Why breeders, catteries & kitten rescues prefer pine cat litter
A quote by a NZ ragdoll breeder: “The type of litter tray doesn’t matter, it’s the litter that is key… pine pellet litter is the best”—
and another from an Auckland based kitten rescue: “I am loving the HERDD litter!!!!”.
So why is our kind of litter ‘the best’ for your cats? Here we will break down the reasons our natural litter has become the quiet favourite among the experts who care for cats every single day. And why HERDD pine pet litter.
Simply, it’s a litter that is organic, gentle & practical—it’s the litter choice trusted by the pros
When you walk into a reputable cattery or a dedicated kitten rescue, you’ll often notice one thing in common: pine litter. While stores & online are packed with clumping clay, crystals, expensive imported granules, & scented alternatives, many professional breeders, catteries & rescuers consistently choose pine pellets for raising healthy, confident kittens.
Low-dust & respiratory-friendly
Cats, especially kittens, have incredibly delicate respiratory systems. Traditional clay litters can release fine dust that irritates tiny noses & lungs—especially in enclosed indoor spaces.
Pine litter is virtually dust-free, making it safe for cats of all ages (& for the humans cleaning up after them).
Highly absorbent, naturally antibacterial & odour-neutralising
Pine contains natural hygroscopic characteristics & compounds (like robust cell walls & cavities, along with antimicrobial resin oils & abietic acids) that absorb moisture, help neutralise ammonia & suppress bacteria.
To understand how effective natural pine is at absorbing, you need to understand the cell structure within one pellet of litter {which contains multiple ‘cells’ in each}. When a cat wees on the litter, the pine’s cell walls absorb moisture many times over until those cell walls are fully saturated—this is called its ‘fibre saturation point’. Beyond this point, the cell cavities absorb moisture until they too are saturated. This is described as the point of ‘maximum moisture absorption’. This maximum point can be very high, with pine holding as much as 250% of its weight in moisture.
The antimicrobial resin oils & abietic acids owe to its ability to help neutralise ammonia smells & suppress bacteria. There are no synthetic or strong chemical fragrances present—just simply, natural scent control.
These characteristics are a key reason why HERDD pet litter is different to other pine pellet options on the market. Keep reading to find out why.
Gentle on paws, low tracking & encourages better hygiene
For delicate cat & kitten paws, the texture of the litter matters, & it also matters for cat owners. A low-tracking, easy to clean & dispose of litter, makes daily litter box cleaning take less effort & time.
Remember, most breeders, catteries & rescues care for multiple cats at once—so it’s a good test for cat hygiene & healthy living environments. Our litter offers hygiene advantages, including:
soft under paw pads
easy to dig in {for kittens, this makes litter training smooth & less stressful}
gives clear feedback to kittens—wet areas crumble, dry areas stay intact {helps them quickly learn good bathroom habits}
safe if accidentally ingested {by a curious baby}
low tracking, so more tidy indoors
Absorbs urine very quickly
Easy to maintain clean litter boxes, as soiled areas are visibly different
Odour-reducing properties
Easy disposal, so you do it more frequently {can go back into the soil guilt-free, where it came from}
Highly sustainable & biodegradable
Breeders & rescues go through A LOT of litter. Pine is made from the renewable byproduct of the timber industry—making it a more eco-conscious choice than synthetic or imported alternatives, or clay {mined}. It’s also far more robust than paper-pulp litter, which is a nice idea but it gets soggy quickly so you go through A LOT.
Using our litter reduces household waste heading into landfills; simply throw soiled, organic HERDD litter into the garden or compost. And if you need to bin it, it’s going to biodegrade in ~6mths in landfill.
The HERDD pet litter bag will biodegrade in ~90 days. It’s a truly eco-friendly choice.
Affordable
It’s very cost-effective, & doesn’t have the price tag of imported or synthetic litters. As well as price, it’s highly durable & long-lasting, so you use less.
For breeders, catteries & rescues—who run a business or charity—as well as cost conscious households, our litter offers an affordable, highly functional option.
So why HERDD pet litter?
Made from NZ’s highest density pine
HERDD pet litter is made from the highest density pine in New Zealand. Grown in the rich soils & warm climate of the far North of Northland, it’s density factor comes in at a high >475kg/m3. This means, it’s dense with absorbent, antibacterial timber cells, resin, oil & acid. Density means durability = long lasting = resilient. Scroll up this post & read again about the absorbency characteristics of pine cells, with this in mind. HERDD absorbs lots & fast, for a sustained period. You can only get our pine litter from us, under the HERDD brand.
A little goes a long way—we recommend 2-3cm depth in a simple tray, only.
Impact
On you: HERDD offers you 1) affordable quality {keeping prices as low as possible with rationale costs}, 2) greater convenience with ranging in handy places {like New World & PETstock}, 3) reduces the time & effort you need to put in to dealing with your cat’s litter tray, & 4) it’s super straight forward to dispose of.
Environment: HERDD is sustainably grown with the FSC mark for responsible forestry. It’s packaged in a 100% compostable paper bag. There is #zeroplastic packaging, something HERDD’s founder is very passionate about. It reduces household landfill waste, as both HERDD & its packaging is home compostable & breaks down fast.
Community: HERDD is passionate about contributing positively to our community, along with running a sustainable kiwi business. Since inception in 2021, we have supported The Attainable Trust, a community initiative for adults with intellectual & learning disabilities – we employ these very capable adults helping them grow their social & professional networks, increase their earning potential & give their full-time carers a reprieve. We challenge ourselves to create products with positive impact, like our water-less shampoo {no plastic bottle, yet quality shampoo} & our HERDD bar tote—supporting the NZ wool industry with innovative ideas. With this wool product, we’re a partner of The Campaign for Wool, patronised by King Charles III. In other areas of community, we are a sponsorship partner to the NZ Pony Club Association, & sponsor various sport events that include animals {e.g. equestrian, dog trials, cat shows}. We run fundraisers for animal rescues, such as Auckland City Kitties & Rodney Animal Rescue.
Trivial reasons, that are actually quite cool
Our resealable HERDD pet litter bag makes THE BEST cat toys! Give them the empty bag, & watch them have the best time. The tie is so fun to chase :)
If you have kids, make a Santa sack for your pet with the empty bag or open it up to lie flat & use as drawing/painting paper for arts & crafts.
If you’re gifting flowers or presents, use the empty HERDD bag paper layers as wrapping paper & the tie as a bow {see our HERDD hacks for more repurposing ideas}.
From its natural antibacterial & absorbent properties to its cat safe, sustainable &
affordability benefits, HERDD pet litter checks all the boxes for cat owners,
whether you are a professional or cat-loving busy household.
You can pick up a bag of HERDD pet litter (14 litres) at selected New World North Island, PETstock {including SI}, & all Animal Stuff & KiwiSeed stores.
