10 Best Cat Litters of 2021 for odor and smell

About cats, and best cat litter originally!

Cats are basically furry, four-legged, royal, cute, & hygienic heart – throbbers.

They are not very demanding and are therefore very convenient to keep in the house as long as you fulfill their requirements, to their established standards!

A kitty basically needs food, water, brushing (to avoid knots) and hugs on time. It will perform its natural needs outside, but if you are an indoor cat parent, you really need to make the right litter choice. They have their own standards for everything, especially hygiene. You have to be certain that you have chosen the best cat litter box and best cat litter for your furry friend.

A cat sitting in a box looking at camera

Since cats are very anxious about the cleanliness of their fluff, you have to make sure you select the best cat litter for them so that they do not end up excreting on your floor!

We have reviewed a lot of litters and finally made a list of the best cat litters for your convenience. Here you will find all the information you need before selection.

Here are the world’s best cat litters’ reviews which will surely guide you to select the best in the interest of your cat, family, and household.

First, you can go through a comparison table of all the important features of a cat litter.

Now you can read the detailed reviews and decide with the help of their individuality.

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Best Cat Litters 2021

1. Dr. Elsey’sUltra Premium Clumping Cat Litter

Dr. Elsey'sUltra Premium Clumping Cat Litter

The unique formulation of Dr. Elsey’sPremium Clumping Ultra Litter combines the heavy non-tracking granules of the classic with medium grain clay. Thus resulting in excellent clumping of the litter after the cat uses it. This quality makes it quite favorable for customers who use sifting or mechanical litter boxes.

Moreover, these clumps do not breakdown, therefore, preventing moisture from reaching the bottom of the tray.  The clumping also ensures that the box itself stays dry and you won’t need to worry about scrubbing the box when you change it.   

The litter is perfume and scent-free, just as the cats like it. Even though it is unscented, it has superior odor control making it exceedingly suitable for small household spaces.

With the help of its non-tracking, unscented and clumping granules, it is the best multi-cat litter. Make sure to change the litter a bit more frequent in such cases!

Pros

  • 99.9 % Dust Free
  • Scent Free
  • Odor Control
  • Clumps Great
  • Hypoallergenic

Cons

  • Sticks to the bottom if there is not enough litter. Litter needs to be around 4-6” high.

Safety Warning
Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the litter box. Properly disposing of urine clumps and cat feces, is beneficial to overall quality. Please do not flush or dispose off it outdoors in gutters or storm drains.

2. ARM & HAMMER Clump & Seal Platinum Cat Litter

ARM & HAMMER Clump & Seal Platinum Cat Litter

Imagine having an ‘odor-free and clumping litter’ leaving you free of worries for SEVEN DAYS!

ARM & HAMMER Clump & Seal Platinum Cat Litter is the best multi-cat litter. Its moisture-activated Micro-Granules form a tight seal around cat waste. The Plant-derived particles form solid rock clumps making scooping easy and simpler.

Not to forget, ARM & HAMMER is the “Best Odor Eliminator!”

Now how this works, with its heavy-duty odor eliminators ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda destroy sealed-in odors as soon as it comes in contact with the cat’s excretion. The litter is smell free and refreshed by the time your feline leaves the litter box.

Most of us have more than one cat; which is why we want to make sure there are no smells and dust clouds because we need to scoop with more frequency.

ARM & HAMMER understands these worries and as a result, have slightly scented litter and 100 % dust-free litter particles.

Pros

  • Multi-cat strength. Specially formulated for multiple cat households.
  • 100% Dust Free, No more dust clouds when pouring or scooping.
  • Complete odor-sealing litter is specially formulated for 7-day odor protection for multi-cat households

Cons

  • Slightly scented.

3. ScoopFree Litter Tray Refills, 3 Pack

ScoopFree Litter Tray Refills, 3 Pack

Think of starting a Monday morning by cleaning your cat’s smelly litter?

Sounds horrible, right?

ScoopFree has the perfect solution for this.

It has a disposable cat litter tray that is pre-filled with Premium Blue Crystal litter. Disposable tray means that there is no need to touch or smell messy waste. You just have to insert a filled tray and then not worry about scooping, cleaning, or refilling it for weeks. And because the tray is plastic, you won’t need to worry about any messes leaking through.

These Premium‘Blue Crystals’ reduces odor 5 times better than clay and clumping litter. They dehydrate the solid waste and immediately absorb the moisture. The odor control is very effective, so much so that you can leave the tray in place for weeks!

Each tray comes with a plastic lining that creates a powerful barrier to help protect against leakage. The litter provides a clean, fresh scent. You no longer have to worry about keeping it in a faraway spot. When you feel the need to change the litter, simply replace the tray, just slide it out and dispose it off.

Now just slide in a new one!

Pros

  • Disposable tray
  • Removes odors instead of sealing it
  • leak-proof tray

Cons

  • doesn’t clump..

Things to keep in mind

 One tray lasts 30 days for one cat, 15 days for two and seven to ten days for three cats.

4. Fresh Step Ultra, Clumping Cat Litter, Unscented, 20 Pounds

Fresh Step Ultra, Clumping Cat Litter, Unscented, 20 Pounds

Fresh Step Ultra, Unscented Clumping Cat Litter has‘activated charcoal’ to fight odor for up to 10 days.

The clay tightly clumps, making litter box maintenance very manageable. The high-quality clumping clay produces ultra-tight clumps leaving no stinky crumbles after scooping making cleaning simpler and fast.

Ultra Unscented Clumping Cat Litter also has a low dust formula that is designed for cleaner surfaces and clearer air.

Cat sitting in a water bath looking cool

 To refresh and maintain your litter box, just add more Fresh Step Ultra Unscented cat litter after regular scooping. This unscented cat litter is specifically formulated to prevent the growth of bacteria and bacterial odor on the litter without fragrances.

It also helps remove odors caused by urine and feces on contact without any fragrances making breathing easier for you and your feline friend.

Pros

  • Superior Unscented Litter! Eliminates urine and feces odors for 10-days GUARANTEED.
  • Specially formulated to prevent bacterial odor.
  • Created with your cat’s health and happiness in mind.

Cons

  • Dust clouds.

5. World’s Best Cat Litter, Clumping Litter Formula for Multiple Cats, 28-Pounds

World's Best Cat Litter, Clumping Litter Formula for Multiple Cats, 28-Pounds

 

Are you an Eco- Friendly person? Do you also want your purrfect cat to be eco – friendly?

Here is your solution! World’s Best Cat Litter is here to your rescue with a formula completely environmental-friendly. That’snot it, the used litter is totally flushable and safe for both septic and sewer systems

Designed with the intended purpose of being better than regular litter, this inexpensive alternative is perhaps one of the most efficient.

This Multi-Cat litter works naturally. Clumping litter made from all-natural, whole kernel corn traps that absorbs urine and ammonia for exceptional odor control keeping your family safe from ammonia smells.

 It’s low-tracking, so you won’t need to worry about your cat dragging it through your house or ingesting it.

The litter has low tracking and is silica dust-free.

 7 lb. bag lasts: 1 cat household = 30 + days 2 cat household = 15+ days 3 cat household = 10+ days Based on average size cats.

Pros

  • Concentrated Power for Long Lasting Performance
  • Outstanding Odor Control
  • Quick Clumping
  • 99% Dust-Free
  • Flushable
  • Lightweight

Cons

  • Potential to be rejected by cats.

6. Arm & Hammer Platinum SLIDE Easy Clean-Up Clumping Cat Litter

Arm & Hammer Platinum SLIDE Easy Clean-Up Clumping Cat Litter, Multi-Cat, 37 lbs

Stuck up litter in the box can be pretty annoying to see, or rather scrape off!

ARM & HAMMER Platinum SLIDE Easy Clean-Up Clumping Cat Litter is the perfect solution to this hassle. This litter uses EZ Clean Technology, which means used litter slides right out. Stuck-on messes slight out easily as well with no scrubbing, no scraping, and no odor.

Plus, Clump & Seal technology seals and destroys odor for a 7-Day Odor-Free Home, Guaranteed. Multi-Cat is an extra-strength formula for multi-cat homes.

The Clump & Seal technology also creates rock-solid clumps for easy removal and reduces tracking—so litter stays where it needs to be and not scattered throughout your home.

Pros

  • Non-Stick litter Slides Right Out of Pan
  • Clump & Seal technology seals and destroys odors on contact
  • 100% dust-free means cleaner surfaces, clearer air, and less tracking
  • 7-Day Odor-Free Home – Guaranteed
  • Extra Strength Formula for Multi-Cat Homes

Cons

  • None

7. Purina Tidy Cats Instant Action Clumping Cat Litter

Purina Tidy Cats Instant Action Clumping Cat Litter

The best part about Purina Tidy Cats Instant Action Clumping Cat Litter is that it clumps as soon as it comes in contact with your cats’ excretion making it very practical for a household with multiple cats.

The clumping quality causes sealing of odor as well making it less embarrassing with the guests over.

Pros

  • It is the best litter for kittens.
  • Protects against ammonia, urine and feces odors.
  • Natural clay product with a deodorizing system.
  • Strong clumps stay together for easy scooping.
  • 99.9% dust-free formula lets you breathe easy.
  • Formulated for multiple cats.

Cons

  • Too heavy.

8. PetSafeScoopFree Premium Crystal Non-Clumping Cat Litter

PetSafeScoopFree Premium Crystal Non-Clumping Cat Litter, 2-Pack

 Keep your kitty’s litter box smelling fresh and clean with ScoopFree Blue Crystal Cat Litter. Its packaging has two conveniently proportioned bags to fill the ScoopFree Reusable Cat Litter Tray; this premium-quality litter can also be used in any standard litter pan.

ScoopFree’s original blue crystals cat litter qualifies as a light, and fresh-scented to help control odor better than traditional clay or clumping litter.

This long-lasting formula uses up to five times less litter than traditional litters, so a single bag can last up to 30 days in a one-cat household!

Pros

  • Immediate absorption
  • Long-lasting formula
  • ScoopFree’s original blue crystals
  • Low-tracking and 99% dust-free
  • Universal attachement

Cons

  • Not eco friendly.

9. Purina Tidy Cats Lightweight Glade Tough Odor Solutions Clumping Cat Litter

Purina Tidy Cats Lightweight Glade Tough Odor Solutions Clumping Cat Litter

What is better than the power of two trusted names in odor control?

Tidy Lock technology in this cat litter odor control solution neutralizes ammonia, urine, and fecal odors, keeping each litter box smelling clean and pleasant. 

With Glade Tough Odor Solutions, this clumping cat litter defends against strong scents, leaving behind a fresh fragrance. 

 Especially made for multiple cats, this scented cat litter uses Glade Tough Odor Solutions to stand up to regular use, and the moisture-locking technology keeps your cats dry and comfortable.

This lightweight litter has all the strength of a traditional clumping litters for easy cleanup, but—at half the weight—it’s a breeze to pour, carry and store.

What makes this particular litter stand out is its strong clump design that allows it to arrange itself automatically, thus preventing you from putting too much effort into cleaning it. 

Pros

  • Low dust for a clean, easy pour
  • No formation of ammonia odor for at least two weeks when used as directed
  • Half the weight of leading clumping cat litter
  • Locks in moisture to keep cats dry and comfortable

Cons

  • Scented

10. ARM & HAMMER Platinum Double Duty Clumping Cat Litter

ARM & HAMMER Platinum Double Duty Clumping Cat Litter

The individuality of this cat litter is that it is one of the few available that is directly marketed towards eliminating the smell of both feces and urine.

It destroys urine & feces odors on contact. Also, it has 20% more odor eliminators than its regular double duty litter. In fact, this litter is so good at hiding nasty odors that it can deal with multiple cats at the same time.

Overall this product does a good job of clumping.  The clumps form relatively quickly and become quite hard, which makes for easy handling and cleaning.

Pros

  • Dust-free
  • Hard clumps
  • Multi-cat litter

Cons

  • Scented

Why do Cats use Litters?

All living things have a survival instinct. Cats have been covering up their wastes since the beginning of times. They did this in order to dig down their scent to be safe from predators.

From many generations, cats have been living as indoor pets, but this need still lives with them.

Types of Cat litters

There are only 3 types of litters you need to know about mainly.

Clay

This is the most economical and commonly used litter all around the globe.

It is usually made up of bentoniteif it clumps. Clumping makes it a lot easier and convenient to scoop.

It is efficient with controlling odor, but it is not flushable.

Crystal

This type is relatively new in the market. It is also good at odor control, but this does not usually clump so it is used with self-cleaning litter boxes.

Silica gel crystals are made synthetically from silicon dioxide, oxygen, and water. Each crystal has millions of tiny pores that capture moisture. Instead of clumping, this type of litter dehydrates solid waste and absorbs liquids.

Natural

Honestly, this is a whole new world. This one does not have a lot to offer except that it is biodegradable and made up of recycled stuff mostly. Including corn, wheat, pine, walnut, and paper.

Here’s a summary of the most popular types of biodegradable litter:

Walnut

This type of litter is made from the fibrous material of walnut shells. It has a dark color that makes tracking particularly noticeable on light-colored floors and may interfere with your ability to identify waste in the box. It’s available in both clumping and non-clumping varieties.

Grass

Grass litter is lightweight, but it has strong clumping and odor control abilities. Because it’s so light, grass litter tends to track and scatter.

Corn

Themost popular type of biodegradable litter. It is made of compressed corn and may include other ingredients to complement its clumping and deodorizing ability. Corn litter is relatively dusty and tends to track.

To note:
Corn is a top target for aflatoxin mold contamination. It is a necessity to keep the litter box clean when using corn cat litter.

Paper

Paper litter is available in both clumping and non-clumping varieties. Pellet-style paper litter is most common. It’s made from highly-absorbent recycled newspaper and other paper products.

Because it’s gentle on paws and doesn’t create dust, this type of litter is often  recommended to sensitive cats or those with healing stitches. This type of litter is among the worst, where odor control is concerned.  

Wood

Wood litter may be either clumping or non-clumping. It harnesses the absorbency and natural odor control ability of dehydrated wood fibers. Tracking, scattering, and dust vary depending on which type of wood litter you choose.

A cat bathing in a plastic box

Wheat

This type of litter utilizes the odor-controlling enzymes and clumping starches naturally found in wheat. Wheat creates soft clumps and may be dusty.

Components of the best cat litter

1. Dust-free

This means that the litter forms low dust clouds when it is being poured into the litter box.  Apart from this, dust-free litter makes scooping much easier and is, therefore, nose friendly.  

If it is not dust free, it will cause your cat to leave tracks around the house. Tracking means that the litter will stick to your feline’s paws, thus make a mess around the house.

2. Clumping

Clumping litter is the one that wraps its particles around the cats’ excretion hence converting scooping into a lesser nuisance and makes used litter simpler to spot and clean.

These litters generally control odor better than non-clumping ones, and the stronger their clumping power, the less odor there is Clumping litters also require less work, since scooping a litter box daily is easier than dumping out and replacing the contents every week.

Non-clumping litters tend to soil and stick to the end of the litter box. You should opt a non-clumping litter only when your litter box is self-cleaning.

3. Unscented

Unscented litters are those which do not have a smell of their own as preferred by cats.

Sometimes litter companies deodorize their products in order to control odor caused by cats’ urine and feces. Litter’s own smell can be very overwhelming for both your cat and you.

It is, therefore advised to buy a litter that can control odor while being scent-free.

4. Odor Control

The most important concern for you and your feline. While you do not like the idea of having a smelly litter box in the house, cats can not tolerate the idea of using a foiling litter.

All this makes it very essential that you get your fur friend a litter that can control the smell of ammonia, making the air friendly around your house.

This is a factor to keep in mind, especially if you are a multi-cat person.

To remind you, this does not mean that you get a scented litter!

Instead, you should go for litters that contain carbon or activated charcoal ingredients that neutralize odor. They make the best cat litter for multiple cats.

Directions to use

First step

Get your cat the purrfect litter.

Second step

Choose the right size for your cat. It should be at least 1.5 times bigger than your cat.

Third step

Do not cover the litter box! It will only make the process difficult for your cat. Moreover, this hinders the overall drying.

Fourth step

Find the right spot to place. Make sure it is not near the feeding station.

Fifth step

Last but not the least; make sure the litter is at least 3 to 4 inches in depth. Do this to make sure the cat is able to dig easily and to avoid soiling at the base of the litter box.

How to ensure that your cat uses the litter box?

  • Scoop it regularly so that it stays clean.
  • Scrub the litter box once or twice or every month. This will keep you aware if there is any soiling or mess that could cause your cat to ignore the box.
  • The number of litter boxes should be equal to the number of cats you have at a minimum. Keeping one extra will be more convenient.

Precautions:

Make sure to wash your hands after you deal with the litter. Avoid inhaling or ingesting it at any cost.

As a reminder, especially to pregnant women and immunosuppressed persons, cat feces can sometimes transmit a disease called toxoplasmosis.

Therefore, always remember to wash hands thoroughly after handling used cat litter. For further information, consult your doctor. Unused cat litter poses no toxoplasmosis threat.

Caution: Do not use this product as a traction aid because the product becomes slippery and slick when wet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Most of the widely used litters can not be directly wasted into nature. They are not biodegradable, which makes them a threat as well. It is, therefore advised that they are not flushed unless ‘flush – able’ is written. You are not supposed to do so because they can be septic, causing the spread of viruses/ bacteria in the oceans and rivers. However, some eco-friendly are available. Plus point, they are also biodegradable.

For most cat litters, you’ll simply throw it away. If that is the type of litter you have (the kind you’ll need to toss), then when you’re changing out the full litter box, you should double the trash bag and place it in your outdoor trash can with a lid. Otherwise, the smell can attract other cats or animals that will want to tear open the bag and spread it out all over your yard. If you’re just scooping and tossing one little shovel at a time, you need not worry about any extra steps, but you may put it outside in the trash because of smell.
Flush-able cat litter is, of course, meant to be put directly into the toilet and flushed away. This is ideal for those with limits on their trash or those in a small community; an apartment complex, for example. Before flushing, you will want to make sure that the litter is in fact, flush-able and not just a natural alternative.

Each cat litter has a different time duration guaranteed, but a fair expectation is that the more you scoop, the less you’ll need to change the litter. Scoop at least daily; if you can get the mess just after each release, you can push the litter change to roughly once a week. If you don’t scoop every day, you’ll need to change the litter every 3 days, depending on your cat’s mess.
You can probably mess with your changes and scooping to find the best schedule or routine for you and your cat, but expect to do something with your cat’s waste every day or two. There are alternatives that offer you an extended time between cleaning, but you’ll need to purchase a self-cleaning box and still will want to check on it daily to make sure everything is operating as it should.

Kittens typically learn to use a litter box at three or four weeks of age. In fact, most mother cats teach their kittens how to use litter boxes, which strengthens the kitten’s natural instinct to eliminate in sand or soil. As a result, you should not have to train your kitten to use the litter box. 
You will, however, need to show the kitten where the litter is situated.

Conclusion

Cat litters are essential products that every cat owner needs. And they come in varying types too. From traditional litters made from dried clay to all-natural and silica-gel versions, every cat owner will definitely find something that addresses their needs and fits their lifestyle.

You can choose any product from our top 10 list of best cat litters and feel confident that each one of them is high-quality and safe for your pet.

However, it is important that you take into consideration a few things, such as your cat’s preference, number of cats using the litter, how often you will need to maintain it, and of course, your budget.

With all these, you will definitely find the best product for your most precious pets.

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