9 Best Kitty Litters for Your Cat Box

Some brands we tested were like fine-grained sand, which can cause clumps of cat waste to break apart as you scoop. Others had granules so large that they didn't clump much at all. Dr. Elsey's Ultra Premium cat litter had medium-size bentonite clay granules that form hard clumps, making scooping easy.

In our at-home tests, daily litter-box cleaning became a 20-second chore with this litter. Because of its reliable clumping it's also among the best cat litters to use with self-cleaning litter boxes like the Litter-Robot.

Dr. Elsey's has no added scent, which veterinarians prefer, but we think it controls odor well, even with multiple cats. Our only complaint is that the 40-pound bag is so heavy. We suggest using an empty plastic container to scoop out new litter when you need it. Or there's a lighter 20-pound box.

Dust might rise up when you first pour this into the litter box, but we found that it quickly settled. The large bag can last up to two months with one cat.

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If you're looking to keep costs low, prefer a 14-pound jug to a bag or box weighing 20 pounds or more, and don't mind the occasional sweep around the litter box to pick up a few tracked granules, this Walmart exclusive has a low price and is easy to use. The top unscrews and the litter easily pours out. Then the jug can be recycled.

Like our best overall choice it's comprised of bentonite clay which forms clumps to speed your scooping time. Though it may not clump quite as tightly as some others, many online reviewers using this litter have multiple cats and say this works well for them.

Fans of this brand appreciate not having to lay out more than $10 at a time for cat litter. The unscented Odor Control version gets the most reviews, but the brand also sells a fresh scent version.

The Tidy Cats brand has engineered larger, different shaped clay granules that don't easily stick in cat paws like smaller-grained litter. That means less tracking and less cleanup outside of the litter box. Both the scented version and this unscented version have earned the Good Housekeeping Seal.

The larger pellets also make for less dust, reviewers report. Some express concern that cats with sensitive paws might not like it, but in our review, cats took to it just fine.

This clumping litter works well, so scooping is easy. This litter is also easy to find. Amazon ships the box, shown, or Chewy will ship two 20-pound jugs if you prefer to pour from one of those. Walmart sells a 20-pound jug of the scented version.

If you've got an indoor cat with a box in your living space, you're probably scooping every day, and having something that hides odors is key. We like all the various Arm & Hammer cat litters but Clump & Seal stands out for clumping well and being easy to scoop. We've seen it recommended on Reddit forums and it's got tens of thousands of five-star reviews on Amazon.

Because of its superior clumping ability, this is another great choice for an automatic cat litter box (like the Litter Robot). But unlike our best overall pick, this one has a scented added—a pro for some, a con for others. The brand also uses its signature baking soda to absorb odors.

We tested Arm & Hammer cat litter in an open-top litter box placed just outside the kitchen of a home with a senior cat. To our noses, there was no telltale smell even after it was left unscooped for several days. "My cat tracks this litter, but it's still worth it for the odor control," the tester said.

Arm & Hammer also makes a favorite cat litter deodorizer.

Many online reviewers rave about this option, which includes four vacuum-packed individual bags banded together. You need to do a big initial lift, or you might need someone to deliver the full 38-pound package, but then you can then pull out one pouch at a time. Each 9.5-pound pouch fills the inside of one litter box. It makes the chore of changing a whole box a lot easier on your arms and back and takes the guesswork out of how much litter to pour.

Scoop Away's 38-pound package can be especially helpful if you have multiple cats and more than one litter box to regularly fill and clean. (Any vet and sites like preventivevet.com will tell you that you're officially supposed to have at least one litter box per cat.) It does, however, create a lot of plastic waste.

This scented litter does a good job of masking odors, and the quick-clumping clay is easy to scoop.

Vets recommend unscented litter for finicky cats and for kittens, but, of course, cat owners don't ever want to be able to smell the litter box, picky cats or no. We home-tested this with a family whose litter box sits in the hallway, and the odor control was top-notch, especially considering this is unscented litter.

The brand says it uses activated charcoal to help neutralize odors. You should be able to go a few days without scooping (if you have just one cat) and a month and a half without changing out the whole litter box.

The brand also claims these smooth granules are easy on a cat's or kitten's small paws. We did notice less tracking with this litter, but it doesn't clump as tightly as other clay litters on this list, maybe because the granules are on the larger side.

The litter pours easily out of a hole in the side of the box. It's not dust-free, but if odor-fighting is a top priority and your cat is sensitive, this is a good option.

World's Best Cat Litter is made from corn, so it's much lighter and has much less dust than clay litter. Your trash bag won’t sink from the weight of your daily cleaning and you might be able to do less vacuuming.

The brand claims that this is flushable and septic-safe, as long as you don't flush more than two clumps at a time. Good Housekeeping writer Yolanda Wikiel used and flushed this litter for a year with no ill effects. "I definitely prefer to be able to flush litter," she says. (The state of California asks its residents to always place litter in the trash rather than flushing.)

Wikiel purchased World's Best Cat Litter when she adopted two new kittens. "A lot of the animal rescue organizations I talked with recommended it, and the kittens gravitated to this brand when I put out two boxes, each with a different litter," she says. "But the pieces of litter are small, so they do get everywhere."

The litter smells a bit malty, since it's plant-based. That's offset by the fact that it clumps so well there's very little litter waste as you clean.

The premise of color-changing crystal cat litters is that the silica gel crystals turn a certain color if your cat is having a health issue.

Normal, healthy cat urine should make the crystals yellow or olive green; any other color, including red or blue, could signal a need for a trip to the vet for a possible health concern. (Blue, for instance, might mean there's a urinary tract infection.) Most cats are stoic and don't let on if they're feeling sick, so using this litter might be worth the price for the peace of mind.

We tested Tidy Care both in our Lab and in homes. Our experts report that the granules can absorb their own mass in liquid. Indeed, all of our testers gave it a perfect score for absorbing urine effectively and noted that it also killed the smell. For liquid waste, you stir the crystals daily so your cat doesn't keep peeing on the same litter. Solid waste is not absorbed; you'll want to scoop that daily or every few days to avoid odors.

For one cat, you'll need to change out all the litter once a month and put in a fresh bag. Some online reviewers report dust with this, and some say there is tracking, but users seem to have varied experiences with both. The main reason to buy this type would be for health monitoring.

This Tidy Cats variety is easy to handle and use, even if you don't have a lot of arm strength. The 17-pound package stretches as far as 35 pounds of regular clay litter, according to the brand. The granules are light and easy to pour, scoop, and haul away in a garbage bag.

A favorite of our veterinarian consultant, Megan Conrad, BVMS, I have a cousin who uses it, too. "The con is that it's so lightweight it goes everywhere if your cat tracks it," my cousin noted, but since she carries litter down to a basement litter box she likes this lightweight option. Some online reviewers said it sticks to their cat's paws, but others said they didn't have that issue, so tracking might vary cat to cat.

This version of Tidy Cats does clump and has a light scent. For real fragrance buffs, there is a lightweight version scented with Glade that, if your cat accepts it, can practically double as a room freshener. It's labeled as nearly dust-free, but our testers and online reviewers say you should expect some dust when you initially pour this into the box.

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