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Cleaning the litter box is the most dreaded job of any cat guardian, but using one of the best cat litters can make the task easier. However, what makes a person happy can be the exact opposite of what a cat prefers. If the litter's texture is wrong or it contains added fragrance, a cat may choose to do their business outside the box.
We set out to find the best cat litters that meet the needs of both cats and people. To learn more about the litter preferences of cats, we consulted five veterinarians. Guided by their advice, we tested 30 different litters, including clay, paper, silica gel, wood, grass, and corn substrates. Our top pick is Tidy Cats Naturally Strong Unscented Litter, an excellent clumping clay litter that's easy to scoop and controls odors well. If you're looking to save money, Dr. Elsey's Ultra Multi-Cat Strength Litter costs nearly 40% less, though you can expect odors to accumulate more easily.
Learn more about how Insider Reviews tests and evaluates pet products.
Best overall: Tidy Cats Naturally Strong Unscented Litter - See at Chewy
Best budget: Dr. Elsey's Ultra Multi-Cat Strength Litter - See at Chewy
Best natural: Sustainably Yours Small Grains Cat Litter - See at Chewy
Best paper: Ökocat Non-Clumping Paper Pellet Litter - See at Chewy
Our top pick for the best cat litters, Tidy Cats Naturally Strong Unscented Litter, is a dye- and fragrance-free clay-based litter. It has a grainy, sandy texture that most cats prefer — or at least tolerate well. It also produces very little of the dust that can irritate cats with sensitive respiratory systems.
This kitty litter quickly absorbed liquid, forming a tight clump that was easy to remove in a single piece. Moistened clay was rarely stuck to the interior of the litter box. Best of all, the litter contains bits of activated charcoal for odor control and was effective at preventing foul odors throughout our three-week testing period.
The litter is reasonably priced, typically averaging about 30 cents more per pound than you'd pay for our budget pick, Dr. Elsey's Ultra Multi-Cat Strength Litter. Like most clay litters, a fair amount of Naturally Strong litter tracks outside the box — though far less than some of the lighter-weight versions we tested. To manage loose litter, we recommend using one of the best cat litter mats. –Shoshi Parks, Insider Reviews freelance reporter
Several years ago, I switched my cat to Dr. Elsey's Ultra Multi-Cat Strength Litter at the recommendation of a veterinary behaviorist, and I've been using it ever since. I was eager to see how a budget cat litter would hold up compared to other brands. Quite well, it turns out.
The unscented medium-grain clay litter satisfies a cat's need to scratch, dig, and bury their waste. It produces very little dust, making it a good choice for cats with respiratory issues. In testing, it absorbed liquid almost instantly and clumped tightly. With a bit of heft to its grains, less litter was tracked out of the box than with our top pick.
At around 50 cents per pound for a 40-pound bag, Dr. Elsey's is the most affordable of the best cat litters. However, the litter controls odors with 100% sodium bentonite clay rather than activated charcoal. If I'm lax on emptying and thoroughly cleaning the box every couple of months, odors begin to accumulate. Regular monthly cleaning with warm soap and water, which is recommended, should prevent this issue. –Shoshi Parks, Insider Reviews freelance reporter
This plant-based litter's effectiveness at controlling odors was enough to make it our top pick for the best natural cat litter, beating out our former top pick for this category, World's Best Multiple Cat Unscented Litter. In testing, there was no detectable smell even after continuous use by two cats for a month. One 13-pound bag was sufficient to fill a large litter box, and even with an average twice-daily use by both cats, the litter remained odor-free for the full 30 days.
The formula, which is made from corn and cassava, another starchy plant, also demonstrated superior clumping to other brands, with the litter becoming scoopable in around 8 seconds for urine. The texture is fine enough that cats had no problem with it and even seemed to enjoy using it, especially while fresh. While that consistency leads to more tracking than other litters we tested, it's less bothersome because the texture is nonabrasive.
Another reason it's our favorite natural litter is that it's very low in dust, which is one of the main reasons experts recommend natural litter over the traditional clay kind. They can be a good choice for cats or owners with respiratory issues. –Jill Waldbieser, Insider Reviews freelance reporter
Most paper litters come in the form of small, firm pellets and can be good for cats with respiratory problems. Of the five paper varieties we evaluated, Ökocat's Paper Pellet Litter performed best in the first round of testing, absorbing liquid quickly without immediately falling apart.
Instead of clumping, paper pellet litters absorb as much liquid as possible before disintegrating. These pellets were the softest and smallest of the paper litters and compatible with a cat's natural scratching, digging, and burying behaviors.
Neither of our tester cats was willing to use the paper litters, so we can't speak to how well Ökocat controls odors or holds up over time. It is clear from the weight and shape of the litter that the pellets are very low tracking compared to smaller-grained clay and natural varieties. While the litter isn't dust-free, it is close. The pellets are also biodegradable and unscented.
Ökocat Non-Clumping Paper Pellet Litter is 35% to 60% more expensive than the other paper brands we tested. Unlike most paper litters made of recycled paper, Ökocat uses sustainably sourced dye and white paper free of synthetic chemicals. While Okocat may be less environmentally friendly than paper litters made of recycled paper, Okocat uses sustainable sourced dye and white paper free of synthetic chemicals. – Shoshi Parks, Insider Reviews freelance reporter
Choosing a cat litter used to be pretty straightforward, but now that there are so many different kinds on the market, it can be hard to decide on which one is best. "Many of the variations are made to appeal to owners, rather than the cats who are using them," says Dr. Elizabeth Whitlock, a veterinarian and partner at CityVet in Woodstock, Georgia. "I think the most important thing to consider is what a cat actually prefers. Because if cats don't like it, they won't use it."
It's also important to keep in mind what litter works with your litter box. The best self-cleaning litter boxes, like Whisker Litter-Robot, often have limitations on the type of litter you can use. "The litter must be able to clump quickly prior to cycling for proper use," Whitlock says.
For standard litter boxes, like our top pick for the best cat litter boxes, any type of litter should work. Still, there are other considerations. "Selecting the ideal cat litter involves considering various factors to ensure your cat's comfort level and convenience," says Dr. Joanna Herberger, a veterinarian with PetSprint. Those factors include:
Odor control: No one wants their house to smell like a litter box, but strong perfumes that claim to mask odors can be overpowering. "Cats are very sensitive to odors and may refuse a litter if the fragrance is too strong for them," says Whitlock. For that reason, an unscented cat litter is usually the best option for most cats. You can find products that have odor control without scents, including the best cat litters we recommend in this guide.
Scoopability: When it comes to cleaning the litter box, Herberger says litter that clumps or forms solids when it comes into contact with liquid makes it easier to scoop out both liquid and solid cat waste without having to change the entire box. Not only is it more convenient, but Whitlock says cats prefer it, too. "From my experience, many cats prefer a clumping litter over a non-clumping," she says.
Texture: Cats may get fussy about what they're squatting in, and Whitlock says some will object to natural substrates such as corn, pine, or nut shells. She has found that accidents may increase when cats don't like the texture of their litter. One of the most popular types of litter, clay, tends to be well-liked by most cats, however.
Cleanliness: Some litters claim to be low-tracking, meaning they keep the litter in the box where it belongs. Others are marketed as "low-dust," which can be useful for cats or people who suffer from respiratory issues.
Sustainability: Cat litter is not the best for the planet, and you may want to use eco-friendly litter for that reason. Know, however, that some cats will reject it. "The most accepted one I've seen is made from recycled newspaper," Whitlock says, adding that this type of litter requires more upkeep than the average clumping clay litter. So it's a matter of what you prioritize and what your cat will accept.
Price: Your budget also plays a role in the litter you choose to use. "It is essential to strike the right balance between quality and cost to ensure you get the best value for your product without breaking the bank," says Herberger. Clay litters tend to be less expensive than natural substrates or crystal or manufactured litters, Whitlock says.
We tested the cat litters in two phases: a pre-cat phase and a cat phase. First, our testers compared litters belonging to the same category in heats of four at a time, assessing them for various factors, including clumping ability, dustiness, scent, and texture.
The top two litters in each heat went on to the next phase. Each one was poured into a litter pan for the cats to use for anywhere from one to four weeks to test for odor control and tracking. For each litter, we considered the following qualities:
Litter weight, shape, and softness: Cats typically prefer a soft, grainy litter that is easy to dig, so we evaluated the shape, texture, softness, and density of each litter. We measured 1/4 cup of each on a kitchen scale to compare their weights.
Dust and scent: Cats are sensitive to both dust and scent, so we measured the relative intensity of each. We also noted the amount of dust emitted when pouring and scooping the litter and how much peppered the sides of the bowl or litter box. For scent, we did a sniff test of each litter in both phases of testing, including the thankless job of checking clumps to gauge how much of an ammonia scent they emitted.
Clumping ability and ease of cleaning: In phase one testing, we compared a small amount of each litter in plastic bowls with slick interiors similar to a litter pan. We added 1/4 cup of water to each bowl in two separate trials to gauge how quickly and easily it was absorbed and how solidly it clumped and stuck together upon scooping. At the end of both trials, we emptied each bowl to look for moisture that had escaped the clumps and adhered to the bottom of the bowl.
Odor control and tracking: The top two litters from each category went on to phase two testing in a litter box for one to four weeks. We cleaned the litter pan twice daily, noting how easy clumps were to remove and how much ended up on the floor. A daily sniff test determined whether odors were under control. Because our tester cats refused to use the paper litters, we were unable to complete a phase two test on them.
Cost: We calculated the cost per pound of each litter and compared them. With lightweight clay litters, we first calculated their weight relative to a standard clay litter and adjusted the price accordingly.
Nearly every one of the more than a dozen veterinarians, veterinary behaviorists, and cat specialists we've spoken to about cat toileting behavior agrees that most cats prefer, or are at least more tolerant of, nonperfumed clay litters. "Generally speaking, I recommend a fine-grained, clay-based clumping litter that is unscented," says Dr. Karen Sueda, a veterinary behaviorist. While litter preferences vary from cat to cat, she says every feline wants a substrate they can easily dig and cover their waste in. Cats with sensitive feet may avoid using litters with sharper granules, such as crystal or pellet formulas.
Clumping cat litters, including those made from clay, corn, wood, and grass, form solid masses when they come into contact with urine, and those must be removed from the litter daily. Non-clumping litters absorb urine, but instead of forming clumps, the granules of silica, wood, or paper become saturated. On each cleaning, the saturated litter must be scooped from the box. There is no difference between how non-clumping and clumping litters interact with solids — feces must also be scooped daily.
Dusty natural and clay litters can be problematic for both cats and people. Dust may cause sensitive cats, particularly those with allergies or respiratory issues like asthma, to cough, sneeze, or wheeze during or after using their litter box. Litter can produce the same effect in humans when they fill or scoop the box. While no litter is completely dust-free, those that produce very little dust are less likely to have respiratory effects.
Our experts recommended sticking to an unscented litter. Because cats have an extremely strong sense of smell, the scent of a litter is a significant factor in whether they will use or avoid a litter box, says Dr. Christine Calder, a veterinary behaviorist. Even a natural scent may deter a cat.
On average, cats urinate two to four times a day, but Sueda says this can vary from cat to cat. Scooping litter boxes at least once daily can help guardians determine if there's a change in frequency, which may indicate a health problem. Typically, cats defecate one to two times a day, but this, too, can vary from cat to cat. Like with urination, sudden changes in frequency may indicate a health problem.
A litter box should be at least 1.5 times the length of a cat, large enough for them to comfortably scratch and bury their waste. The standard rule of thumb is to have one litter box area per cat plus one extra, and ideally one on each floor of a home. In a home with multiple cats, Sueda says you may be able to get away with fewer extra-large litter boxes as long as they are scooped at least twice a day.
