and the company’s health and sustainability initiatives, visit catalystpet.com.
For more information or to receive a product sample, please email Kelly at Kelly.nelson@mac.com.
About Catalyst Pet
Catalyst is an award-winning revolutionary cat litter, the only one engineered from upcycled soft wood fiber to offer the best performance and peace of mind. Lightweight, minimally scented, odor-trapping and cat-friendly, Catalyst exceeds both natural and conventional clay alternatives so pet parents can make the responsible, renewable, sustainable choice. Join the revolution! For more information, visit www.catalystpet.com.
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