Best Cat Litter Reviews- Ultra Guidance And Experts Buying Guides

Cats are one of the most popular pet animals in the world, second only to freshwater fish.

Cats are also very low maintenance pets and are ideal for children or adult cats can easily be trained to use a kitty litter box because this is very close to their natural behavior in the wild.

It is extremely imperative to know about Cat litter for new cat owners or even existing ones, as people often tend to ignore the importance of a cat litter especially for the cat itself. It might sometimes seem to be a very complicated topic to understand considering that cats are very picky about litter, but if well understood, you will be able to keep your lovely pet extremely happy and satisfied.

Choosing a best cat litter determines the comfort and life of your baby cat, thus in this article, we would introduce several best cat litter on the market of 2020 as follow:

10 Best Cat Litter Reviews On The Market

1. Best Natural Cat Litter – Dr. Elsey’s Cat Ultra Premium

• 99.9% Dust Free
• Hypo-Allergenic- No Plant Proteins
• All Natural
• Hard Clumping
• Multi-Cat
• Superior Odor Control
• Ideal for Sifting/Mechanical Litter Boxes

2. Best Clumping Cat Litter – Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Platinum Litter

• 10% more odor eliminators
• 100% dust-free Platinum formula
• 7 day odor-free home, Guaranteed
• Patented formula seals
• Rock hard clumps

3. Best Cat Litter For Odor Control –  Purina Tidy Cats Clumping Cat Litter

• 40 lb. Bag
• Tight, strong clumps for easy scooping
• Around-the-clock odor control
• 99.9% dust-free formula

4. Best Dustless Cat litter – Fresh Step Scented Litter

• Fight litter box odors with the strength of the original Fresh Step Odor Shield Litter
• Specially formulated for the stinkiest litter boxes
• Auto paw activated fragrance
• Make cleaning easy with the clumping formula

5. Best Scoopable Cat Litter – World’s Best Cat Litter Clumping Formula

• 99% dust free
• Perfect odor control
• Quick clumping and easy scooping
• Flushable – septic safe

6. Best Cat Litter System – Purina Tidy Cats BREEZE Cat Litter Box System

• All-in-one litter system is easy to maintain
• Prevent ammonia odor for 7 days for one cat
• Absorbent litter pads for mess-free cleanup
• Filtering litter pellets separate solid waste for easy removal

7. Best Low Dust Cat Litter – Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Attract

• 40 pound bag Cat Attract
• Scoop able, herbal essence attractant
• Hard clumping natural cat litter
• Superior odor control

8. Best Cat Litter For Smell – Ever Clean Extra Strength Cat Litter

• Activated Carbon eliminates odor on contact
• Activated Carbon is both bonded to and mixed within the litter granules
• Contains an antimicrobial agent that inhibits the growth of bacterial odors on the litter
• Unscented formula is easy on sensitive noses

9. Purina Yesterday’s News Unscented Paper Cat Litter

• 30 lb. Bag
• Absorbs 3x the moisture by mass than traditional clay-based litter
• Delivers effective odor control
• No added fragrance for peace of mind
• Designed for low-tracking with no small particles

10.  Best Unscented Clumping Cat Litter – Purina Tidy Cats Instant Action

• 40 lb. Box
• Protects against ammonia, urine and feces odors
• Offers immediate odor control
• Strong clumps stay together for easy scooping
• 99.9% dust-free formula

Why Do You Need A Best Cat Litter?

Cats are instinctively used to expelling body wastes in dirt or sand so a new domestic cat only needs to be shown where the litter box is located.

Once the cat figures out how to get in and out of the sandbox, it can urinate and defecate indoors. The absorbent material in the cat litter allows for easy clumping of urine and feces and removing odor. It is a necessity for households which has domestic cats.

Choosing a cat litter is a very typical and important decision which can also be life changing for your cat. Thus, more than any other consideration, cat’s comfort, and safety should be prioritized.

Types of the material of the litter, the best brands to buy and also things to consider before choosing one are some things that every cat owner should be well aware of. To have information on best cat litter is of extreme importance for any cat parent.

Always remember that owning a pet is a responsibility and cat, specifically, can be a typical one to pet with its tantrums and pickiness.

Things to consider while choosing a cat litter

After you have selected the right litter box for your kitten and located it in an accessible area it is important to choose the cat litter wisely.

Familiarity

The first important fact to consider for a previously owned cat is its familiarity.

Your rehomed cat is best trained in the litter it is used to. You can gradually change the litter type but initially keep it same so that the is not uncomfortable.

You also need to understand that the cat might take a little time to get accustomed but you have to be patient while training it. With little patience and time, you can have your cat absolutely trained and aware about its litter as generally cats tend to pick this up very soon and quick.

Cats are also known to be intelligent creatures and thus, they are very easy to teach about things like litter and guide them to its location. Location, thus plays an extremely important role before choosing a cat litter.

Also, hooded or covered litter boxes are to be avoided as they make the cats uncomfortable while doing it.

Age

Another important consideration will be the age of your cat.

For very young cats (less than a year old), it is recommended to not use clumping litter. Younger cats are not able to distinguish between ingestible and non-ingestible items and may end up ingesting the litter which might cause health problems and issues in their digestive system.

There are clumping litters which are specially made nontoxic for a kitten but they have the added disadvantage of being dusty with very fine sand and may cause issues when inhaled while the cat is digging in the litter.

Adult cats can use either clumping or palleted litter based on their preferences, as the adult cats are more mature, intelligent and choosy about their litter. Clumping litter is easier to maintain because clumps of solid waste and urine can be scooped out easily. Pelleted litter is non-clumping and therefore high maintenance. When changing the litter, the entire box needs to be discarded and changed.

Weight

Another consideration is the weight of the litter.

Lighter litter means that your cat may be able to move the box which is not preferred as it may end up in a bad experience for the cat itself. The cat may also end up accidentally overturning the litter box if it is too light, which will be a difficult mess to clean and the cat might end up dirtying itself.

Allergy

Also, consider the allergies that your pet may have. Some litter may be made of corn or grain and your pet may be allergic to these materials. Sometimes cats like people, are allergic to dust and litters made of clay can cause allergic reactions. Such litters cannot be good for the cat’s health and may adversely affect its health with multiple problems.

Unscented absorbent and dust free litters are most healthy. Cats are used to digging the litter and can have respiratory problems if the litter contains dust.

Unscented litter sounds counter-intuitive as you may be concerned about the smell but it is worth noting that scented litter, while pleasing to humans, maybe too strong for your cat and it may begin to avoid the litter box entirely.

It is very important to understand the psyche of cats, as they have a stronger sense of smell, and might also get perturbed if the smells are too strong. However, it becomes peculiar to find such a litter, as you might need to scent one as well as the one not too scented, which puts the cat off while doing litter.

Odor

Odor is important while choosing litter. Some people are more specific to specific litter types such as pine cat litter has a specific stench odor which humans might not prefer.

Also, the odor is very important because the cats might have a bad experience. Walnut and clay are very good options for people who want natural odor control and are also good for the cats.

Some people are more sensitive to cat’s urine; thus, it is a very important point to consider especially if you have kids in your house. Thus, some less expensive options should be chosen if it is to be changed more often.

If your cat is newly domesticated it may be worthwhile to use dirt and sand initially while training. Once the cat gets trained in using the box, you can start mixing litter with dirt and sand in increasing proportion until the litter completely replaces sand.

There is a spirited debate on clumping versus non- clumping litter. Both have their advantages and disadvantages but again the most important consideration is the preference and comfort of your cat.

New cats or small kittens take some time in getting accustomed to a certain kind of litter, and also their attitude and tantrums towards the litter box might help you to know the kind of litter best suited for them.

For more best cat litter for odor control, you may click here to get detailed information.

Automatic Litter Box

If you have an automatic litter box, it is a different process to clean it all together, as most automatic litter boxes are self-cleaning, thus making it is very important while making a decision.

Automatic litter box require litter that is highly clumping, and the waste should not seep down to the bottom of the box, because automatic ones don’t scoop till the bottom, they only scoop from the top layers.

Also, for automatic litter boxes you need to choose a litter that is non-dusty, as dust can harm components of the litter box and its self-cleaning mechanisms, thus shortening the life of the litter. Also, read the instructions of the automatic litter box carefully before using, if it comes with proper steps to use.

Try to choose such a litter box over the ones which do not carry instructions specifically.

Best Automatic Cat Litter Box – PetSafe ScoopFree Ultra Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box

Non-clumping Litter

Non-clumping litter such as pine, pellets or paper pellets cannot be used in an automatic litter box because it will not clump and will not pass through the mechanism of the litter box, instead bio-degradable litter should be chosen which clumps well and very quickly.

This is very important to keep in mind if you are going with an automatic litter box and spending money on the same.

Types of Cat Litter

There are many different types of cat litter available. It is very important for a pet owner to understand clearly what type of cat litter is best suited for them.

Silica Cat Litter –

This cat litter quickly absorbs large quantities of urine before smelling poorly. It does not need to be cleaned very frequently. Solid wastes need to be removed and the litter needs to be changed only once in a while.

This cat litter is less dusty and hence healthier for cats and humans. This cat litter is more expensive and it absorbs moisture. The granules which compose this cat litter have sharp edges which cause crunchy sounds which can be uncomfortable to hear for the cats.

The urine may remain absorbed in this type of litter for a long time unless you change it often which adds expense.

Best Silica Cat Litter – Just the Crystals 2-Pack Cat Litter

Clumping Clay Cat Litter –

There are some obvious advantages of clumping cat litter such as ease of scooping because it turns to solid clumps on contact with urine and solid wastes because of the presence of sodium bentonite. It is also economical as only solid clumps need to be removed and the rest of the litter remains in the litter box.

This type of cat litter has some disadvantages which cannot be ignored. It tends to be dusty and sticky and is therefore unhealthy for cats as well as humans. It sticks to cat paws and since cats lick their feet often, it gets ingested and may cause distress. It can also get messy as it sticks to the paws and is dragged along when the cats move out of the litter box.

The sodium bentonite present in this type of cat litter is harmful when swallowed or inhaled by the cat. If there is a crawling baby in the house, it can be dangerous as the baby may swallow the clay particles that have been dragged by the cat.

Best Clumping Clay Cat Litter – Dr. Elsey’s Cat Ultra Premium Clumping Cat Litter

Non-tracking Cat Litter —

This type of litter is made of grass and hence has soft granules. This type of litter does not stick to cat paws. The result is less mess in the house since the cat does not drag the litter everywhere in the house.

This type of litter is also scent free but it traps odor-causing bacteria. This is the preferred choice of most cat parents due to the obvious advantage of not having to clean up after your cat every time it visits the litter box.

Such cat litters are easy to use, simple to manage and very convenient for a nuclear household with fewer people.

Best Non-tracking Cat Litter – Purina Tidy Cats Clumping Cat Litter

Pine Cat Litter –

This type of cat litter has a strong natural smell that automatically fights the smell of urine without using additional scented material. It is made of pressed sawdust which is a biodegradable material and can be composted.

This is, therefore, the most environment-friendly choice. It is also flushable. But the pine smell may or may not be palatable to your cat. It is non-tracking which may cause a mess.

Best Pine Cat Litter – Simply Pine Natural Cat Litter

Scented/ Unscented Cat Litter

Scented cat litter has the advantage of masking odor creating from urine and solid wastes. However, most experts agree that the synthetic smells of this type of cat litter may put off the cat from the litter box altogether because cats are extremely sensitive to smells.

The cat may even end up choosing other places to relieve itself. This problem, commonly known as litter box aversion, is a serious issue which may even require re-training. Sometimes it may also be due to other reasons or medical conditions.

Unscented cat litter is therefore preferred by the cat.

Best Unscented Cat Litter – Purina Yesterday’s News Unscented Paper Cat Litter

The Best Cat Litter Brands

The most preferred option for cat litter should be unscented and clumping cat litter for the comfort of your cat as well as ease and convenience of use.

Organic and biodegradable cat litter should be preferred as it is the most environmentally conscious choice but litter with these properties does tend to be heavier on the wallet.

Also, as a pet owner, you should always try to keep your pet above other things such as the price or the availability. Always try to get the best-suited litter for your cat. As a pet owner, one needs to understand that cats take their litter very seriously and are very particular about the type of litter that they use

There is a wide variety of cat litter brands available for your feline friend. The best brand is that your cat likes but there are some cat litters which are highly recommended by veterinarians as well as well reviewed by pet owners.

Dr. Elsey’s ULTRA is a great choice as it is known to form clumps that are more solid and do not stick to the claws of the cat and the sides of the box.

A relatively new brand called Boxie Cat is also well reviewed by pet owners- it is 99% dust free and creates scoopable clumps which do not sink to the bottom of the box.

Brands such as Northeastern Products Cedarific, Feline Pine Original as well as Swheat Scoop Natural Cat Litter are also well recommended. Cedarific is known to leave tracks which is a disadvantage as it will require constant cleaning.

Feline Pine does not track but also does not have odor control qualities. Swheat is extremely effective in minimizing mess as well as odor but it is not easy on the wallet.

Materials of Cat Litter

Cat Litter is made of various materials and the preference of material may depend on many different factors, foremost obviously being the preference of your cat.

Cat litters are supposed to be picked up after a lot of background study and one really needs to know and understand their cats in and out to pick the perfect type of litter for them. It has also been well known that different material litters are to be used, depending on the gender of the cats, whether it is a cat or a kitten and also their all over persona!

Clumping Clay Cat Litter

This cat litter contains bentonite which creates the clumps on coming in contact with urine and solid wastes. This makes it easy to scoop and clean without having to change the entire contents of the litter box.

Thus, clumping is one of the most suited and best-known materials for cat litter, leaving aside the debate over clumping and non-clumping clay.

Best Clumping Clay Cat Litter – Arm & Hammer Platinum Cat Litter

Non-Clumping Clay Cat Litter

This type of cat litter does not contain bentonite. Urine is absorbed in this cat litter but the litter does not form clumps. It, therefore, gets smelly sooner because of the moisture left behind. It has to be changed frequently to avoid the smell. It is cheaper than clumping clay litter and some cats are known to prefer this type of cat litter.

The price definitely makes it a lot more attractive than other types, but yet, some cats are known to be very particular about their litter box and its smell. The point that it might get smellier, would put off the cat towards its litter.

Best Non-Clumping Clay Cat Litter – Fresh Step Extreme Clay Non Clumping Cat Litter

Crystal Cat Litter

You may have seen small pouches of silica gel beads used to absorb moisture in leather goods, temperature-controlled utensils. Silica gel crystal cat litter is made of similar material which acts as a desiccant.

Because of this material, cat litter which contains this ends up highly absorbent, dust free, non-tracking and controls odor. It is also long lasting and does not need to be changed often.

Sometimes, crystals can get stuck on cat paws and that can be dangerous as the cat may ingest it while self-grooming.

Such dangerous litters might not be advisable and as a pet owner, one needs to be very diligent before purchasing the type of litter that he decides. These seem to be minute points of material, but make a lot of difference to the safety, comfort, and attitude of the cat.

Best Crystal Cat Litter – Ultra Pet Ultra Cat Litter

Recycled Paper Cat Litter

Recycled paper can be easily turned into granules or pallets which can be used as cat litter. Pallet form is non-clumping but the granule form is clumping. Being biodegradable is a big advantage of cat litter made from recycled paper.

This is the most recommended form of cat litter.

It is extremely good for the environment as well as known for the comfort of the cat as well. This also makes the pet owner, environment-friendly and positive impact on nature.

Best Recycled Paper Cat Litter – Hartz Multi-Cat Lightweight Recycled Paper Cat Litter

Pine Cat Litter

It contains heat treated lumber scraps. The heat treatment removes toxins, allergens, and oils from the wood. This is unscented cat litter but it retains the natural smell of pine which helps in odor control naturally without using synthetic materials.

This type of material can be formed into granules, pallets or roughly crushed pine which can all be used as litter based on the preference of clumping (granules or roughly crushed) and non-clumping (pallets).

Best Pine Cat Litter – Simply Pine Natural Cat Litter

Corn or Wheat Cat Litter

Corn and wheat are biodegradable and absorbent and is also naturally odor controlling. But it is not recommended as cat litter because corn is not healthy for cats and even small quantities ingested during grooming may cause distress to the pet.

It is not a good litter for the cat and should be completely avoided for the safety of the cat.

Walnut Cat Litter

It is made of crushed walnut shells and controls odor very effectively. It also has the added advantage of being bio-degradable and highly absorbant. These litters also have clumping ability.

Grass Cat Litter

Grass Litter is relatively new. depending on the brand, it may use different types of grass, fibers but all different types are bio-degradable, odor controlling and clumping.

Best Organic Cat Litter – Smiling Paws Pets cat Litter

Cat Litter for Different Cat Sizes

Different cats are comfortable with different types of litter. A lot of research has gone into finding out on which cat or kitten, and of what size is comfortable with what type of litter.

It has always been known since times immemorial, that cats have been very particular and choosy about the type of litter that they are treated with. Mood and attitude of the cats, especially when they have lived as a pet cat for all their life, the location, size, type of Litters matter a lot.

Male Cats

Male cats are commonly known as Toms. They are much larger in size and also a lot friendlier than their counterparts. They tend to spray their urine to mark their territory much like the rest of the cat family, such as tigers, leopards etc. It has been a well-known way of the cat family to mark their territory by spraying their urine.

Male cats are specifically friendlier and thus have fewer tantrums. This just makes choosing the litter easier for male cats. It just has to be bigger in size and thus more comfortable for the male cats.

Kittens

Newly born kittens require more training to learn how to use a litter box. They may need more help remembering where the litter box is located in the house and might also find more trouble initially finding the litter box.

Especially the houses, where the kitten is the only cat without any adult cat around, kittens may need a guide scent to help them follow where the litter box is. Some kittens also need herbal attractants so that the kittens are encouraged to reach the litter by sensing the direction with the help of smell. However, hard scents and smells should be avoided to not irritate the kittens.

Also, kittens too small, usually less than 6 weeks, need more help and might not have the right sense of direction to find their way on their own. Thus, such small kittens until 6 weeks need a lot more of your time, patience, training and guidance on finding the litter box.

Also, at this stage, the location of the litter box might matter a lot, considering the fact that their sense of direction is still in development, and need training.

Thus, the litter box needs to be simply placed, where the kitten can be easily trained to reach. Additionally, care must be taken to use comfortable litter which is fine-grained and are easy to dig in so that they are soft on kitten’s delicate paws.

Silica Gel crystal litter is not recommended for a kitten, despite being nontoxic because these crystals have a hard, harsh texture and this may harm kittens who have delicate paws.

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Different Features of Cat Litter

Before choosing the cat litter, it is extremely important to look at the various features and advantages of different type of cat litters. One must be well aware and fully educated about the different materials and their respective features before making this decision.

Owning a cat is just like having a baby and everything that you buy or own for the pet should be decided basis good research, background check, and such decisions should be extremely well informed.

Scoopable

Scoopable litter is environment-friendly and thus makes you a nature lover. Usual materials used for scoopable cat litter are wheat, recycled newspaper, alfalfa, peanut husks or oats. The biggest advantage is a partial replacement, which means you can scoop out parts containing solid waste or urine clumps and only replace those parts separately, while rest of the litter remains the same.

It also means that you are throwing away lesser quantities as compared to regular cat litter. It is very practical to use this, and environment-friendly. It is also nontoxic, even if ingested.

While clay cat litter is non-biodegradable and contributes to landfills, the scoopable cat litter is made out of natural materials and is much more environmentally friendly and bio-degradable.

Flushable

This is a very popular type of litter box. Flushable cat litter is increasingly becoming more common and people’s first choice across the Globe, especially in today’s era of vertical expansion where people live in apartment building and more compact houses, high rise towers.

Apartments and such towers usually have rules and regulations for garbage disposal and are very strict about it. More so in cases where disposal is being done through trash chute. Dirty cat litter is not considered an appropriate item for trash chute dumping.

This creates a problem for cat owners, cat parents who live in apartments. This is a scenario where flushable cat litter becomes very useful, as it can simply be flushed down the toilet. Usual cat litter does not dissolve in the septic system, making it highly inconvenient as it may cause blockages, whereas flushable cat litter easily dissolves and thus there is no need to make multiple trips to the trash chute or downstairs to dispose of the waste.

Weather also creates conditions where flushable cat litter comes extremely handy. In areas, where weather is excessively cold or wet or rainy or it is not convenient to go out in the icy, snowy, windy conditions, only to dispose of cat litter. With flushable cat litter, this is not the case.

Thus, if you are a cat owner in a modern, urban household or an apartment or building or a city or locale with difficult weather situations, it is extremely useful to have flushable cat litter.

Best Flushable Cat Litter – Better Way Eco Fresh Clumping Cat Litter

Non-Clumping

Bentonite is not present in this type of cat litter, which is very advantageous. Bentonite is usually formed from weathering of ash, in the presence of water and generally is not healthy or advantageous for exposure of Cats.

The best part of this type of litter is that it is a lot cheaper as compared to clumping clay litter and it has been a widely noted and researched fact that a lot of cats prefer these over other types of litter.

The best cat litter is low-dust, low-tracking, unscented and soft. Make sure that you don’t switch brands often because cats are creatures for habit and it is difficult to train them to use a different type of litter once they are habitual to a certain type.

Price is an important consideration but should never be the only consideration to choose the cat litter. Always try to go by your cat’s preference, because your cat is the best judge of which litter it wants to use and its comfort and safety should be prioritized.

Tips On Using Cat Litter

If, for some reason, you do have to make a change, make it slowly and gradually by mixing increasing proportions of the new litter with the old litter slowly familiarizing the cat with the new litter. Keep the litter box clean at all times and away from kids in your house. That is the most hygienic way of avoiding odors without using scented cat litters.

Also, it should be kept away from food areas as well as the kitchen and their own food bowls, to maintain better hygienic conditions. If you find that your cat has suddenly developed litter box aversion, even if you have not changed anything in the litter, it could be an undiagnosed medical condition and it is important to visit the vet before you take the drastic step of changing the cat litter completely.

One last thing to keep in consideration is that the number of litter boxes in the house should always be equal or at least one more than the number of cats. It is not just unhygienic for the cats but also the fact that cats do not like to share their litter boxes with other cats. Thus, it should be of specific importance to have sufficient number of litter boxes for the cat’s happiness and satisfaction.

Summary

Top 5 Best Cat Litter

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