The 12 Best Cat Litters of 2023 to make sure your kitty stays clean

Every indoor cat needs litter — unless you want to spend your time picking up messes, that is. However, some cat litters are better than others. Generally, the best cat litters have features like these:

• Fragrance-free or fragrance-inclusive odor control. After all, you don’t want cat litter to stink up your house.
• Good ingredients. Generally, this means the type of cat litter you choose will use ingredients like activated charcoal. Natural cat litter will use different ingredients than other top picks, but any kind of litter blend can work well.
• Granules that aren’t too small. Otherwise, they could get stuck in your cat’s paws or lead to other issues. Litters with a clumping formula could prevent this issue.
• Reasonable change timelines. Cleaning litter boxes is a necessary part of being a cat owner, but you’ll only want to clean up litter every once in a while, not every day.
• No allergens. Dust-free cat litter is usually best for cats with respiratory issues.

Let’s take a closer look at the best cat litters you can purchase from Amazon, Chewy, and other retailers in 2023.

1. Fresh Step Lightweight Clumping Cat Litter, Odor Control With Febreze

Best for: Fresh fragrance

Key specs: 15.4 pounds

This kitty litter is a great choice from start to finish due to odor control provided by Febreze, which is infused into the product. On top of that, it’s a clumping litter, so you never need to clean up litter throughout your house.

Pros

• Excellent fragrance and odor control properties
• Good for preventing messes from spreading around the house
• Proprietary and effective ClumpLock technology
• Low-dust formula, so it’s not as triggering for allergies

Cons

The litter clumps can stick to the hair of some long-fur cats. If you have a cat with longer fur, this may not be the best choice for you.

2. Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Platinum Cat Litter

Best for: Odor control

Key specs: 40 pounds

Arm & Hammer, known for its baking soda, also produces one of the best odor-control cat litters on the market. It guarantees no odor in your home for up to seven days.

Pros

• Excellent clumping action
• Easy to scoop to avoid contamination from germs and parasites
• Fantastic odor control and protection, even with multiple cats
• Uses unique technology to form a seal around cat waste and destroy order, also facilitating easy cleanup
• Lots of litter per purchase

Cons

• Does not provide your home with additional fragrance
• Made for multi-cat households, so it’s not ideal for those with a single cat

3. Cat’s Pride Max Power Total Odor Control

Best for: Multiple cats

Key specs: 15 lbs

Here’s a great cat litter choice if you have multiple feline friends you want to keep safe and clean. Its hypoallergenic and odor-controlling formula has strong clumping action and is perfect for a litter box used by multiple cats.

Pros

• Hypoallergenic because of its lack of fragrances and dyes
• 99% dust-free to prevent allergic reactions
• Clumps pretty well overall
• Provides up to 10 days of odor control in most cases
• Suitable for cats of all ages and breeds

Cons

The clumps in this litter can be difficult to dispose of, so it may not be the best choice.

4. Litter Pearls Micro Crystals Unscented Non-Clumping Crystal Cat Litter with Odorbond

Best for: High absorption

Key specs: 3.5 pounds

This cat litter uses microscopic crystals to clump litter together, then controls odor for up to 30 days — whether multiple cats or one cat uses the litter box. It’s also an absorbing cat litter variety, meaning it’s perfect for multi-cat households.

Pros

• Safe for pets and people due to the non-toxic silica gel crystals
• Doesn’t trigger allergic reactions
• Soft on kitty paws for maximum comfort
• Absorbs urine and other liquids

Cons

• A bit expensive, given how much litter you get for your purchase
• Silica gel crystals can sometimes spread out throughout the house and are easy to see

5. Dr. Elsey’s Ultra Cat Litter

Best for: Natural ingredients

Key specs: 18 pounds

This cat litter is made with only natural ingredients, making it a perfect fit for eco-friendly parents. It uses bentonite clay and other materials to clump and provide effective odor control while also minimizing tracking.

Pros

• Doesn’t use any synthetic additives or chemicals that can harm your cat
• Provides good clumping and odor-control action
• Hypoallergenic, so it’s good for sensitive cats or parents
• Good value for money given the purchase price

Cons

This litter is not ideal for a litter box used by multiple cats, so if you have more than one cat, you may want to look elsewhere.

6. World’s Best Cat Litter Original Unscented

Best for: Septic safety

Key specs: 32 pounds

Here’s a unique and unscented cat litter option. This lightweight litter is safe for all sewer systems, and it’s naturally free of silica dust.

Pros

• Effective and lightweight ingredients
• Clumps quickly for easy scooping

Cons

This litter should never be mixed with non-clumping litter, which is something to keep in mind if you do prefer to mix litters for better results.

7. Purina Tidy Cats Clumping Cat Litter, Tidy Max Instant Action Multi Cat Litter

Best for: Long-term odor protection

Key specs: 38 pounds

Maybe you want one of the best cat litters that won’t require you to change the litter box that often. This litter is just the ticket, as it uses a proprietary ammonia blocker to prevent odors for up to two weeks.

Pros

• Very strong odor control overall
• Great for using with multiple cats
• Excellent moisture-activated power pieces to absorb odors and liquids
• Acts almost instantaneously

Cons

• Not an eco-friendly or hypoallergenic option
• Could cause tracking if you aren’t careful

8. Naturally Fresh Cat Litter - Walnut-Based Quick-Clumping Kitty Litter

Best for: Biodegradability

Key specs: 26 pounds

This fresh cat litter uses natural ingredients, like walnut, to facilitate odor control and cat urine absorption. Even better, it’s so absorbent that you’ll only need to use one bag of this litter compared to three bags of other litter varieties.

Pros

• Environmentally-friendly formula
• Virtually dust-free to prevent allergic reactions
• Will not track throughout your house
• Lasts for about three times as long as other litter brands
• Totally biodegradable

Cons

This litter is a bit expensive compared to other litter options on the market.

9. SmartCat All Natural Clumping Cat Litter

Best for: Natural alternative to clay and pellets

Key specs: Five pounds

This all-natural clumping cat litter is another top choice since it doesn’t use any chemicals and is 99% dust-free. It’s great for pet parents and cats alike with allergies.

Pros

• Pretty good odor control overall
• Several bag sizes to choose from
• Made from 100% natural grass seed grown in the United States
• Biodegradable
• Easy to adapt or mix with another litter

Cons

• Absorption could be a bit better
• Not ideal for litter boxes used by multiple cats

10. ökocat Natural Wood Cat Litter

Best for: Unscented protection

Key specs: 13.2 pounds

If you prefer odor control but don’t want a synthetic fragrance harassing your nostrils, this is a perfect choice. This natural cat litter uses wood as its chief ingredient for biodegradability and eco-friendliness.

Pros

• No toxic chemicals or GMOs
• 99% dust-free
• Easily biodegradable or compostable
• Clumps and absorbs liquid very well
• Provides exceptional odor control overall

Cons

• Only appropriate for one cat per litter box
• Can still stick on cat fur if your kitty has long hair

11. PetSafe ScoopFree Premium Blue Crystal Litter

Best for: Fast odor absorption

Key specs: 4.4 pounds

This premium blue crystal cat litter is prized for its fast odor absorption rate. A single bag will last for up to 30 days in a one-cat household, and it’s low tracking and 99% dust-free.

Pros

• Doesn’t usually cause allergic reactions
• Works with any litter box or litter tray
• Absorbs order instantaneously, five times faster than clumping clay cat litter
• Provides excellent customer care via the brand customer service hotline

Cons

• Can appear throughout your house
• May not work for cats that are used to another litter variety

12. Fresh News Recycled Paper, Original Pellet Cat Litter

Best for: Eco-friendliness

Key specs: 25 pounds

This cat litter is great if you only want eco-friendly litter. It’s biodegradable and absorbent, naturally fighting odors without synthetic chemicals, dyes, or perfumes. On top of that, it’s made of recycled paper, so it doesn’t result in more waste.

Pros

• Perfect for cats, hamsters, rabbits, chinchillas, gerbils, and other small mammals
• Totally nonallergenic
• Made of 100% post-consumer paper
• Does a good job of odor control in general

Cons

• Not as good for solid waste compared to other litter varieties
• Only suitable for single-cat households

The Bottom Line

There are plenty of excellent litter choices you can pick from. For instance, the PetSafe ScoopFree Premium Blue Crystal Litter is an ideal choice if you want to prioritize odor absorption, while the Naturally Fresh Cat Litter Walnut-Based Quick-Clumping Kitty Litter is an effective, biodegradable pick. Whatever you choose, be sure to swap out your cat’s litter progressively so they get used to the new litter over time instead of all at once.

Sources:

• HOW CAT LITTER WORKS | The Washington Post
• Controlling Cat Litter Box Odor | WebMD
• What Is Cat Litter Made of and What Works Best? | World Animal Foundation
• So that’s what happens when you flush cat litter down the toilet | The Washington Post

This story was originally published September 25, 2023 at 10:00 AM with the headline "The 12 Best Cat Litters of 2023 to make sure your kitty stays clean."