How I Designed a Natural Cat Litter That Solves Cat Parent Problems

If you share your home with cats, you’ll know there’s a constant balancing act. You want a clean, calm space for them and for you. You want something that supports daily routines, not adds to them.

With so many options in the cat care category, it can be hard to know which products actually make life easier in a real home. As a veterinarian, I’ve seen up close how the small details can make a cat comfortable. And as a cat parent and foster carer, I’ve experienced the frustration of products that look great on a label but don’t hold up once you’re living with them day after day.

Cat litter is one of those everyday essentials people don’t think much about until it causes problems. Odours that linger, dust that floats and tracks through the house, or a cat that suddenly feels unsure about the tray. That’s what led me to start asking a simple question: Can we do cat litter better?

This is the story behind MATCHA, my vet-designed, plant-based clumping cat litter, created for real cats and real homes.

Designing From the Cat’s Point of View

When I began designing a cat litter, I started where I always do as a vet: with the cat.

Cats evolved to prefer toileting in soft, sandy environments. Their paws are sensitive, and they rely heavily on scent and texture cues to feel safe in their space. Anything that feels sharp, sticky, overly scented, or unfamiliar can make them hesitate, even if it looks “clean” to us.

Consistency matters too. Cats prefer litter that feels the same each time they step into the tray. Sudden changes in texture, smell, or clumping behaviour can create stress, especially in multi-cat households or smaller homes where litter tray routines matter even more.

Rather than designing something around what looks good in photos or sounds impressive on a label, I focused on what cats actually respond to in day-to-day life: comfort, consistency, and a litter tray that stays easy to manage.

Why I Chose Tofu Cat Litter and What I Refused to Compromise On

When I explored materials, tofu cat litter stood out as a strong starting point. Done well, plant-based cat litter can offer a practical balance of comfort, performance, and a lighter footprint than some traditional litter types.

But choosing tofu wasn’t enough on its own.

Not all tofu litter performs the same, and not all options meet the standards I’d feel confident using in my own home. I paid close attention to:

• Clumping strength (tight clumps make daily cleaning easier)

• Moisture absorption

• How it performs over time, not just when freshly poured

• Dust levels

• Added fragrances and unnecessary additives
  
  

For a clumping cat litter to truly support a cleaner home, it needs to hold together reliably. Weak clumps break apart, leave residue behind, and make the tray harder to keep fresh. And while some litters rely on heavy fragrance to mask odours, that isn’t the approach I wanted. I prefer odour control that comes from the quality of the material.

Designing MATCHA meant testing, refining, and rejecting options that didn’t meet the criteria. It would have been easier to cut corners. But this wasn’t about being fast. It was about being thorough.

Why “Natural” and “Eco-Friendly” Have to Mean Something

Words like “natural” and “eco-friendly” are common in pet care, but they don’t always explain much on their own.

In my view, a natural cat litter should be thoughtfully made, consistent, and well tolerated by cats. Simply being derived from plant materials doesn’t automatically mean it’s the right fit for every home. The details matter.

The same goes for “eco-friendly.” For a litter to support more mindful routines, it needs to work well enough that you’re not constantly replacing it or overusing it to get the results you want. A product’s real-world performance is part of the picture.

Designing a Product I’d Use in My Own Home

One of the simplest tests I apply to any product is whether I would genuinely use it with my own cats.

I live with cats. I foster cats. I see cats in clinic every day. And like every cat household, I live with litter trays: the smells, the scooping, and the cleaning routines. It’s all part of life with cats.

My own cat, Kenji, is the chief litter tester in our home, alongside the foster cats and kittens that come through our care. If a litter doesn’t work for them in terms of texture, comfort, clumping consistency, and day-to-day use, it’s no longer an option.

Sustainability was also a key part of the design process. MATCHA is made using upcycled tofu and green tea by-products, giving new purpose to recycled materials rather than relying only on newly produced inputs. Not all tofu cat litters are formulated this way. Some use human-grade food ingredients, which aren’t necessary for litter performance and don’t always align with a more considered, plant-based approach. For me, responsible product design means using materials thoughtfully, without competing with the human food supply, while still delivering reliable performance in real homes.

MATCHA wasn’t created to chase trends or build a brand quickly. It was designed to be a practical, high-performing, low-dust, plant-based cat litter I could stand behind both professionally and personally.

Because at the end of the day, this litter was always meant for homes like mine.

What This Means When Buying Cat Litter Online

With so many options available, buying cat litter online can feel like a lot of comparison shopping and trial and error.

When you’re choosing a tofu cat litter or any natural clumping cat litter, I encourage cat carers to look beyond buzzwords and consider how the product has been designed:

• Does it clump well and stay consistent, or does it crumble and contaminate the rest of the tray and your floor?

• Does it help keep the tray easier to manage day after day?

• Is it low-dust and comfortable for sensitive paws?

• Does it rely on heavy fragrance and chemicals or focus on performance and safety?

Understanding the thinking behind a product can save time, reduce frustration, and help create a calmer, more comfortable environment for everyone sharing the home.

Evolving for the Better

Cats are individuals, and every household is different. What works beautifully for one cat might not be perfect for another. What I do believe in is thoughtful design guided by evidence, experience, and ongoing learning.

Best Fur Forward was built on that principle. Our products will continue to evolve as I listen to cat carers and keep learning from the cats themselves, so we can refine what works in real homes.

Curious to see the difference a vet-designed tofu cat litter can make? Try MATCHA and experience a natural, plant-based clumping cat litter created with cat comfort and cleaner home routines in mind.