There&#;s nothing worse than a litter box that announces itself before you enter the room&#;an annoyance that most cat owners have, at one point or another, experienced. Bringing home a formulate that makes a total mess of your litter box and house is basically a cat owner rite of passage. While no blend is likely to make routine maintenance enjoyable, the best cat litters give off little dust and odor, so scooping and cleaning is a little less unpleasant. After testing eight popular formulas with the aid of my cat, Piper, I believe the absolute best option is Dr. Elsey&#;s Ultra. Not only is this top-rated litter reasonably priced, but it gives off very little dust, masks even the strongest smells and clumps nicely.
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While litter box maintenance will probably never be your favorite chore, the best cat litters make ... [+] the necessary task a whole lot easier.
Illustration: Forbes / Image: RetailersBelow, here are all the winners from my testing process:
While not the most exciting purchase, litter is a household essential if you have a cat&#;and it&#;s not an overstatement to say that finding actually-good litter can improve the quality of your life. These days, formulas are made from a wide range of materials, including but not limited to clay, silica and plant-derived matter. While each kind has its draw, most experts recommended unscented, clumping clay litter. &#;Clay litter is the most economical, one of the most absorbent substances to use and is also easy to scoop and clean,&#; says Dr. Zach Coston, DVM, of Dutch, an online veterinary service. Beyond that, it&#;s important to find a product that controls odors and doesn&#;t make a mess of your home. Ahead, here are the most promising formulas guaranteed to please cats and their owners alike.
Chewy
Type: Medium-grain bentonite clay | Scent: Unscented | Packaging: Bag, box | Sizes: 18, 20 or 40 pounds
Best for:
Skip if:
Dr. Elsey&#;s Ultra is an unscented clumping clay litter with a medium grain size, and during testing, it ticked all the boxes for what a cat litter should deliver. The formula formed solid clumps out of liquids and, after several days of use, it smelled just as fresh as when we started. My cat and testing assistant, Piper, also gave her seal of approval to this litter, switching over to it with no hesitation.
While other litters produced large dust clouds when added to the box, Dr. Elsey&#;s was practically dust-free both during its initial pour and subsequent scooping. I tested the unscented option, and true to its claim, there was no discernible smell that might bother you or your cat. Plus, after daily scooping for a week, it maintained its neutral scent, making this the best cat litter for odor control.
Piper checking out a fresh litter box filled with Dr. Elsey's Ultra.
Camryn RabideauThis litter formed solid, hard clumps that were easy to scoop out of the litter box, and while Piper did kick some litter onto the floor while she was digging around, the mess was confined to the immediate area&#;it didn&#;t get tracked all over my bathroom. (If you&#;re worried about tracking, you can always invest in a litter mat.) When we finished testing this litter, there were a few small spots where clumps had stuck to the bottom of the plastic pan, but they came right off when I rinsed out the box.
My only gripe with Dr. Elsey&#;s is its packaging. Multiple sizes (including the 40-pound version) come in a plastic bag that doesn&#;t have a handle for carrying or any way to reseal the package. When the bag is full, it&#;s quite unwieldy to lift and pour, and there&#;s no easy way to store it unless you transfer it into a different container. However, I don&#;t think the packaging is a deal-breaker. (For more details, check out my in-depth Dr. Elsey&#;s Ultra review.)
The Forbes Vetted Best Product Awards are here: Explore our 150 top-recommended items across categories after extensive research and testing.
Chewy
Type: Clay | Scent: Unscented | Packaging: Bag | Sizes: 16, 28 or 40 pounds
Best for:
Skip if:
If you&#;ve tried out multiple litters for your cat, you know that they don&#;t all clump the same; some masses stick to the bottom of the litter box while others break apart when you try to scoop them. Of all the litters I tested, Boxiecat Premium yielded the most solid, easy-to-scoop clumps. Its special formula comes together faster than other litters when your cat pees, which means the clumps don&#;t sink down to the bottom of the pan. While Piper would still bury her waste, meaning her messes weren&#;t right on top (like the brand claims), nothing stuck to the litter box.
The clumps don't sink to the bottom of the box, making for easy scooping.
Camryn RabideauThe litter does have a few small drawbacks. For one, it gave off a little bit of dust when I filled up the litter box, plus it tracked quite a bit, ending up all over the bathroom floor. Boxiecat is also on the more expensive side, costing close to $1 per pound. If the main quality you want in a litter is easy scooping, though, it&#;s worth the extra cost. Adding to its ease of use: While the 28-pound option comes in a plastic bag, it&#;s not difficult to pour, thanks to its smart handle. (Check out my full review of Boxiecat Premium.)
Chewy
Type: Clay micro-granules | Scent: Unscented | Packaging: Cardboard box | Sizes: 14, 19, 28, 38 or 40 pounds
Best for:
Skip if:
Dusty litter can be irritating for both you and your cat&#;s respiratory systems, not to mention annoying. While many of the litters I tested claimed to be dust-free, no formula lived up to this promise as thoroughly as Arm & Hammer Slide Easy Clean-Up Clumping Litter. This litter had a notably softer, finer texture than all the other clay litters, with fine micro-granules that resembled sand. Better yet, it didn&#;t create any dust when I poured it out of the box or when I scooped it. Its fine texture also makes it a top pick for cats with sensitive paws.
Piper was eager to dig her paws into the Arm and Hammer litter.
Camryn RabideauPackaged in a classic cardboard box, the container has a tab you can pull that allows you to easily remove the whole lid&#;ideal for getting the last few pieces out of the box. While its clumps tend to be on the softer side (which can occasionally break into pieces during scooping), the litter doesn&#;t stick to the sides or bottom of the box. When it comes time to replace the litter, dumping it out is truly effortless.
My biggest complaint about this litter is that it developed a slight funky odor after several days, even with regular scooping. It didn&#;t smell like pet waste, exactly&#;it was more of a musty scent. Though it didn&#;t bother me (or Piper) too much, this might not be the best option if you&#;re sensitive to smells.
Chewy
Type: Clay with activated charcoal | Scent: Unscented | Packaging: Resealable pail, jug | Sizes: 14, 20, 35 or 40 pounds
Best for:
Skip if:
At the end of the day, cat litter is designed to be thrown away, so it makes sense if you don&#;t want to buy the nicest kind out there&#;especially considering how regularly you need to restock. If you&#;re hoping to keep costs low, Tidy Cats Free & Clean Unscented Clumping Litter is the best budget-friendly litter I tested. Not only did this litter carry a low price tag (around $0.55 per pound, depending on where you buy it), but it also comes in my favorite kind of packaging: a resealable jug or pail with a comfortable handle for carrying.
Among the Tidy Cats litter's best features: Its resealable packaging.
Camryn RabideauWhile its performance wasn&#;t quite on the same level as Dr. Elsey&#;s, the Tidy Cats litter earned much higher marks than the other less-expensive options I tested. It produced minimal dust when poured out, and there was only a small amount of tracking after several days of use. Plus, this litter contains activated-charcoal granules that kept it free of odors throughout the testing period. (&#;Activated charcoal helps absorb and neutralize offensive odors without creating unnecessary scents that may be off-putting to your cat,&#; says Dr. Coston.)
The main area where this litter struggled was the clumping department. Whereas other blends formed solid masses that were easy to remove, Tidy Cats&#; tended to have a softer gummy consistency that stuck to my litter scoop. Not only did I need to wipe off my scoop on occasion, but the gunk also stuck to the floor and sides of the litter pan. That said, I don&#;t consider this issue to be a deal-breaker, especially since the blend&#;s price and packaging are some of the best.
I also tested four other cat litters that didn&#;t quite make the cut.
Fresh Step Advanced Simply Unscented: Despite its claims of being 99.9% dust-free, this litter created a powdery mess in my bathroom. It did clump and manage odors well, but it didn&#;t deliver on one of its main promises.
Frisco Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter: For reasons unclear to me, Piper absolutely loved the scent of this litter (it didn&#;t smell any different than the others to me), but it was outrageously dusty. When I poured it into the litter box, it created a noticeable cloud of dust, and I actually heard Piper sneezing while she was using it.
World&#;s Best Cat Litter Original Unscented: Of the two non-clay litters I tested, I preferred this corn-based formula, which has a similar texture to clay and clumps surprisingly well. However, Piper didn&#;t like it at all&#;in fact, she went out of her way to avoid using it. Because she only used it a few times, I don&#;t feel like I can definitively weigh in on its effectiveness, but I will say that it&#;s much more expensive than your average box of litter.
Arm & Hammer Feline Pine Non-Clumping Litter: Another non-clay option, this pellet-style option claims to be effective at odor control, and to its credit, it did neutralize ammonia smells during testing. However, neither Piper nor I was a fan. The pellets disintegrated when they came in contact with liquids, and it was hard to clean out the box because the unused pellets didn&#;t fall through my scoop.
While I can say that I tested eight cat litters over the course of two months, in truth, my cat did most of the hard work. To start, I set up a secondary litter pan next to Piper&#;s usual box. Then, testing one litter at a time, I poured 3 inches&#; worth into the new litter box. During this first part of the process, I noted how easy it was to carry and pour each package, how much dust they gave off and whether she used it right away. With each new litter, I gave her a 24-hour transition period where she had access to a secondary litter box with her usual litter (just in case). With the non-clay varieties, I mixed a bit of litter attractant into the box after seeing she was hesitant to use them.
In total, I tested eight popular cat litters.
Camryn RabideauI then let Piper use each litter for five to six days, scooping out the box daily. After her dirty work, I evaluated the texture of the clumps and whether there were any unpleasant odors. I then scanned the surrounding areas, noting whether the litter tracked around the room. When the testing period for each litter was over, I emptied out the box, closely inspecting the inside to see if there was any gunk stuck to the corners or bottom; then, I washed out the box and moved on to the next litter. When all was said and done, I took each litter&#;s performance into account, along with its cost, to select the winners for this list.
There are dozens of cat litters out there, and it can be tricky to choose the right one for your cat. Here&#;s what to consider when shopping for the best cat litter.
While there are several styles of cat litter available today, clumping clay litter is the most common&#;and the kind that most experts recommend as their top choice. &#;Most cats prefer a fine-grain, unscented, clumping clay litter,&#; says LeeAnna Buis, CFTBS, a feline training and behavior consultant with Feline Behavior Solutions. &#;The small grains have a sandy texture and are gentle on their paws.&#; Non-clumping litters, on the other hand, are typically only recommended for cats who can&#;t use clumping options for one reason or another; perhaps they have sensitive paws or respiratory issues, or they&#;re recovering from surgery.
If you don&#;t want a clay litter, the next best choice is silica or &#;crystal&#; litter, a newer style that actually absorbs urine, which means you only have to scoop solids. &#;Silica gel tends to be more expensive than clay litter, but it is lighter than clay and good at neutralizing odors,&#; says Dr. Coston. &#;Silica gel tends to last longer than clay litter and is easier to dispose of than clay.&#; And then, there are eco-friendly litters made from natural materials like corn, walnuts, pine shavings and paper, which are biodegradable and compostable. That said, none of the experts I spoke to recommended them. &#;While the plant- and wood-based products are more environmentally friendly, they are at risk of developing mold if the litter boxes are not cleaned thoroughly and frequently,&#; explains Dr. Coston. These types of litters also may not clump, and they&#;re generally not as effective when it comes to odor control.
Clay litter is often available in both scented and unscented forms, and while a scent might sound more appealing to you, your cat will likely prefer a non-scented option. &#;While clay litter is available in scented versions, it is recommended to use unscented litter,&#; says Dr. Coston. &#;Cats have a much stronger sense of smell than humans, so the scented litter can sometimes be overwhelming for cats. Cats are also more likely to not use the litter box if the scent of the litter is changed.&#; (Also, remember that high-quality cat litters are effective at masking bad odors.)
Cats can be particular about the texture of their litter, especially with non-clay options. Buis explains that cats are often most willing to use litter that feels similar to dirt or sand, which is what they would use in the wild. In particular, you should avoid large-grain litters if your cat has mobility problems: &#;Senior cats, declawed cats and those with mobility issues will generally have a harder time stabilizing on larger-grain litters like pellets or sharp-edged grains,&#; Buis explains. &#;These can also be painful on sensitive paws.&#; Arm & Hammer Slide Easy Clean-Up Clumping Litter is a good option for cats with sensitive paws, as it has a super-soft texture that resembles sand. You may also want to consider paper litter in these situations.
If your cat has a specific medical condition, they may need a special type of litter. In these instances, it&#;s a good idea to consult with your pet&#;s veterinarian to see what kind of litter they recommend.
&#;If your cat is prone to asthma or other respiratory diseases, silica gel may be a better choice than clay litter, since clay litter contains more dust,&#; says Dr. Coston. &#;Cats with sensitive paw pads or conditions such as plasma cell pododermatitis (pillow foot) may benefit from having a softer litter, such as a paper-based or silica gel litter.&#;
While it may seem somewhat trivial, the packaging that your cat litter comes in can make it significantly easier&#;or more frustrating&#;to use. Large plastic bags tend to be the most unwieldy to carry and pour, and extra litter is hard to store, as bags can easily be knocked over. Some products, such as Boxiecat Premium, include a handle on some of their bags for easier pouring, while others have resealable openings.
Cardboard boxes are another popular option for litter, and they&#;re generally easier to carry and pour thanks to built-in handles. These boxes can also be recycled in some communities, depending on your local recycling practices.
Finally, plastic pails or jugs are arguably the most convenient option, as they&#;re easy to carry and reseal for secure storage. Depending on the type of plastic they&#;re made from, you may be able to recycle them, as well.
For households with multiple cats, the cost of litter can get quite expensive, especially since it&#;s recommended to have multiple litter boxes (even self-cleaning litter boxes) located throughout your home. In these instances, the price of litter may be a big factor when you shop, and large containers are often the most cost-effective, offering the lowest price per pound. Another option is to sign up for a recurring delivery of litter from a retailer like Amazon or Chewy, as these services often include a discount on the retail price.
I&#;ve been a professional product tester for more than 6 years, but I&#;ve been a cat owner for much longer than that. There are only a few years of my life when I didn&#;t live with at least one cat&#;mostly during my college years&#;so I&#;m intimately familiar with the importance of finding an effective yet affordable litter.
However, I didn&#;t rely on my experience alone while researching and testing cat litters. I also spoke with several cat experts, including Dr. Zach Coston, DVM, of Dutch; LeeAnna Buis, CFTBS, of Feline Behavior Solutions; and Stephen Quandt, CFTBS, of Cat Behavior Help. I even chatted with a plumber&#;Thomas Dougherty, vice president of operations of Benjamin Franklin Plumbing&#;for insights on proper disposal of cat litter.
Unscented clumping cat litter is recommended for most people, as it makes the litter box infinitely easier to clean. When your cat pees, the litter forms a solid clump, which can then be scooped out along with solids. If you&#;re going to go with a non-clumping litter, silica gel is the best for odor control and easy cleaning; because the material absorbs liquids, you only have to scoop solid waste on a daily basis.
Other non-clumping litters, such as pine pellets or paper litters, are harder to clean, as you generally can&#;t use a traditional litter scooper. Plus, because waste isn&#;t confined to tight balls, there&#;s a greater chance you&#;ll miss some while cleaning, which can lead to odors.
First, it&#;s important to note that most cat litters aren&#;t overwhelmingly stinky on their own. Instead, it&#;s cat urine&#;which is high in the substance urea&#;that has a strong, distinct smell. And when urea comes into contact with bacteria in the litter box, it generates ammonia. If you&#;re worried about odor control, your best bet is to use an unscented clay litter. Keep in mind that products labeled as &#;multi-cat&#; are often more effective at eliminating smells, thanks to a greater concentration of odor-neutralizing ingredients. Dr. Coston also recommends products with activated charcoal, which is an effective natural option for neutralizing smells.
Some litters, such as World&#;s Best Cat Litter Original Unscented, are marketed as being &#;flushable.&#; While it&#;s a tempting way to streamline litter box maintenance, it&#;s never a good idea to flush non-waste substances down your home&#;s plumbing. &#;Biodegradable litters are better for the planet but can still pose a risk to your home&#;s plumbing system,&#; says Dougherty.
&#;Pipes, both new and old, can struggle to process the litter load, and toilets that are designed to use less water can cause system backups when attempting to flush any kind of litter,&#; he explains. &#;Additionally, septic tank systems are not designed to accept and break down the materials in cat litter.&#;
After months of testing, our overall favorite is Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Multi-Cat Litter , which clumps well, absorbs scents even better, and won't spread dust everywhere. We've found it to be especially effective in multi-cat households.
The best cat litter should be compatible with your litter box, easy to scoop, and capable of absorbing odors. It should do all that without sticking to your cat's feet and tracking all over your home too. A great cat litter shouldn't release a plume of dust when pouring or cleaning either. Most litter should be disposed of in trash bags, dedicated litter disposal bags , or one of our favorite litter disposal systems&#;but there are some suitable for flushing if the clumps are broken up into smaller pieces.
To help you find the purrfect cat litter, we tested 24 litter products from a variety of brands, including clumping clay, absorbent crystals, and biodegradable pellets. Each litter is tested with real cats and kittens, while their human counterparts gathered insights on how the litter performed.
Best Overall
Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Multi-Cat Litter
PHOTO: Amazon
$30 at Amazon
$21 at Chewy
$22 at Walmart
Our Ratings
What We Like
Effectively masks unpleasant odors
Clumps easily and remains intact while scooping
Little to no dust
Suitable for homes with multiple cats
Very low tracking (even with a test cat known for it)
What We Don't Like
Confusing array of Clump & Seal formulas
Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Multi-Cat Litter efficiently binds together upon contact with moisture and remains intact while scooping. The small granules have a texture similar to coarse sand and produces little to no dust. It doesn't track as much as many other brands we tested either, so you won't see little paw prints of dust, or too many pieces of litter on your floor.
Clump & Seal Multi-Cat is technically scented, but it's very faint&#;the Arm & Hammer litter smells mildly like baking soda, with a floral, fresh laundry overtone that's hardly noticeable unless your nose is right on top of it. Still, while it's not noticeably or heavily scented, it is effective at covering up odors, even when we left the box un-scooped for a few days (sorry Wally!).
True to its name our multi-cat households loved the Clump & Seal Multi-Cat formula, but it can get a little confusing when you see the Clump & Seal label on store shelves, since there's a dizzying variety of similar sounding products, including Clump & Seal Slide, Clump & Seal Slide Multi-Cat, Clump & Seal MicroGuard, Clump & Seal with Odor Blasters, and Platinum Clump & Seal. We've tested six different Arm & Hammer formulas, and so far the Clump & Seal Multi-Cat is our favorite.
For proper disposal, this litter should be placed in the trash and never flushed. The litter comes in a recyclable cardboard box with a handle for easy pouring and storage. It's moderately priced and readily available at a variety of retailers. It's also available in 14, 19, 28, and 38-pound boxes.
Litter Type: Clay | Multi-Cat: Yes | Container: Box with handle | Sizes: 14, 19, 28, 38 pounds
The Spruce Pets / Joline Buscemi
The Spruce Pets / Joline Buscemi
The Spruce Pets / Joline Buscemi
Best Natural
Purina Unscented Cat Litter
PHOTO: Target
$58 at Amazon
$33 at Chewy
$24 at Walmart
Our Ratings
What We Like
Activated charcoal successfully controls odors
Fragrance-free and no dust
Easy to pour from box
What We Don't Like
Clumps located on the sides of a litter box tend to be more difficult to scoop
Slight tracking around litter box area
The non-toxic power of activated charcoal in Purina Tidy Cats Naturally Strong Unscented Cat Litter absorbs the odor-causing bacteria found in a litter box.
The formula is made with natural clay that lumps together when it comes in contact with moisture. For bullseye poop and pee in the middle of the litter box, we had no problem scooping, but for organic mess towards the edges of the box, two scooping sessions were required. Despite the extra dips, there was absolutely no detectable stench and the litter is both dust and fragrance-free.
If you have more than one cat, this natural litter will help you keep their shared bathroom ready and suitable for use. It does leave slight tracking, particularly if your cat is a post-poop kicker, but nothing of note or extending beyond the bounds of the litter box area.
Litter Type: Clay | Multi-Cat: Yes | Container: Box with handle | Sizes: 20, 35 pounds
The Spruce Pets / Cara Milhaven
The Spruce Pets / Cara Milhaven
The Spruce Pets / Cara Milhaven
Best Tofu
Tuft & Paw Cat Litter
PHOTO: Tuft & Paw
$58 at Amazon
$29 at Etsy
View on Tuftandpaw.com
Our Ratings
What We Like
Minimizes odors from cat waste
Resealable bag is easy to pour
We experienced no tracking and no dust
Pellets disintegrate in water, expand with pee, and do not stick to poop
What We Don't Like
Only available with a monthly subscription
Cats set in their litter ways might not accept the smell and texture
This fragrance-free litter effectively masks odors, produces no dust, and does not stick to paws so tracking is minimal. Tuft and Paw Really Great Cat Litter is made from a soybean byproduct that comes in the form of tiny pellets and is often referred to as "tofu litter."
It is currently only available with a monthly subscription through the Tuft and Paw website, but it's easy to cancel after a month. Depending on the number of cats in your home, a monthly supply will consist of one to three resealable bags. The pellets clump together with urine but dissolve in water. You should always refer to your local ordinance when it comes to flushing pet waste, but the pee clumps made with this litter can be broken into smaller pieces and flushed.
Unlike clay litter with sand-like consistency, this litter doesn't cover solid waste. Our younger felines were more accepting of the change in their box than our more seasoned cats, with one silently protesting the switch by reliving themself outside of the litter box for the first time since kittenhood.
Litter Type: Soybean byproduct pellets | Multi-Cat: Yes | Container: Resealable bag | Size: 9.5 pounds
The Spruce Pets / Taylor Fox
The Spruce Pets / Taylor Fox
The Spruce Pets / Taylor Fox
The Spruce Pets / Taylor Fox
Best Budget
Scoop Away Unscented Clay Cat Litter
PHOTO: Walmart
$11 at Chewy
$30 at Walmart
$14 at PETCO
Our Ratings
What We Like
Fragrance-free litter controls odors
Low dust when pouring and none while scooping
Clumps stay together for effective scooping
What We Don't Like
We found this litter leads to some tracking around the litter box area
Scoop Away Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter is a fragrance-free, reasonably-priced product that successfully minimizes odors, and is suitable for a home with multiple cats.
The clay formula joins together in easy-to-scoop clumps and helps control the growth of bacteria from your cat's organic matter with an effective ammonia-blocking additive that is safe for use in a home. The litter is only available in a 25-pound package which was a sufficient monthly supply throughout our testing. The cardboard box has a handle for pouring with low dust emission. The spout is sealed tight so getting started with a new box requires a pair of scissors to puncture for most. The litter does cause minimal tracking but it's primarily around the litter box.
Litter Type: Clay | Multi-Cat: Yes | Container: Box with handle | Size: 25 pounds
The Spruce Pets / Megan Pearlman
The Spruce Pets / Megan Pearlman
The Spruce Pets / Megan Pearlman
Best Dustless
Arm & Hammer Cloud Control Cat Litter
PHOTO: Chewy
$35 at Amazon
$34 at Chewy
$35 at Walmart
Our Ratings
What We Like
Very efficient odor masking with a pleasant light fragrance designed to be hypoallergenic
No dust
Contains baking soda
What We Don't Like
Clumping of litter didn't hold together as well as other litters we tested
Arm & Hammer Cloud Control Platinum Clumping Cat Litter produces absolutely no dust and fully masks odors. If respiratory issues are aggravated by cat litter, you may find this lightly scented, hypoallergenic cat litter to be more manageable.
The clay cat litter contains baking soda which helps to neutralize odors without impacting a cat's experience. And after several weeks of use, odors continued to be under control with this litter. Even if you don't smell anything foul, we still recommend cleaning out the litter box once a month at a minimum. Upon contact with urine, the litter clumps together, but the lumps of litter fused with cat pee are slightly more fragile when handling so most bundles of kitty waste require two rounds of scooping with this litter.
Litter Type: Clay | Multi-Cat: Yes | Container: Box with handle | Sizes: 18, 27.5, 37 pounds
The 13 Most Irresistible Catnip Toys for Your Cat
Best Crystals
PrettyLitter Cat Litter
PHOTO: Chewy
$27 at Chewy
$28 at Walmart
$28 at Walmart
Our Ratings
What We Like
Completely masks unpleasant odors
Absorbs urine and clumps around feces
Health indicators track urinary health of your cat
Litter has a more appealing aesthetic resembling beach sand
What We Don't Like
Crystal litter can be a major change from standard clay litters
Fresh from the resealable bag, PrettyLitter Cat Litter resembles sand on a pristine beach. The lightweight litter is made from absorbent silica gel which works differently than traditional clay-based litter. The crystals absorb liquids and odors, so regular scooping of pee clumps isn't required, but daily stirring is recommended. Once you notice that the litter isn't as efficient with absorbing liquid, it's time to fully change the box (every two to four weeks for most). For poop, the crystals clump around, covering the odor and making it easy to scoop out for disposal in the trash.
The litter also tracks urinary health by changing colors with cat urine when it detects abnormalities within the acidity and alkalinity. Any color that falls between yellow to olive green is healthy, but anything outside of that spectrum should be discussed with a veterinarian. The health aspect is difficult to distinguish between cats if you have more than one, but the litter is suitable for multi-cat homes.
The litter is non-toxic, unscented, and didn't produce dust or lead to tracking in our real-world testing with real cats. If you have a cat with established bathroom habits, the texture of this litter might take time for them to get used to, and it also requires humans to change their litter routine.
Litter Type: Silica gel crystals | Multi-Cat: Yes | Container: Resealable bag | Sizes: 8 pounds
The Spruce Pets / Alicia Long
The Spruce Pets / Alicia Long
The Spruce Pets / Alicia Long
The Spruce Pets / Alicia Long
Best Budget Crystals
Fresh Step Crystals Premium Scented Cat Litter
PHOTO: Target
$40 at Amazon
$19 at Chewy
$20 at Walmart
Our Ratings
What We Like
Fully absorbs odors from poop and pee
Absorbs urine
For most, a box of crystal litter lasts longer than traditional clay-based litter
Produces no dust and no tracking
What We Don't Like
Bag is difficult to reseal
Fresh Step Crystals Premium Scented Cat Litter is made with silica gel which fully absorbs cat pee and the associated odor. Like our favorite crystal litter, PrettyLitter Cat Litter, this litter doesn't clump around pee or produce dust clouds when pouring. This crystal litter has a more approachable price for an eight-pound bag, but the resealable feature isn't as reliable as PrettyLitter's and it also doesn't provide colored indicators tracking urinary health.
The fine sand-like crystals don't easily adhere to paws, and we experienced absolutely no tracking throughout our real-world testing. It was also introduced to a kitten who will grow up using crystal litter. Daily maintenance of scooping out poop and stirring litter is recommended, and every three to four weeks, the box of litter should be fully refreshed. On average, crystal litter, like this one from Fresh Step, tend to last longer than clay-based litter.
Litter Type: Silica gel crystals | Multi-Cat: Yes | Container: Resealable bag | Sizes: 8 pounds
The Spruce Pets / Kaya Abrahamson
The Spruce Pets / Kaya Abrahamson
The Spruce Pets / Kaya Abrahamson
The Spruce Pets / Kaya Abrahamson
The Spruce Pets / Kaya Abrahamson
The 6 Best Cat Litters for Kittens, Tested and Reviewed
Best Attracting
Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract Clumping Cat Litter
PHOTO: Chewy
$32 at Amazon
$17 at Chewy
Our Ratings
What We Like
Suitable for automatic litter boxes
Cats are lured to their litter box with a natural herbal attractant
Odor is controled with chlorophyll
What We Don't Like
Grains vary in size and some pieces more readily sick to paws
A natural herbal attractant in Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract Litter brings cats to their litter box and helps prevent accidents when cats are in a new home or have a new litter box.
The clay-based clumping litter is suitable for use in an automatic litter box, like the Litter-Robot 3, and a standard litter box, like the Catit Jumbo Hooded Cat Litter Pan, and provides effective odor control from plant-derived chlorophyll. The sand-like texture of this litter is also appealing to most cats, giving them the material needed to cover their poop while keeping dust and tracking to a minimum.
We also recommend Dr. Elsey's Ultra Litter as a budget-friendly, hypo-allergenic option providing a cat-pleasing texture from 100 percent natural clay that creates scoopable clumps. Dr. Elsey's was our former Best Budget cat litter pick, but we think most people would prefer not to deal with its heavy, floppy bag, and found a better option during our testing.
Litter Type: Clay | Multi-Cat: Yes | Container: Resealable bag | Sizes: 20, 40 pounds
The Spruce Pets / Maddy Newton & Brooke Kane
The Spruce Pets / Maddy Newton & Brooke Kane
The Spruce Pets / Joline Buscemi
The Spruce Pets / Joline Buscemi
The Spruce Pets / Joline Buscemi
The Spruce Pets / Joline Buscemi
Litter-Robot 4 vs. Leo's Loo Too: Which Automatic Litter Box Is Better?
Best Pellets
Ökocat Paper Pellet Cat Litter
PHOTO: Petco
$35 at Amazon
$25 at Chewy
$27 at Walmart
Our Ratings
What We Like
Ideal for those with respiratory ailments or allergies
Biodegradable pellets made from paper
Pellets absorb odors and liquid
Easy to scoop poop from litter
Free of ink, dyes, and scents
What We Don't Like
Pellets don't often track, but are large and distracting when they do
Not all cats will accept litter box pellets
The dust from cat litter can aggravate respiratory conditions and allergies. For a completely dust-free experience, Ökocat Dust Free Non-Clumping Paper Pellet Cat Litter is a solid choice. The pellets are made from clean paper free of inks, dyes, and scents and it is fully biodegradable.
In our real-world testing, it took our cat two days to get used to the texture of the pellets. Similar to crystal litter, the non-clumping pellets fully absorb liquids and odors from the waste a cat produces. The poop should be scooped daily with routine overhauls of the litter box every three weeks or so as needed. The pellets are larger than conventional litter, so some tracking around the litter box area is likely but easy to clean.
Litter Type: Paper pellet | Multi-Cat: Yes | Container: Box with handle | Sizes: 8.2, 12.3 pounds
The Spruce Pets / Lesly Bernal
The Spruce Pets / Lesly Bernal
The Spruce Pets / Lesly Bernal
The Spruce Pets / Lesly Bernal
The 8 Best Cat Litter Mats To Reduce Tracking And Protect Flooring
Best Scented
Fresh Step Advanced Cat Litter
PHOTO: Amazon
$34 at Amazon
$18 at Chewy
$34 at Walmart
Our Ratings
What We Like
Sturdy clumping
Gives off the scent of clean laundry while masking unpleasant odors
Easy to pour with very little dust
What We Don't Like
Some tracking
Fresh Step Advanced Cat Litter with Gain uses activated charcoal paired with the proprietary ammonia-blocking ingredients from Febreeze to banish odors. The litter also has the added fragrance of Gain Original, a laundry detergent that many find pleasing.
The sodium bentonite clay-based litter resembles the texture of tiny pebbles and emits very little dust. The clumps form quickly and hold together firmly so scooping is simple. We experience minimal tracking, primarily in the area surrounding the litter box. The litter comes in a cardboard box that is available in a few sizes. All of which come with a handle for easy pouring and storage.
Litter Type: Clay | Multi-Cat: Yes | Container: Box with handle | Sizes: 22.5, 37 pounds
The Spruce Pets / Kaya Abrahamson
The Spruce Pets / Kaya Abrahamson
Best Flushable
sWheat Scoop Multi-Cat Natural Cat Litter
PHOTO: Amazon
$42 at Amazon
$27 at Chewy
$37 at Walmart
Our Ratings
What We Like
Biodegradable and flushable (by law, California residents should never flush pet waste)
Free of dyes, perfumes, and chemicals
Very low dust
Neutralizes odors with enzymes
What We Don't Like
Some cats will need time to adjust to this litter
Tracking likely, but minimal
Reliably sourced wheat, from farms in the United States, is the primary ingredient in sWheat Scoop Mult-Cat Natural Litter. Natural starches in the litter hold clumps together for easy scooping and odors are neutralized with the help of enzymes, naturally occurring microscopic organisms that serve as catalysts for chemical reactions to break down organic matter.
The biodegradable litter can be flushed, but one should first break down clumps into smaller pieces. Flushing might not be suitable in some areas (it's against the law in California) so check your local ordinances before putting litter in your toilet. The litter is more environmentally friendly than traditional cat litter and is completely free of dyes, perfumes, and manmade chemicals. But the litter produces low dust and minimal tracking is likely for most cats.
During our real-world testing, our cats took a few weeks to fully adjust to this litter, but after several months, the cats are fully acclimated and there is less tracking around the litter box than previously experienced with their regular litter.
Litter Type: Wheat pellets | Multi-Cat: Yes | Container: Resealable bag | Sizes: 12, 25, 36 pounds
The Spruce Pets / Lesly Bernal
The Spruce Pets / Lesly Bernal
The Spruce Pets / Lesly Bernal
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Bentonite Cat Litter Lavender.