Naturally Fresh Walnut is the strongest all-around pick in this comparison for natural clumping without corn.
A soft, sand-like pine litter that avoids the pellet feel many cats reject while keeping dust and smell manageable.
A walnut-shell litter that clumps harder than many natural competitors and absorbs odor naturally without added fragrance.
Naturally Fresh clumps harder and costs less to run. Catalyst wins on texture alone, for cats that reject anything grainy or pelleted. If your cat is not fussy about what it stands on, this is not a close call.
This comparison page is maintained by the ReviewCatLitter editorial team and grounded in the same scoring framework used across the published review catalog.
Choose between them on texture, clumping, dust and price. Then, if the room still tells you where the box is, Purrify is activated carbon you mix into whichever bag you chose. It is what we use in our own homes.
Read our Purrify guide to plant-based litter and odor control.
Every figure below is a reading from our own test runs, not a rating. Where a run never took a reading it says so.
| Reading | Catalyst Soft Wood | Naturally Fresh Walnut | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dust weighed per pourDust caught on a filter and weighed while the bag goes into the box. Lower is better. | 0.15 mg | 0.13 mgbetter | 0.02 mg |
| Clumps that survived the drop testShare of clumps still whole after a three-foot drop. Higher is better. | 73% | 89%better | 16 points |
| Bag priceWhat the tested bag cost. Bag sizes differ, so read it next to cost per pound. | $27.99 | $24.99 | $3.00 |
| Cost per poundBag price divided by what is in the bag. Lower is better. | $1.56 | $0.96better | $0.60 |
| Cost per dayWhat the box costs to keep running each day. Lower is better. | $0.72 | $0.54better | $0.18 |
| Cost across a yearThat daily cost carried over a full year of use. Lower is better. | $263 | $197better | $66 |
Neither run recorded granules outside the box, ammonia after one day and ammonia after three days, so those rows are left out rather than filled in from a similar bag. The full test data shows every reading we have.
Primary tradeoff: Naturally Fresh Walnut's weakest area here is tracking.
Strongest odor control in this set with strong natural absorption.
It is also the cheapest daily option at $0.54 per day.
Scroll sideways to see every litter. Scores are editorial judgments out of 10.
| Product | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 8.7Very good | 8.8Very good |
| Pricing | ||
| Price | $27.99 | $24.99 |
| Weight | 18 lbs | 26 lbs |
| Cost / Day | $0.72 | $0.54 |
| Performance | ||
| Dust Control | 8.3 0.15mg per pour | 8.1 0.13mg per pour |
| Clumping | 7.7 Good for wood litter | 8.9 Hard for natural litter |
| Odor Control | 8.1 Fresh wood scent helps | 8.4 Strong natural absorption |
| Tracking Outside the Box | 8.3 Low | 7.4 Moderate |
| Value for Cost | 7 $0.72/day · $27.99 | 8.1 $0.54/day · $24.99 |
| Features | ||
| Type | Soft Wood / Pine | Walnut Shell |
| Flushable | ||
| Scented | No | No |
| Our Verdict | ||
| Best For | Cats that reject pellets | Natural clumping without corn |
| Read ReviewCheck Price | Read ReviewCheck Price | |
Catalyst Soft Wood makes the most sense for cats that reject pellets.
You want a soft, sand-like pine litter that avoids the pellet feel many cats reject while keeping dust and smell manageable.
You need a formula that solves natural clumping without corn better.
Naturally Fresh Walnut makes the most sense for natural clumping without corn.
You want a walnut-shell litter that clumps harder than many natural competitors and absorbs odor naturally without added fragrance.
You need a formula that solves natural clumping without corn better.
The nearest options to this matchup on score and on price.
Runs at $0.80 a day. Its dust was never weighed.
Weighed 0.04mg per pour and runs at $0.55 a day.
Weighed 0.15mg per pour and runs at $0.58 a day.
Naturally Fresh Walnut comes out ahead on the balance of dust, clumping, odor control, tracking and daily cost. Catalyst Soft Wood is still the one to buy for cats that reject pellets.
Naturally Fresh Walnut runs at $0.54 a day against $0.72 for Catalyst Soft Wood.
Naturally Fresh Walnut scored higher: strong natural absorption, against fresh wood scent helps for Catalyst Soft Wood.
Catalyst Soft Wood keeps more litter in the box: low, against moderate for Naturally Fresh Walnut.
Ultra holds its clumps better and pours less dust. Naturally Fresh is the plant litter that gets closest to it, for a little more per day.
Ultra is the better litter on every reading we took here. Catalyst exists for the cat that refuses clay outright.
Naturally Fresh is the way out of fragrance and heavy dust without paying premium clay money.
Naturally Fresh is the cheaper natural bag and clumps nearly as hard. Sustainably Yours flushes and tracks less.
Sustainably Yours suits a cat that wants a sand-like litter it can dig. Catalyst suits a cat that wants wood without pellets underfoot.
Corn against walnut. World's Best flushes and barely leaves the tray. Naturally Fresh held more clumps together in our drop test and costs less per day.