Before you pay to develop an exclusive formula, find out what your customers actually need improved. This guide walks through the decision, the economics, the sample validation and the brief — so a custom formula earns its place on evidence, not on instinct.
Evaluate an existing formula first — validate demand, packaging and distribution before paying for development.
Customize when you have a specific unmet need, a way to test it, and the budget and demand to support it.
A competitor launches cat litter that looks similar to yours. Your first reaction might be to develop an exclusive formula. Before you commit, identify what your customers actually need you to improve.
Are they reporting dust when pouring, clumps that break during scooping, an overpowering scent, or bags that are difficult to handle? Or is the pressure coming from a competitor's price and distribution?
These problems call for different responses. A formula change may address a product performance gap. Packaging, stock availability or a better purchasing arrangement may be more relevant to other problems.
For pet brands and importers, the useful decision is whether customization can deliver a measurable improvement at a cost and order volume the business can support. This guide explains how to make that decision, compare samples and prepare a development brief.
Start by evaluating an existing formula when it meets your requirements, you are testing demand, or your main opportunity lies in packaging and distribution. Consider customization when you have a specific unmet need, a way to test the improvement, and sufficient budget and expected demand to support development and repeat orders.
A standard formula can remain a sound long-term choice. A custom formula earns its place when its benefits survive sample testing, commercial evaluation and production validation.
Private label means the product is sold under your brand. It can involve either an existing formula or a customized one.
OEM commonly refers to manufacturing against a buyer's agreed specification. ODM generally involves supplier-led design or development, which may start from an existing formulation. Suppliers use these terms differently, so describe the work you need rather than relying on the label alone.
Formula ownership, confidentiality and exclusivity require separate agreement. Paying for development does not, by itself, tell you which rights are included.
For a broader introduction to cooperation models, see our OEM vs ODM cat litter guide. Here, the focus is the purchasing decision: what should change, how you will evaluate it, and whether the project makes commercial sense.
An existing product is worth evaluating first when you have limited customer feedback or have not yet confirmed demand for the proposed improvement.
Compare the available specifications before commissioning development. A different grade, granule option or existing blend may already address your requirement. Review tofu cat litter grades alongside tofu-bentonite and tofu-cassava mixed cat litter where relevant to your range.
Staying with an existing formula can also be appropriate when:
Choosing a standard formulation does not limit your business to competing on price. Packaging convenience, reliable supply, customer support and channel relationships can also give customers reasons to choose your brand.
Customization becomes more useful when you can connect a recurring customer problem to an observable product requirement.
For example, repeated complaints about clumps breaking during scooping could justify comparing samples under a defined scooping or handling test. Requests for a milder scent could justify evaluating fragrance options with the intended users. Neither example establishes that a new formula is necessary; existing options should remain part of the comparison.
Use the following decision table before requesting development:
| Your situation | Sensible next step | Evidence to collect |
|---|---|---|
| Launching a first SKU with limited feedback | Compare existing products | Sample results, customer preferences and initial demand |
| Recurring complaints about a specific performance issue | Compare an existing alternative with a proposed adjustment | Complaint patterns and a repeatable test |
| A retailer supplies a specification your current product cannot meet | Request a feasibility review | Written requirements and acceptance criteria |
| Customers want a different bag format or handling experience | Review packaging first | Handling feedback, pack tests and packaging costs |
| A competitor offers a lower price | Compare equivalent purchasing and distribution costs | Matched specifications, quantities and trade terms |
| An exclusive product is central to your strategy | Discuss development scope and supply rights separately | Defined product requirements and written commercial terms |
If the only brief is "make it different," the project is not ready for formulation work. Identify the customer benefit and what you are willing to trade for it.
You do not need to customize every part of the product. Start with the smallest change that could solve the identified problem, then evaluate its effects on the rest of the specification.
Specify the performance you want before choosing a blend ratio. Different material combinations should be assessed as complete products, using their actual ingredient specifications and test results.
Ask what a proposed change is intended to improve and what else must be retested. Do not transfer performance or disposal claims from one formulation to another simply because both are called mixed cat litter.
Define the dimensions and tolerances you want to compare. Evaluate handling, fines after transport and the intended use conditions instead of assuming a visibly different granule is a better product.
If compatibility with a particular litter box matters, include that equipment and its requirements in the evaluation. An appearance change alone does not establish compatibility or a defensible product advantage.
Separate fragrance preference from odor-control performance. A stronger scent is not evidence that a product controls odors better.
Describe the intended benefit, agree on an appropriate evaluation method and compare like-for-like samples. Any new functional claim should be supported by evidence for the finished product before it appears on packaging or sales materials.
A specification is useful only if it can guide repeat production. Agree on the acceptable range, test method and response when a batch falls outside that range.
Ask how the approved sample and specification will be identified, how material changes will be handled, and what records will accompany future orders. Consistency can be a valuable reason for customers to reorder even when the underlying formulation is not unique.
Bag size, opening, closure, storage and product instructions may address a customer problem without changing the formula.
Evaluate packaging with the actual product and intended handling conditions. Consider printed packaging quantities, artwork costs, storage and replenishment alongside the customer benefit. Additional pack sizes can increase complexity even when they use the same litter.
Ask for a quotation that separates the costs of development, samples, testing, packaging setup and production. Confirm which charges recur, which apply once, and what happens if another sample round is needed.
Then compare two practical scenarios: continuing with the best suitable existing formula and launching the proposed custom product.
Include:
Use the same unit and currency throughout. Additional contribution means the difference in selling revenue less variable costs between the two options. If the expected contribution improvement is zero or negative, this calculation does not produce a positive payback volume.
Also compare cash requirements and unsold-stock risk; a favorable per-unit margin does not ensure that the first order is affordable. Treat an assumed price premium or reduction in returns as a hypothesis until customer evidence supports it.
Begin with a written evaluation plan. Keep the relevant test conditions consistent so that a different result is more likely to reflect the product change rather than a different method.
| Record | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Current product or benchmark | Establishes what the new sample must improve on |
| Sample ID, date and specification | Identifies exactly what was tested |
| Priority metric and test method | Makes the desired improvement assessable |
| Acceptance criteria | Defines the threshold for a purchasing decision |
| Other properties to monitor | Helps detect an improvement that creates another problem |
| Result and next action | Supports approval, revision or stopping the project |
Change a limited number of variables between samples where feasible. If formula, granule size, fragrance and packaging all change at once, it becomes harder to understand what produced the result.
Our cat litter quality testing guide can help frame the evaluation discussion. Before bulk production, agree on how the approved sample relates to the production specification and how the first production batch will be checked.
A sample approval should lead to a documented purchasing specification, not just a message saying "this one looks good."
A custom formula may create a useful difference for your customers. It does not guarantee that other products cannot achieve similar performance.
Discuss the supplier's existing know-how, any newly developed work, your usage rights and any proposed exclusivity before approving the project. If exclusivity is relevant, clarify what it covers, its duration and territory, and any purchasing commitments attached to it.
Confidentiality is another part of the arrangement. The World Intellectual Property Organization explains that trade secret protection does not prevent others from independently developing the same information. For background, see WIPO's overview of trade secrets.
The practical purchasing question is which technical and supply arrangements support your business, and how those arrangements will be documented.
A focused brief gives the supplier enough information to evaluate the request without assuming that every requirement is feasible or included in the price.
| Brief item | What to provide |
|---|---|
| Market and channel | Destination country and intended customer or retail channel |
| Product starting point | Litter type, current specification or benchmark sample |
| Customer problem | What users report and how often it occurs |
| Development objective | One primary improvement and other properties that must be maintained |
| Evaluation method | How you will compare and approve samples |
| Commercial constraints | Target purchasing cost, first-order volume and expected reorder demand |
| Packaging | Bag format, size, number of SKUs and artwork status |
| Timing | Desired launch date and time available for testing |
| Rights and supply requirements | Any confidentiality or exclusivity needs to discuss |
You can use this brief to start a discussion with Gormeet about private label cat litter manufacturing. The selected specification and project scope should determine the quotation, sample arrangements and schedule.
Related: OEM vs ODM Cat Litter Guide · 15 Questions to Ask a Cat Litter Factory · Why Samples Never Match Bulk Orders · Custom Formulation Capability
No. An existing formula may meet your requirements. Compare samples, purchasing conditions and packaging options first. Consider development when you identify a meaningful requirement that the available products do not satisfy.
They can be relevant when they address a specific customer preference or use requirement. Check feasibility and evaluate the finished sample. A visible or sensory change alone does not establish better performance, exclusivity or protection from imitation.
Do not assume that it does. The scope should specify how existing supplier know-how and newly developed work may be used, along with any ownership, confidentiality and exclusivity terms.
Timing depends on the requested changes, materials, sample revisions, testing and approvals. Ask for separate estimates for sample preparation, delivery, evaluation, packaging and production rather than treating a sample lead time as the full launch schedule.
Not necessarily. Container loading, formula production and printed packaging have different constraints. Confirm each formula's and SKU's minimum quantity separately, then discuss whether the approved products can share a shipment.
Use the sample request page to discuss product options and confirm the applicable sample and shipping terms.
Request Samples →Share your target market, benchmark, evaluation criteria, packaging requirements and expected order volume. We will come back with a scope assessment.
Discuss Your Brief →Reviewed by Gormeet Quality & R&D Team | Last updated: September 2026