Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
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At a Glance: Best Cat Litters to Buy in 2025
The best cat litter supports a clean, comfortable, and natural litter box experience for your cat. It enables digging and burying without kicking up clouds of dust. It quickly soaks up urine so your cat doesn’t have to step in wet litter on their next visit. It feels comfortable under their paws and doesn’t irritate their nose with overwhelming synthetic fragrance.
The benefits of a good cat litter product for cat parents include a fresher-smelling home, limited scatter outside the litter box, and easy scooping. The options are vast and varied, with products landing all over the price spectrum.
Feline Pine Original Litter
- Natural pine scent helps to control litter box odors
- Made from all-natural materials with no fragrance or additives
- Very absorbent, soaks up liquid quickly
This Feline Pine Original Cat Litter comes in large granules that, according to the brand, work like tiny sponges to absorb liquid and lock away ammonia odors.
In testing, we found that the granules did indeed soak up liquid very quickly – so quickly that it was hard to tell which part of the litter box had been used even 30 seconds later. The litter did a decent job controlling urine odor, but customer reviews state that the odor control is less effective for solid waste.
In addition to being all-natural, this Feline Pine Original formula is very low dust. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that it is also low mess. The large granules are too big and heavy to track, but once they get wet, they tend to break down.
When this happens, they can stick to the bottom and sides of the litter box and may track outside the litter box as well. There was, however, virtually no dust at all when pouring the litter into the pan.
In reading customer reviews for this cat litter, there were a fair number of reviews stating that the cat simply didn’t like the product and refused to use the box. Our test cats can be finicky about alternative litters, particularly ones with very large granules.
They had no problem using the litter for liquid waste but preferred traditional clay litter for solid waste. We were concerned about the litter’s ability to control odor for solid waste because it doesn’t clump and, unfortunately, weren’t able to test this.
What We Liked:
- Natural pine scent helps to control litter box odors
- Made from all-natural materials with no fragrance or additives
- Very absorbent, soaks up liquid quickly
What We Didn’t Like:
- Doesn’t clump, may not contain solid waste odors as well
- Granules may fall apart when wet, can be messy to clean up
Ultra-Micro Crystals Cat Litter
- Absorbs urine instantly and traps odors, keeping the area fresh.
- Crystals can be reused for up to a month, saving on frequent litter changes.
- Produces 70% less landfill waste than clay litter, making it eco-friendly.
Ultra Pearls Micro Unscented Non-Clumping Crystal Cat Litter is made with sand-like silica gel crystals designed for superior moisture and odor control. These crystals absorb urine instantly, keeping the litter dry to the touch and trapping odors effectively. They also dry solid waste, making disposal easier and minimizing unpleasant smells. Due to its high moisture-evaporation properties, this litter can be used for up to a month before replacement, reducing waste by up to 70% compared to traditional clay litter. Its soft texture is gentle on paws and helps cut down on tracking, making it a convenient, non-toxic choice for cats and their owners.
What We Liked:
- Absorbs urine instantly and traps odors, keeping the area fresh.
- Crystals can be reused for up to a month, saving on frequent litter changes.
- Produces 70% less landfill waste than clay litter, making it eco-friendly.
- Silica gel crystals are safe and gentle on cats' paws.
- Reduces litter tracking, keeping floors cleaner.
What We Didn’t Like:
- Silica gel crystal litters are typically more expensive than traditional clay litters.
- May not be ideal for those who prefer clumping litter for ease of waste removal.
- Some cats may be uncomfortable with the sound the crystals make when shifting under their paws.
- Requires gradual introduction to ensure cats are comfortable with the new litter.
Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Ultra Clumping Clay Litter
- Hard-clumping action seals in moisture and odors on contact
- Moderately low in dust and hypoallergenic, moderately low tracking
- Works very well in multi-cat homes and sifting/mechanical litter boxes
Easily one of the brand’s most popular formulas, this clumping cat litter offers excellent odor control and hard-clumping action. Though it is a clay-based litter, it is 99.9% dust-free and hypoallergenic. This cat litter combines the heavy non-tracking granules found in their classic litter with a medium-grain clay to provide excellent clumping ability with less mess.
With its hard-clumping action, this cat litter contains odors well for several days, even in multi-cat households. When it comes to dust, we found it to be moderately dusty, though there are customer reviews stating that some bags are dustier than others. The main problem is with high volumes of urine. Though the clay materials are highly absorbent, a large volume of liquid all at once can overwhelm the litter and result in a cement-like consistency that may stick to the sides of the litter box.
What We Liked:
- Hard-clumping action seals in moisture and odors on contact
- Moderately low in dust and hypoallergenic, moderately low tracking
- Works very well in multi-cat homes and sifting/mechanical litter boxes
What We Didn’t Like:
- Large volumes of liquid may overwhelm the litter and cause caking
- Wet litter can stick to the sides of the litter box, making scooping harder
Ever Clean Extra Strength Cat Litter, Unscented
- Extra-strength formula forms hard, tight clumps
- Very low-dust formula, no fragrance or perfume
- Offers up to 10 days of long-lasting odor protection
Litter box odor is a concern for any cat owner, but if your cat has a sensitive nose, you may want to stick to an unscented cat litter.
This Ever Clean Extra Strength Unscented Premium Clumping clay litter is a great choice because it is designed for maximum odor control without the use of perfumes and artificial fragrances. It is highly absorbent, locking in odors on contact and forming tight, hard clumps that are easy to scoop to keep the litter box fresh and clean.
This extra-strength formula is fortified with an ammonia shield to destroy litter box odors and features advanced moisture lock technology for maximum absorption of liquid waste.
It offers up to 10 days of long-lasting freshness without the use of fragrance, and it offers antimicrobial benefits to prevent odor-causing bacteria from building up in the litter box. Plus, it uses plant extracts to eliminate tough odors in a safe, natural way.
In testing this unscented premium clay litter, we found that it had a slight smell to it. It was very light and pleasant, however, so we didn’t find it to be a problem.
We found that the litter held up its promise of being very low dust, though what little dust there was tended to be a bit sticky and the fine granules did track a bit. Overall, we were impressed by its hard-clumping ability and excellent odor control.
What We Liked:
- Extra-strength formula forms hard, tight clumps
- Very low-dust formula, no fragrance or perfume
- Offers up to 10 days of long-lasting odor protection
What We Didn’t Like:
- Fairly heavy, especially in a 25-pound box
- Wet litter may soak through and stick to the bottom of the box
Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Multi-Cat Litter
- Forms hard clumps on contact to destroy odors and make cleanup easy
- Power of baking soda ensures a full 7 days of odor protection
- Very low dust and low tracking for minimal mess
Multi-cat households often struggle with odor control but finding a litter that forms hard, odor-neutralizing clumps is your best defense. This Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Multi-Cat Litter harnesses the odor-fighting power of Arm & Hammer baking soda and moisture-activated microgranules to seal in odor from feces, urine, and ammonia for an odor-free litter box up to 7 days. It is also extremely low in dust which minimizes tracking and mess.
The first thing we noticed about this Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Multi-Cat Litter is that it had a very sandy texture. We were initially concerned about tracking due to the smaller particles but found that this litter was almost entirely dust-free and extremely low-tracking.
We also found that the power of Arm & Hammer baking soda did its work in providing long-lasting odor control, even with three cats in the household sharing litter boxes.
What We Liked:
- Forms hard clumps on contact to destroy odors and make cleanup easy
- Power of baking soda ensures a full 7 days of odor protection
- Very low dust and low tracking for minimal mess
What We Didn’t Like:
- Litter itself has a slight scent that, while not overpowering, some cats dislike
- Sandy texture, some cats may not like it
- Some clumps may break apart during scooping
Why Trust Cats.com
Over the last several years, we’ve written in-depth reviews on over two dozen of the most popular cat litter brands and more than 50 litter products.
Our litter team has spent hundreds of hours testing these products’ clumping ability, odor control, dustiness, tendency to track and scatter, and more. In addition to our own product research and testing, we’ve read thousands of customer reviews and consulted several veterinarians to get their take on the safest and most effective cat litter.
In addition to research and testing, we consulted with several veterinarians to get their take on which litter products are the most effective for odor control.
Our Veterinary Advisors
Summary
When testing cat litter products, we make observations about the litter’s appearance, granule size, scent, and dust level when pouring it into the litter box. We also test the litter for odor control, ease of scooping, and tracking. Our cats make their opinions known when they show preference for one product over another.
Based on extensive research, hands-on testing, and expert insights, we’ve selected the Feline Pine Original Litter cat litter as the best cat food.
