Best Cat Litter For Clumping, Non-Clumping, Odour Control & Tracking

One of the most common questions cat owners ask us is, ‘What’s the best cat litter?’

Cats can be fussy, especially when it comes to their litter boxes. One cat might love a certain type of litter and another will hate it.

Added to that, there are hundreds of different cat litter brands and types on the market. This can make choosing the best one for you and your cat a bit of a nightmare.

The answer isn’t straightforward. See, there’s no one-size-fits-all litter that’s ‘best’ for every cat.

So, in this article; we’ll:

• Show you 9 of the best products from the 72 we tested
• Explain how to choose the right litter for you and your cat, and
• Tell you why you shouldn’t always believe online reviews

At a Glance: Our Top 10 Picks

1. Dr Else’s Ultra: The Best Clumping Cat Litter

4.4 out of 5.0 stars4.4 (4.4)

Dr. Elsey’s Ultra produced very little dust, clumped well and was excellent at trapping odours. It also tracked very little.

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Or Read Our Review

2. Catsan Hygiene: The Best Non-Clumping Cat Litter

4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0 (4.1)

Catsan Hygiene does everything well. It’s well-priced, absorbent, traps odours and it’s easy to scoop and clean. It’s well-reviewed online too.

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Or Read Our Review

3. CJ’s Kitty Friendly: Best Litter For Kittens

4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0 (4.1)

CJ’s milled wood pellet litter is designed with kittens in mind. It’s dust-free, soft on paws and absorbs liquids and odours.

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Or Read Our Review

4. Cat’s Best Sensitive: Best For Sensitive Cats

4.2 out of 5.0 stars4.2 (4.2)

Cat’s Best Sensitive has small, fine pellets that are soft on sensitive feet.It also provides antibacterial hygiene.

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Or Read Our Review

5. Simply Natural Tofu: The Best Non-Tracking Litter

4.6 out of 5.0 stars4.6 (4.6)

One of the best products we’ve tested. No dust, no tracking, absorbs liquids and clumps well and controls odour. Oh, and it’s safe for cats to eat!

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Or Read Our Review

6. The World’s Best: The Best Multi-Cat Litter

4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0 (4.2)

The World’s Best multi-cat clumps well and controls odours, even with 2 or 3 three cats using it. It’s flushable too.

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Or Read Our Review

7. Sanicat Diamonds Aloe Vera: Fantastic at Controlling Odours

4.4 out of 5.0 stars4.4 (4.4)

Sanicat Diamonds Aloe is excellent at controlling smell. It’s easy to pour, dust-free and lasts longer than any other non-clumping product we tested.

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Or Read Our Review

8. Cat’s Best: The Best Eco-Friendly Option

4.1 out of 5.0 stars4.1 (4.1)

Cat’s Best wood-based clumping litter produced very little dust, clumped well and locked in odours. And it’s compostable.

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Or Read Our Review

9. Ever Clean Extra Strong: The Best Scented Choice

4.4 out of 5.0 stars4.4 (4.4)

Ever Clean’s scented clumping litter does a fantastic job of trapping odours. Even soiled litter smelt fresh.

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Or Read Our Review

10. The World’s Best Original: The Best Flushable Litter

4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0 (4.2)

If you’re looking for something you can flush, The World’s Best is excellent. It clumps well but won’t block your waste pipes.

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Or Read Our Review

Why Should You Trust Us?

We launched Pet Checkers in 2013. Since then, our team of pet carers have been scooping and cleaning cat litter trays every single day.

As a result, we have used hundreds of different types of cat litter. Some of which are very good. Others are, well, terrible. We’ve also tested to find the best litter trays, bins, litter scoops, mats, deodorizers, hidden litter box furniture, and tray liners.

Also, because we’re ‘in the industry‘, we also get to talk and consult with;

• Other pet carers
• Vets
• Behaviourists, and
• Pet and animal charities

Plus, we get feedback from our customers who use their preferred products every day.

So this puts us in a unique position to test products, both from a consumer and professional angle.

How We Came Up With Our List of the Best Cat Litters

Over the last year, we spent £1,124.46 and hundreds of hours testing 72 different cat litters.

How We Chose Cat Litters to Test

When we were testing cat litter, we did it by category;

• Clumping cat litter
• Non-clumping litter
• Kitty litter
• Multi-cat
• Odour control
• Scented litters
• Eco-friendly litters

This meant we could focus on the specific features of each type of litter.

When choosing which specific products to test, we did four things. We;

1. Leaned on our own experience as professional cat litter scoopers for over 10 years.
2. Talked with our customers to get their thoughts and to understand their frustrations.
3. Consulted with vets and cat fosterers.
4. Looked at the reviews on websites like Amazon and Pets at Home to get the thoughts of other users.

This gave us a range of litters to test in each category.

How We Ran Our Tests

We tested our chosen cat litters in a range of ways;

In Our Lab at Pet Checkers HQ

We took our chosen litters and poured 3 inches of each one into a litter tray. We then scored each litter on;

• Cost per kilo – we calculated the average cost of buying each cat litter online (not including delivery costs).
• How much dust it contained – dusty litter isn’t good for your cats’ respiratory system so the less there was, the better.
• How well it clumped (when applicable) – when testing a clumping litter, we syringed 100ml of water into it. We then left it for 15 minutes to see how well it clumped.

In a ‘Live’ Environment

We took the litters that made it past our lab test and tested them in a live environment.

We chose a few of our most trusted customers and bought them the litter to test at home, with their cats. We agreed to go and scoop their litter trays twice a day. Once in the morning and again in the evening.

We then graded the litter again, on;

• How well it clumped (again) – testing clumping litter with water is one thing. We wanted to see how it did with actual cat pee.
• How well it locked in smells – call us gross but each time we cleaned a litter tray, we took a whiff to see how well it masked the smell.
• How much it tracked – we wanted to see how much litter a cat tracked around the house after hopping out of its litter tray.

What you see in this list are our top picks from each category.

Cat Litter Reviews: A Closer Look at Our Top Picks

After testing 72 different cat litters over the last year, these are our 10 top picks.

Let’s take a closer look at why these are the best.

1. Dr Elsey’s Ultra Review: The Best Clumping Litter

Dr. Esley’s Ultra clumping clay cat litter came top of the class.

During testing, it did everything well.

We admit we were a bit sceptical about their 99% dust-free claim. That said, there was very little dust when pouring into the litter tray.

During our live tests, it clumped well.

They didn’t set like concrete but they were easy to scoop after a few minutes of our cats going to the toilet. Most of the time, the clumps were quite flat so we had no trouble with the litter sticking to the bottom of the tray.

That said, one of our test cats insisted on peeing against the side of the litter tray every time he went to the toilet. The litter stuck to it every time which made it a bit of a pain to clean.

Most clumping clay litters are the same, this issue isn’t unique to Dr. Elsey’s.

On the whole though, because it clumped so well, there was very little waste. A bag of Dr Elsey’s Ultra lasted longer than other clumping litters we tested.

It did an excellent job at controlling odours too. When pouring it into the litter tray it had a ‘natural’ smell. It pretty much smelt the same, even when soaked in urine.

Dr. Elsey’s Ultra also claims to be ‘low tracking’. It’s quite heavy so it doesn’t track as much as lighter litters, but it does track. That said, adding a cat litter mat helped to stop tracking.

On the whole though, we like Dr. Elsey’s Ultra a lot.

2. Catsan Hygiene Plus Review: The Best Non-Clumping Cat Litter

We voted Catsan Hygiene as the best non-clumping litter.

It’s one of the most popular choices amongst cat owners in the UK. It’s easy to see why because it does everything well.

For starters, it’s well-priced.

It’s also easy to pour and contains very little dust. That’s because it’s not your typical clay litter. It’s made from quartz dust and chalk.

It has a clean, white colour instead of grey as most other clay litters are. As such it always looks clean and fresh.

Scooping out the poo is easy and does a good job it absorbing urine and locking in the stink.

Catsan Hygiene is pretty lightweight so it can track a bit. That said, the granules are quite big so it doesn’t get stuck in your cats’ paws as finer litter does.

If you like extra convenience, you can buy Catsan Hygiene ‘Smart Packs’.

They’re ready-made tray liners filled with litter. This makes cleaning the litter tray super easy. All you have to do is remove the old liner, tie it up and bin it. Then replace it with a new liner.

The liners also have an absorbent layer which soaks up any urine the litter doesn’t.

Genius!

3. CJ’s Kitty Litter Review: Best Litter For Kittens

CJ’s Kitty Friendly is designed especially for young cats and as such, is the best litter for kittens.

That said, we had a few adult cats who enjoyed using it too when we tested it.

Made from milled pine, it’s had all the dust extracted from it so it’s kind on your kittens’ developing lungs. It’s also soft on their sensitive feet.

The flakes are very porous so they’re super absorbent. Despite not clumping, it’s easy enough to scoop when you do it often.

It doesn’t smell either. In fact, this litter is naturally antibacterial. This means it prevents the build-up of germs and smells and as such is controls odours very well.

Because CJ’s Kitty litter is made from wood flakes, it’s very light it did track a bit. It happened more with long-haired breeds. We found it could stick in their furry paws and carried about the house.

It’s also made from 100% recycled materials and is biodegradable. This means you can;

1. Compost the litter yourself, or
2. Put the litter (minus the poo) in your green waste bin instead of sending it to landfill

4. Cat’s Best Sensitive: Best For Sensitive Cats

Most cats will get on well with most types of litter on this list. But if your cat is a sensitive soul, then try Cat’s Best Sensitive.

Its fine granules are soft on your cat’s feet. As such we did find that some cats that were reluctant to use other litters were more willing to spend a bit more time in their litter box. That said, it’s not a magical quick fix. Different cats are sensitive for different reasons, so try to figure out why.

Another benefit to its fine granules is that it clumps well so scooping is easy. This means a bag of litter lasts quite a while. The downside is that we found it tracked quite a bit. Especially when it got stuck in the fur of long-haired cats.

This litter is very absorbent and does control odours well. It has the same ‘Intelligent Capillary System’ that our other Cat’s Best recommendation uses. Apparently, it ‘absorbs liquids and odours and encapsulates them deep inside the wood fibre’.

While it does control smells, we do think this is ‘Intelligent Capillary System’ is a bit of marketing nonsense.

Cat’s Best Sensitive also contains these little green antibacterial beads. We have no idea what they’re made from. Their website says ‘Cats Best Sensitive develops its anti-bacterial effect naturally through an anti-bacterial active ingredient from nature, which is added to the litter through the green beads.’

We have reached ou to them for more information so we’ll update this review when we find out.

5. Simply Natural Tofu Litter Review: The Best Non-Tracking Cat Litter

Simply Natural Tofu isn’t only one of the best non-tracking litters. It’s one of the best litters we tested, period.

For starters, it’s Tofu. It’s safe to eat, for cats and humans (although we wouldn’t recommend making your tea with it). But this makes it perfect for curious kittens or cats with pica syndrome who might eat their litter.

Also, there’s no dust in it at all, so it’s good for your cat’s lungs.

And as for tracking, it doesn’t. Because the litter is pellets instead of granules, it doesn’t get stuck in your cat’s paws or fur. We can’t promise your cat won’t hoof it out of the litter tray when they’re covering up their mess (some cats are messy). But they won’t walk it all over the house.

Simply Natural Tofu litter also clumps well so scooping is easy. It also controls odours really well. Even when we stuck our heads in the tray for a whiff, it didn’t stink.

You can also dispose of this litter in a few ways. You can;

• Bin it
• Compost it
• Put it in your green waste bin, or
• Flush it (although we don’t recommend flushing cat litter)

The only downside is the price. At around £6.50 per kilo, it’s almost three times more expensive than any other product on this list.

6. The World’s Best Review: Best For Multiple Cats

If you own more than one cat who all share a litter box, then take a look at The World’s Best.

It contains very little dust your cats can breathe easy while they do their business.

Because it’s made from corn kernels, it’s super absorbent and forms clumps that;

1. Trap odours really well, even with several cats using it
2. Are easy to scoop

The clumps are firm but not hard and we found that big clumps could break when we scooped. This is a good thing if you flush the clumps down the toilet. Hard clumps can block the waste pipes so you need them a little softer.

And if you don’t want to flush it, you can compost it yourself or put t in your green waste bin.

The individual grains are small and lightweight. As a result, it did track a bit in our tests. Especially with long-haired breeds when it got stuck in their furry feet.

The World’s Best also make a lavender-scented version of their multi-cat litter.

7. Sanicat Diamonds Review: Best ForControlling Odours

If the whiff of your cats’ litter box turns your stomach, try Sanicat Diamonds Aloe Silica.

Silica litter works differently than other types of litter. It soaks up urine and locks in the smell and the moisture evaporates. This means you don’t even need to scoop out wet litter.

Sanicat Diamonds the super absorbent. We even found that it drew the moisture and the stink out of smelly cat poo, which was easy to scoop.

It’s easy to pour, didn’t contain any dust and because the crystals are quite large, it doesn’t track much. That said, one of our cat parents stood on a rogue crystal and said it was like standing on Lego.

As you don’t need to scoop out wet litter, we found it lasted longer than any other non-clumping litter we tested.

8. Cat’s Best Original Review: The Best Eco-Friendly Option

Cat’s Best Original made it into our list as the best eco-friendly litter.

Made from secondary raw wood materials, Cat’s Best is a by-product of the timber industry. It’s also PEFC-certified which means it comes from sustainable forests.

Instead of being a wood pellet cat litter, it uses a wood fibre technology called the ‘Intelligent Capillary System’. The manufacturer says, ‘it absorbs liquids and odours and encapsulates them deep inside the wood fibre’.

Is this marketing speak to make it sound super-duper? Who knows.

What we do know though, is that it works. It’s super absorbent and forms easy-to-scoop clumps. They’re not particularly hard which is a good job because the manufacturer says it’s flushable. They don’t smell either.

It did track a bit. More so when used by a long-haired cat. The wood shaving could get stuck in their furry feet and tracked about.

Also, it’s not ideal for multiple cats. We found that if a clump dried and got we again, it could turn a bit mushy.

For single cats though, or cats that have their own litter tray, Cat’s Best is excellent.

And when it’s time to get rid of it, you can compost it or put it in your green waste bin. Just make sure you bin the poo first.

9. Ever Clean Review: The Best Scented Cat Litter

To be honest, we’re not fans of scented litter. A lot of cats don’t like it either. Most just cover up one bad smell with an overpowering floral smell.

And floral-smelling cat poo stinks more than normal cat poo.

That said, during our tests, Ever Clean’s Scented was the one we could get most cats to use.

There are a couple of reasons for this;

First, the scents are very light. They aren’t strong and overpowering like some. And second, it has ‘Paw Activation’ so the scent isn’t released until your cat is digging in their litter.

And Ever Clean’s litter doesn’t just cover up one smell with another. They say it has ‘Activated carbon Technology’ that traps smells and odours.

Again, this could be marketing gobbledegook. But we did test both scented and non-scented versions of Ever Clean’s litter. They both did an excellent job at controlling odours.

The scent aside, it has very little dust and it clumps very well. Which makes scooping super easy. Until your cat pees on the side of their litter tray. Then it’s like trying to remove concrete.

That said, because it clumps so well, it lasts ages.

The litter granules are very fine so it did track. That said, it was so good at everything else, this didn’t put us off.

10. The World’s Best Orginal: The Best Flushable Cat Litter

If you like the convenience of flushing litter, try The World’s Best Original.

It forms decent clumps which are easy to scoop but break down easily enough to flush.

And because it’s made from corn, it’s very porous so not only does it absorb liquids, it also traps odours very well.

The only downside is that the litter tracked around, especially if it got stuck in the furry feet of long-haired cats.

Other than that, it’s excellent.

How to Choose the Right Litter For You and Your Cat

As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, there are lots of different types of cat litter. They’re also made from different materials.

As such, choosing a product that’s right for both you can your cat might involve some trial and error.

When choosing, here are some things to consider;

Your Cat’s Age

If you have a kitten, choose a kitty litter that doesn’t clump.

Young cats often lick or chew their litter and this is normal behaviour. But clumping litter expands up to 15 times its original size on contact with moisture.

This can cause intestinal blockages which can sometimes be fatal.

Your Cat’s Health

Health issues can also dictate what litter your cat should use.

For example:

• Cats with Pica Syndrome – often lick or eat their litter. The same reasons why kittens should use non-clumping litter apply here.
• Respiratory conditions – Cats with respiratory conditions should avoid dusty or scented litter. Stick to unscented, dust-free litter.
• Skin conditions – Added chemicals like scents and clumping agents can cause a cat’s skin condition to flare up. If your cat has a skin condition, stick to unscented, non-clumping litter.
• Sore or sensitive feet – If your cat has sore or sensitive feet, use a soft litter like corn or paper.

Clumping Vs. Non-Clumping

Clumping litter tends to be more expensive than non-clumping.

That said, it does last longer because you don’t throw as much away when scooping the litter box.

Clumping litter is also quicker and easier to scoop.

On the flip side, litters that don’t clump are cheaper and often contain less dust. And there’s no risk of it expanding in your cat’s stomach if they eat it.

Read More: Clumping vs. Non-Clumping Litter

Scented Vs. Unscented

There are lots of scents to choose from including lavender, baby fresh, and washed linen.

If you can find a scent that both you and your cat like then great.

Some scents can put your cat off using their litter box though. If your cat doesn’t like it, change it.

Flushable or Not

If you have a litter tray in the bathroom, flushable litter might be an option.

We have to say though, we’re not fans of flushing litter down the toilet. It can contaminate the water supply with Toxolasmosis and block your sewage pipes. For us, it’s not worth the risk.

Not all litter is flushable, especially clay and silica. If you want to flush it though, make sure you choose a flushable litter.

Flushable litters are biodegradable so you can also put it in your green waste bin (minus the poo).

A Word About Online Reviews

If you’ve spent time looking for the perfect litter for your cat, you might have read online reviews. Sites like Amazon, Pets at Home and Zooplus have thousands.

You might have noticed that different people review the same product very differently.

Here are two reviews of The World’s Best Litter:

The good:

5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

“By far the best cat litter, we have one cat and the bag lasts nearly two months. Every time the cat does his business, we scoop out the lumps and therefor you have no mess or smell. If you leave poo in there, it’s bound to smell, so I don’t feel like the bad reviews are a fair reflect of the product.

The cat wee just simply turns into a lump and you can just scoop it out and pop it down the loo – you never have to clean the tray as the wee doesn’t reach the bottom..”

The bad:

1.0 out of 5.0 stars1.0

“I bought this because it says it’s flushable – seemed like a good idea for a bathroom litterbox. But the thing you don’t see in those Amazon photos is a disclaimer about “some regions” not allowing it to be flushed and thay it’s only flushable for “well maintained” drainage systems – basically saying it may not be flushable at all!

I wouldn’t mind if it was a decent litter in general, but it does absolutely no smell absorbing at all. Vs Catsan this is horrific for odour management. I’d advise against it, have gone back to non-flushable Catsan…”

Why is this?

Well, some people you can’t please. In the case of the negative review above, either;

1. They didn’t check if their water board allowed the flushing of cat litter before buying it, or
2. They don’t have a well-maintained drainage system

We wouldn’t say this is a fault of the litter.

Their point about it not absorbing the smell might be valid, it might not be.

There’s a reason for this.

See, cat litter is a natural product. Corn, wood, and clay, they’re all natural materials and natural materials vary in makeup. So, it’s common for two bags of the same litter to differ. One bag of litter might contain more dust than another, or one bag might track more than another.

We’ve based our recommendations on the experience of using cat litter every day since 2013.

Rest assured, the products in this list will serve you and your cat well.