 Getty Images Let's face it: One of the best parts of having a cat, aside from the endless unconditional love they bring, is not having to take them outside to do their business. However, litter boxes (even self-cleaning boxes) come with their own set of problems from smell to cleanup and finicky cats. Not all litter is accepted by all cats, and choosing the wrong one is no hissing matter. Our home care experts and engineers in the Good Housekeeping Institute Pet Lab test everything needed to keep pets and owners happy, from the best dog food to pet cameras. To find the best cat litter, we take into account factors like the litter’s odor control, tracking, clumping ability, and dust. Our favorite litters are easy to scoop, control odors and don’t stick to the cat’s paws, which can lead to litter particles on the floor. Here are the best cat litters that the Good Housekeeping Institute recommends based on top-performing brands, home testing and online reviewer favorites. Our top picks:At the bottom of this guide you can find more information about how we test cat litters, what else you should consider when shopping for the best cat litter and advice from a veterinarian on how to make sure your cat is satisfied with their bathroom arrangement.
Best Overall Cat Litter Best Value Cat Litter Best Unscented Odor-Control Cat Litter Best Scented Odor-Control Cat Litter Best Clumping Cat Litter Best Non-Clumping Cat Litter Pellets Best Non-Tracking Cat Litter Best Cat Litter for Multiple Cats Best Plant-Based Cat Litter Best Flushable Cat Litter Our lead tester reviewed a dozen cat litters over the course of two weeks in her home. We also tested more than a dozen leading and well-reviewed brands in other cat-owners' homes to determine how they worked under real-world conditions. Users answered survey questions about the packaging, ease of scooping, odor control, level of dust, level of tracking and their cat’s acceptance of the litter. Not only are there different types of litter, but there are also different materials that litter is made of. It will likely take some trial and error to find the right litter for you and your cat. According to American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA), when analyzing all the different types of cat litter, you should identify what you consider to be the most important factors (though ultimately, your cat may be the decision-maker in the end!): ✔️ Material: Most litters are made of bentonite clay since it is inexpensive and can produce solid clumps to make scooping easier. However, there are several alternatives including gel crystals, pine, wheat, tofu, corn and paper that are milled, sawed, ground or cut into fine granules or chunky particles. Those without clay or silica dust are generally viewed as more eco-friendly, and the all-natural alternatives come with big advantages like being flushable, generating less dust for allergy-prone cats and being less sticky which means less tracked around the house. Litters come in various scents and grain sizes, and most cats seem to prefer a texture close to soil. ✔️ Odor control: Some litters include baking soda or activated charcoal that help keep urine and fecal odors at bay. However, these odor-masking scents can be a turnoff to your cat, so it may take a bit of trial and error to find the odor control that works for both you and your kitty. ✔️ Clumping ability: Clumping litter tends to help minimize messes and make it easier for you to scoop for easy clean-up because it is mixed with bentonite. Non-clumping is usually cheaper, but it's hard to scoop urine or fecal matter without changing the whole pan. ✔️ Dust levels: This isn’t just important to keep your floors and furniture clean, but it's also important for keeping you and your cat from inhaling litter dust. Clumping cat litter tends to produce the most dust in general. ✔️ Tracking: The goal is for your cat’s litter to stay in the box and not get tracked around the house. Keep in mind that clay litters tend to track more than some other materials, and larger particles tend to track less than small ones. A mat outside the litter box also helps remove particles from kitty's paws. Megan Conrad, DVM, a veterinarian at HelloRalphie.com and a cat owner, explains that the biggest choice when it comes to litter is clumping versus non-clumping. “Using non-clumping litter means no daily scooping of your cat’s litter box, but you’ll need to completely replace the litter once a week,” Dr. Conrad says. “Some non-clumping litters are less likely to be tracked outside the box and may produce less dust than clumping types.” Non-clumping litters come in a range of materials including recycled paper pellets, wood pellets and crystals. Some are also flushable, but that depends a good deal on your home plumbing system, Dr. Conrad says. Clumping litter is made from clay, which can be a bit dusty and can’t be flushed. It’s also more likely to stick to a cat’s paws and be tracked outside of the box. But clumping cat litter has some big advantages for owners. “Clumping litter gives you the convenience of being able to remove waste from the box daily, without completely emptying it and replacing the litter,” Dr. Conrad says. “Because it lasts, it can offset the higher initial cost, since you only completely replace the litter once a month.” Do the cats have an opinion? “According to research, most cats seem to prefer an unscented litter that’s fine-grained. Some cats aren’t picky and will use whatever you buy, but others will skip the box if they don’t like what’s in it,” Dr. Conrad says. “It may be a matter of experimenting, or even a ‘box lineup’ of different litters to find something your cat will regularly use that also works for your lifestyle.” Factors to consider: ✔️ The scoop: Clumping: Scoop daily, change the litter monthly. Non-clumping: No need to scoop every day, change the litter weekly. ✔️ The scent: Vets recommend unscented litter, but depending on where the box is, some families may prefer scented ✔️ Granule size: Some clumping cat litter, made of large clay granules, can be heavy and hard to carry, lift and pour. Lightweight clumping litter is fine-grained and easier to manage but can have more dust and tracking issues. The Good Housekeeping Institute Pet Lab provides expert reviews and advice on all things family and pets. In her work with Good Housekeeping, product expert and journalist Jessica Hartshorn uses her decades of experience as a cat owner to test and evaluate kitty products.
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