Cat Litter Specification Guide for Retailers

A specification sheet is the document that turns a cat litter listing from a marketing claim into a purchase decision. Retail buyers and their QA teams read it before they read the copy, and three fields decide whether the product fits the shelf.

Base material is the first. It determines clumping behaviour, dust and how the litter feels in the hand. Tofu, cassava and corn are starch-based and light per litre; wood is heavier and absorbs differently; a blended or custom line sits somewhere between. None of these is universally better - they serve different price points and different customers, so the spec should name the material plainly rather than hide behind a category word.

Pellet size or granule grade is the second. It affects how the litter pours, how a cat accepts it, and how much dust a bag throws during transit. The figure should be a measured range from your supplier, not a catalogue average, because the same line can run at 1.5 mm or 3 mm depending on the die.

Pack size and outer-carton count is the third, and the one that decides your margin. A small change in pack size moves the number of cartons per container by a few per cent, and that compounds across a year of shipments. Confirm the load factor against the exact pack you will order, and make sure the net weight, country of origin and material description read identically on the spec, the invoice and the shipping papers - a mismatch is what slows a clearance, not the litter itself.

For private label, the same three fields apply, plus the labelling rules of your destination market. Raise those at quoting stage, because the artwork is cheaper to change before the film is cut than after the first container has sailed.