Phoenix man making earth-friendly kitty litter with recycled tires

Phoenix - Recycled tires are often used to make asphalt and childrens' playgrounds, but a Phoenix man is turning ground rubber tires into re-usable, earth-friendly kitty litter.

John King got the idea from his desire to help the planet and his dislike for traditional clay cat litter.

"It was awful, he said. "There was dust all over the place. It was all over the floor. And, I'd walk around barefoot and it would hurt. Plus, it doesn't really smell that well."

King founded Envirokats in 2010.

"It's just ground tire -- that's ground up to the consistency of your typical cat litter," he said.

Once the rubber is no longer on the road, it can become a burial ground for your cat's waste.

And Envirokats is already getting rave reviews from those who use it.

"If you're doing a one out of five, I'd give it a five," said Cheri Minauri, who runs AJs Best Friends Persian and Himalayan Rescue out of her Gilbert home. "My cats give it four paw up."

She said by using Envirokats, she's helping to save the environment and her money.

"We were spending a lot on litter, said Minauri. And, we would prefer to spend our money on surgeries and medical supplies that are needed for these cats.

Minauri agrees with King, the system is easy to use. Simply pour water over the rubber litter in a double bin cat box. Cat urine drains to the bottom bin, which you remove and empty.

King recommends scooping out solid waste and disposing it in a biodegradable bag. He said it's a simple change that could benefit all of us.

"Just look in your everyday life, and see what you can do on a daily basis to make it a cleaner planet," said King.