You might think all cat litters are the same, but after testing out close to a dozen formulas, I can assure you they’re not. The best cat litters clump quickly and neutralize unpleasant odors for longer, and they’re also less dusty and less likely to track across the floor. After testing 11 popular formulas with the aid of my cat, Piper, I believe the absolute best option is Dr. Elsey’s Ultra. I’ve been using this top-rated litter for more than a year, and its odor control and clumping abilities remain impressive.
While litter box maintenance will probably never be your favorite chore, the best cat litters make ... [+]
Below, 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.
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. (This is also senior home and kitchen editor Amanda Arnold’s go-to litter—she’s used it for seven years now.)
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.
This 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 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 consider the packaging is a deal-breaker, considering how great this litter is.
Long-Term Testing Insights
Since my initial round of testing, I’ve continued to use Dr. Elsey’s Ultra in Piper’s litter boxes—that’s how much I liked it. I’ve now been using it for more than a year and I’m continuously impressed by its odor-neutralizing abilities, even if I forget to scoop for a day or two; it also works flawlessly in my self-cleaning litter box, the Litter-Robot 4. Additionally, I’ve figured out a way to repackage the litter, since I don’t love the plastic bag it comes in: I purchased a plastic storage container with wheels on the bottom, which I pour the formula into, then roll the whole thing into the closet. The system has worked well for my household, and I plan to keep using this litter for the foreseeable future. (For more details, check out my in-depth Dr. Elsey’s Ultra review.)
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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.
The 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.)
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.
Packaged 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.
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.
While 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.
There are a few issues you might run into if you’re searching for a non-clay cat litter: Many formulas don’t clump well or offer little to no odor control, and if your cat is picky, they may not like the smell or texture of natural litter. Of all the non-clay options I tested, the sWheat Scoop Wheat Multi-Cat Litter was the only product that overcame these common problems, earning the seal of approval from both me and Piper.
Packaged in a convenient resealable bag, this litter is made from natural, domestically sourced wheat, and when you pour it out, it has a pleasant doughy smell. Unlike other wheat litters I tried, sWheat looks and feels almost identical to regular clay litter, which can make the transition easier for your cat. While Piper refused to use other natural litters I tested, she had no problem switching over to this formula and used it consistently.
An easy-to-scoop clump of sWheat litter.
When it came time to clean the litter box, I was impressed that the wheat litter formed solid clumps that were easy to scoop out—and they didn’t fall apart during the process. While the brand says that the litter is flushable, it’s recommended to break clumps into small pieces and let them soak for 20 minutes before flushing, which seems like more hassle than it’s worth. I opted to just put the litter into the trash, as I wasn’t willing to risk compromising my septic system over it.
The only department this litter didn’t excel in? Odor control. After several days of use, I started to detect a smell, though only when standing right next to the box. While the brand claims the formula has odor-neutralizing enzymes, I simply don’t think it can compete with clay litter in that regard. Compared to other non-clay formulas, though, sWheat Scoop was much better at masking unpleasant smells.
Other Cat Litters I Tested
I also tested six other cat litters that didn’t quite make the cut.
Fresh Step Advanced Simply Unscented: Despite its claim 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.
Ökocat Natural Wood Cat Litter: Similar to sWheat, this natural cat litter is made from wood fiber, but the pellets were larger with jagged edges. Piper was quick to turn up her nose at it, as she didn’t seem to like the way it felt on her feet. The few times she did use this litter, I noticed that the clumps are quite soft, and they often fell apart as I was moving them from the litter box to the bag. I also disliked the packaging, which included a plastic bag inside a cardboard box, neither of which could be resealed.
Sustainably Yours Small Grain Cat Litter: I was intrigued by this plant-based litter, which is made from corn and cassava (a starchy vegetable often called yuca), but it quickly proved to be impractical. The texture is incredibly fine—similar to sand—and made an absolute mess of my bathroom, tracking all over the floor. Not to mention, Piper absolutely refused to use it, even when it was mixed with her regular clay litter (which is how the brand suggests making the transition). Several times, she started digging around, only to stop, smell the litter, then leave.
How I Tested The Best Cat Litters
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.
I 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.
How To Pick A Cat Litter
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.
Type
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.
Scent
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.)
Texture
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.
Medical Conditions
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.”
Packaging
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.
Cost
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.
My Expertise
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.
