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The Best Cat Litters for Odor Control [2021]

Cats are pretty easy to take care of. They instinctively know how to use the cat litter box to do their business, and they’re meticulous about grooming themselves. Like humans, they prefer their ‘bathroom’ to be clean and odor-free, so they can do a number 1 or 2 in peace.

No one (yes, not even your pet) wants the ever-present smell of cat urine and feces, which, if uncontrolled, can cause your cats to eliminate waste elsewhere. This is why choosing the best cat litters for odor control is important.

Choosing a cat litter that works for you and your cat is not as easy as you might think. There are many different kinds in the market, and you need to expend the same amount of care into selecting the right one for your feline as you do for his food.

It’s important that you know about all the types of cat litter before making your choice. (We’ll get into that in the latter part of the article.) But for now, let’s review some of the top cat litters in the market and why they may or may not be the right one for your cat.

Best Cat Litter For Odor Control: Clumping Litters

A clumping cat litter offers a cat owner an easy way of cleaning up messes. Here's a quick look at the products reviewed:

1. Dr Elsey Multi Cat Ultra Premium Litter
2. Fresh Step Advanced Multi-Cat Litter
3. Purina Tidy Cats Tidy Max 24/7
4. Arm & Hammer Platinum Clump Seal
5. Naturally Fresh Walnut Clumping Cat Litter
6. World’s Best Cat Litter for Multiple Cats
7. PetSafe ScoopFree Premium Crystal Cat Litter
8. Purina Yesterday’s News Litter
9. Feline Pine Cat Litter

1. Dr Elsey's Multi Cat Ultra Premium Litter

Dr Elsey's offers a hypoallergenic litter with excellent odor control ability to keep your home smelling fresh. Best for people who suffer from allergic reactions to litter.

Features:

• 99.9% dust-free
• Unscented
• Uses a multi-cat formula
• Litter is made of granules and medium grain
• Ideal for both sifting and mechanical litter boxes
• Available in 14 and 40 pound bags

What we like about it:

This cat litter by this brand offers exceptional odor control. If your cat buries his business, there will be absolutely no hint to indicate that he has eliminated waste. Even if you put the litter box in a small space or room, this litter will cover up all smells.

It also clumps perfectly well. It turns hard when used and easily scoops out of the litter box with no problem.

There is no tracking when cats use this litter. The grains are large and won’t stick to your cat’s paws or fur. Plus, the litter is also unscented, which is wonderful for cats that dislike strong scents.

What needs a bit of improvement:

This litter from this company is much heavier compared to the litter of other brands. Plus, the packaging is not designed well for lugging around, so litter changing time may be somewhat difficult.

There’s also the matter of the litter sticking to the bottom of the cat’s litter box. However, if you mix in a bit of baking soda, this usually removes the risk of you having to scrape the litter box to get all of the soiled litter out.

2. Fresh Step Advanced Multi-Cat Litter

This cat litter by Fresh Step boasts of excellent odor control technology that is best for handling multi-cat households.

Features:

• 99% dust-free
• Scented with Febreeze
• Guaranteed 10 days of odor control
• Made of clumping clay
• Uses Fresh Step ClumpLock Technology
• Available in 14, 18.5, 20, 34, and 37 pound purchases

What we like about it:

Fresh Step’s Multi-Cat Litter is great for multiple cat households. The extra-strength odor control formula stops odor on contact. There is no bad odor to greet you when you walk in your front door, not even if you have more than one cat in residence.

These are easy to use with packaging that comes in smaller bags, so you don’t have to worry about lifting a heavy weight whenever you need to fill or refill the litter box. The bags are also resealable so you’re protected from spills.

The Multi-Cat Litter clumps well, and true to the brand’s claim, there is low to no dust at all. Lastly, because of the odor control and great clumping action, each bag of clay litter lasts for a long time.

What needs a bit of improvement:

Don’t let the level of litter get too low in your litter box. The Multi-Cat Litter clumps stick to the bottom of the box like concrete, making it hard to scoop them out.

Also, since the litter is made of clay, it can be hard to dispose of. It is not biodegradable, however, but it will meet most landfill requirements.

3. Purina Tidy Cats Tidy Max 24/7 Performance Litter

Best for keeping your home free from the smell of ammonia, Purina’s litter product provides round-the-clock odor control defense.

Features:

• 99% dust-free
• 24/7 Protection for the home
• Stops ammonia odor for 2 weeks
• Made of natural clay
• Uses Tidy Max Moisture Activated Power Pieces
• Available in pail (27 and 25 pounds), box (38 and 40 pounds), bag (40 and 48 pounds), and jug (2 20 pounds)packagings

What we like about it:

Purina Tidy Cats offers long-lasting freshness that spans weeks. The litter is highly absorbent with excellent clumping ability. No need to worry about scooping because the clumps are pretty solid and easy to scoop up.

There is minimal tracking involved, but if you set up a mat next to the litter box, that should solve that issue. The litter is also chunky and won’t fly up like dust.

When used as directed, including regular maintenance of the litter box, this litter can neutralize odors for up to a maximum of two weeks. This amounts to bigger savings because you use less litter product.

What needs a bit of improvement:

The fresh scent smells good, but for cats who are sensitive to smell, it may be too overpowering. The packaging also leaves a lot to be desired, particularly the box pack. It is extremely heavy and can be awkward to carry, especially once it has been opened. The handle becomes useless then.

4. Arm & Hammer Platinum Clump Seal Cat Litter

Arm & Hammer’s litter is one of the best when it comes to having “no dust and little tracking” features.

Features:

• 100% dust-free platinum formula
• Guaranteed 7 days of odor-free home
• Uses plant-derived particles and baking soda
• Developed for multi-cat homes
• With proprietary moisture-activated Micro-Granules
• Available in 27.5 and 40-pound boxes

What we like about it:

The Arm & Hammer litter has one of the best odor control formulas in the market. It simply destroys odors on contact. Having multiple cats in one household is nothing to worry about when you have this in your arsenal.

It has a light, fresh scent that you can only smell when you’re pouring or scooping it out from the litter box that the most sensitive of cats would not be bothered by it.

Just as the brand claims, there is no dust at all. There is little tracking, but since the litter is so fine, the tracking is pretty much negligible.

What needs a bit of improvement:

The packaging is too heavy to haul around, especially for seniors or those with back problems. It’s also quite problematic to open, requiring a box cutter to do so. Also, the clumping is not too solid and has a tendency to break apart when touched.

5. Naturally Fresh Walnut Clumping Cat Litter

A quick-clumping litter that’s best for people who want nothing but an all-natural litter formulation.

Features:

• 100% biodegradable
• Clumps in as little as 15 minutes
• Low dust
• Made of walnut shells
• Clay-free, corn-free, and grain-free
• Available in single cat unscented, multi-cat unscented, multi-cat alpine meadow scented, and multi-cat ultra odor control unscented variants
• Sold in 6, 14, 26, 26 2-pack, and 26 4-pack pound bags

What we like about it:

Superior odor control and well designed/formulated. There is no smell when using this walnut litter by Naturally Fresh. The walnut completely absorbs the smell and holds urine and feces well.

The clumping cat litter is lightweight, has an earthy smell (for the unscented kind) that is completely natural and non-offensive to cats, and turns up little to no dust. Since the grains are larger than the usual litter, there is less tracking involved.

Cleaning up the litter box is much easier because the stuff is biodegradable. Soiled litter may be used in your garden as mulch. And there’s also the nice fact that walnut litter is a renewable resource that is completely safe and non-toxic for cats.

What needs a bit of improvement:

This litter by Naturally Fresh makes fairly loose clumps and not hard, solid ones if you compare it with clay ones. Although it does clump and absorbs odor well.

6. World’s Best Cat Litter for Multiple Cats

A flushable, septic-tank safe litter that’s best for households with multiple cats.

Features:

• 99% dust-free
• Flushable and septic-tank safe
• Lavender scent
• Made from whole kernel corn
• Lasts 120+ days for one-cat households, 60+ for two-cat homes, and 45+ for three-cat dwellings
• Available in a 28-pound bag

What we like about it:

World’s Best Cat Litter ensures that you can breathe easier because of minimal dust while cleaning off your cat’s litter box. And there is no smell at all as long as you scoop out the waste daily and refill with a fresh scoop. Odor control is very good for this product.

It is very absorbent, so you need less of the product. This corn cat litter by World’s Best offers easy cleanup because every dribble of pee or waste forms into its own clump, but it’s not hard to remove from the bottom of the litter box at all. You can also flush it down since it is septic-tank safe.

The corn litter is soft on the paws, so your kitties certainly won’t be complaining about sharp edges. It’s also very light, so you won’t be lugging around a ton of weight when you go take the soiled litter out.

What needs a bit of improvement:

This brand's product can track. A way whole lot. Since the clumps that form from waste aren’t fully hard or solid, bits of those clumps that fall apart might stick to your cats paws and be tracked around your home.

Best Cat Litters For Odor Control: Non-Clumping Litters

Non-clumping cat litters offer excellent moisture absorption at cheaper prices.

1. PetSafe ScoopFree Premium Crystal Cat Litter

This crystal litter by PetSafe offers the best moisture absorption while keeping your home smelling nice and fresh.

Features:

• 99% dust-free
• Available in Sensitive, Lavender-scented, and Original variants
• Compatible with traditional litter boxes and PetSafe’s cat litter box system
• Made of silica crystals
• Each multi-pack purchase lasts about 2 months for a single cat
• Comes in a multi-pack set of 4.5 pounds each

What we like about it:

PetSafe’s Cat Litter is highly absorbent. True to the brand’s claims, it can absorb 5x the amount of pee that regular litter can. You can go days without replacing the pee-soiled crystals because it will keep absorbing large amounts of moisture. The odor control is quite good too.

This litter by PetSafe is non-messy and requires very little vacuuming on your part because it doesn’t track much. If you do find pieces of the litter outside of the cat litter box, it will be few and far between and easily vacuumed.

The multi-pack set offers a convenient way to handle the litter. Since each pack only contains 4.5 pounds of weight, you can easily carry it around while refilling your cat’s litter box.

What needs a bit of improvement:

Unlike its claims, this product is not really dust-free. It actually has more dust than other types of litter. So if you have respiratory problems, this litter might not be a good idea for you. Stay away from your litter box if you are allergic to dust.

2. Purina Yesterday’s News Unscented Litter

Delivering effective odor control, Purina’s paper litter is best for the cat owner or pet with respiratory issues.

Features:

• 99.9% dust-free
• Eco-friendly litter
• Absorbs 3x moisture than regular clay litter
• Made of recycled paper
• Designed for cats of all life stages
• Available in 13.2 and 26.4 pound bags

What we like about it:

Purina’s paper litter keeps the scent of urine down effectively. The litter absorbs the scent of ammonia well and will make that distinctive “cat smell” go away. The litter box won’t require as much changing, although you still need to scoop out solid waste as soon as you can.

There is very little dust, and since paper is not known to cause allergic reactions, this is the best choice for people who have asthma or pets with respiratory issues. This is also a US Veterinarian recommended litter for pets who have recently had surgeries.

Tracking is very negligible. It won’t stick to paws, even with very fuzzy feet. Plus, paper pellets are extra gentle on the paws.

What needs a bit of improvement:

Purina’s cat litter made from recycled paper can be more way expensive than other types of litter. Also, spots in the litter where a cat has urinated on can turn soggy, making it a bit of a pain to clean up your kitty's litter box.

3. Feline Pine Cat Litter

The combination of pine and baking soda directly neutralize odors for the best no-chemical, natural cat litter formulation. Very well thought and designed.

Features:

• Low dust
• Formulated with baking soda (for the Platinum variant)
• No chemicals or synthetic perfumes
• Made with 100% kiln-dried pine shavings
• Less than half the weight of clay
• Available in 40-pound bags

What we like about it:

Another product that has superb odor control ability. Even when soiled, all you can detect is the smell of pine, which isn’t really that strong. There is no hint of urine smell in the air. And because it can completely mask the smell of urine, you don’t need to use as much, making this an economical buy. 

The litter is lightweight, and it’s easy to clean if you use a sifting cat litter box. When the pellets get full with urine, they will turn into a pulp, which will then quickly dry out into a sort of powder or sawdust. This sawdust will fall to the bottom of the litter box and can be easily sifted out.

Because pine is a compostable and biodegradable material, it is quite easy to dispose of. Place used litter in a compost heap or use it for your flower garden.

What needs a bit of improvement:

This type of litter is best when used with a sifter. If you use a traditional litter box, it can be hard to clean up once the soiled litter turns to sawdust. The price is also a big consideration since it’s more expensive than other brands.

Types of Cat Litter

A lot of cat owners suffer from cat litter confusion from the sheer amount of choices available in the market. It doesn’t stop at finding out what cat litters are considered good buys or whether a clumping or non-clumping litter is better. You also have to make a choice on what kind of litter you must purchase.

We aim to make it simpler for you by listing down each kind and what makes it better or not than the others. Here are the more common ones.

1. Recycled paper

Litter that is made from recycled paper is turned into either granules or pellets. Recycled paper cat litters are an excellent choice if you are looking for something dust-free, highly absorbent, biodegradable, and a renewable source material. However, they have a few cons too.

Cat litters that are made from paper absorbs moisture from the bottom. That means that you have to dig through the bottom of the cat litter box if you want to remove the soiled litter. Recycled paper is also more expensive than some other types of litter, and these can be harder to find in stores.

2. Corn and Wheat

Corn and wheat offer superior odor control. They are also biodegradable, easily sourced, low in dust, and highly absorbent. But corn and wheat can be a problem ingredient for many pets.

The danger of using corn or wheat cat litters lie in the humid environment they are used in. Humidity attracts mold, and the aflatoxin mold, which is particularly poisonous to pets, loves corn and other grain. Using corn material for litter increases the risk of aflatoxin mold spores attaching itself to and growing on the litter particles. Moist corn litters can also be a breeding ground for bacteria growth and bugs.

3. Silica gel crystals

Silica gel crystal cat litters are made of small beads of silica crystals. These offer excellent absorbency and odor control. Although they can be more expensive than other types of cat litter, they last long and can hold much urine waste so it all balances off.

However, silica gel can be harmful to your cats if ingested over a long period of time. Also, some cats, particularly senior ones, do not like crystals because these can feel too hard on their paws. There is also the fact that silica is not environment-friendly nor easy to dispose of.

4. Grass

Grass cat litters are fairly new, but it has a long list of benefits including having excellent clumping ability and superior odor control. It’s also non-toxic, comes from a renewable source, has a soft texture, and is extremely lightweight.

Some cons, however, still exist for this type. Number one is the price and the next is the amount of tracking involved.

5. Pine

Pine litters are made from pine wood fiber that comes from lumber scraps. They may be in the form of pine pellets or granules. They have a natural scent that controls the smell of waste. They’re also environment-friendly, do not track, and are easily disposed of because you can use them for mulch or flush them down the drain.

But, pine litter has sharp edges, which may not be so pleasant for your cat. One other major drawback is that it does not stay in solid form after absorbing moisture. It instead turns into a mixture that looks like wet sawdust, making it hard to scoop the soiled ones and clean your litter box.

6. Coconut

Litters made from coconut are the most absorbent in the market and a 5lb. bag reportedly has the same absorbency as a 20 lb. bag of clay litter. They are dust-free, lightweight, non-toxic, comes from a renewable resource, absorbent, and makes for easy cleanups.

Every product has its flaw, and coconut litters are no different. Their main problem is tracking. Because coconut litters are light, they get everywhere. There is also the matter of pricing because these are far more expensive than many other kinds of cat litter.

7. Clay

Clay litters are probably the easiest to find anywhere, and the least expensive too. It’s divided into two types: made of bentonite and made of other clay. Bentonite clay clumps, while other types don’t. Bentonite clumping clay typically offers better odor control, while traditional clay is cheaper.

The disadvantages are mostly the same for both types. They’re dusty, easily tracked, heavy, and you can’t dispose of them easily. There is also the problem of strip mining when choosing bentonite clay, so environment-friendly it is not.

8. Walnut

Walnut litters are made from ground up walnut shells. They’re biodegradable, safe, environmentally-friendly, and made from a source that would otherwise be discarded.

However, they don’t clump as well as other types of litter. The odor control is not the best too, which is why walnut usually relies on additives to mask odor.

And there is also the possibility of walnut litters causing skin allergies and other allergic reactions in people that are averse to nuts.

Clumping vs. Non-Clumping Litter

Now that we’ve explained the different types of litter, let’s move on to whether you should buy the clumping or non-clumping kind. How does one compare to the other? Which kind is the best cat litter?

As always, the choice is dependent on what you and your cat prefer. Your budget and time also plays a role. For example, someone will pay a premium for an all-natural and non-synthetic cat litter.

Some will pay more attention to the price, some will look at the way the litter works (how well it absorbs odor, etc.), and some will want something that saves them time from cleanups (less tracking, no dust, etc.).

There is no perfect cat litter for everyone, but most cat owners usually find one that ticks off most of the boxes in their list. To get find the one that’s best for you, you might have to get through a few products to test each one.

1. Non-Clumping Cat Litter

Non-clumping litter has been around longer than the clumping ones. They’re good at absorbing large amounts of moisture. More often than not, they’re also cheaper than clumping cat litters.

However, cleaning up is more difficult because the urine can pool in the bottom of the cat litter box once the non-clumping litter becomes saturated. Also, soiled non-clumping litter often mixes with fresh ones, so it will be hard to separate the two.

2. Clumping Litter

Clumping litter used to be made of bentonite alone, but recently, lots of natural alternatives have come out. A kitty litter designed with a clumping formula makes soiled litter easy to scoop out because they form solid, hard clumps.

This means that your litter box stays fresher and cleaner longer. The clumping feature also allows odors to be trapped more effectively.

How Do You Keep a Cat Litter Box From Smelling?

Choosing the best litter for your household doesn’t mean your home will automatically be free from foul smells. You still have to take preventative steps in keeping your home from smelling “cat.”

Here are some you can take to keep your house smelling good, so your guests will remark on your cat’s cute looks and not his litter’s smell.

1. Find the right cat litter.

The best cat litter differs for each cat and owner. You may need to go through a few types to see what’s best for you and your kitty. Some cats aren’t bothered by scented litter, while some dislike any hint of scent. There are also cats who don’t like the feel of sand on their paws, while other felines are uncomfortable with walking on crystals.

Once you find out what kind your cat likes, you also need to ensure that it can control odor well too. One way to do this is to set up a litter sniffing test. Buy a small-sized package of cat litter and put some inside a small container. Add a ¼ cup of liquid ammonia to the cat litter and wait several hours then sniff. If it masks the odor well, then it should be fine to use for your cat.

2. Scoop daily.

It’s important to remove waste daily to cut down on odor. Add new litter to replace the amount of litter you scooped out.

3. Clean the cat’s litter box.

Even if you scoop out all the urine and feces daily, you will still need to clean all of your cats’ litter boxes once a week. Empty out all the old litter. Wash the boxes with soap and water, then dry them out under the sun. Replace with fresh litter when the box has dried off.

4. Place all cat litter boxes in a well-ventilated area.

It’s probably instinct to hide the cat litter boxes where no one can see them, usually somewhere dark and closed up. However, by doing this, the odor remains concentrated in that area and will be unpleasant for your cats. If it becomes too unpleasant for them, they may decide to go elsewhere.

5. Try natural cat litter deodorizers.

Baking soda is a natural deodorizer that doesn’t mask odors. Instead, it absorbs them. It’s non-toxic and definitely safe to use with cats. You can also try using a charcoal litter box liner or filter, which offers superior odor control. Like baking soda, charcoal filters are non-toxic and inexpensive.

6. Consult a veterinarian.

Sometimes smelly waste is due to a cat’s diet or poor health. You can ask your vet for a recommendation on what dietary change your cat needs to undergo or you can bring your cat for a checkup to ensure that he is completely healthy.

How do you get rid of cat smell in the air?

Although baking soda, vinegar, soap, and hydrogen peroxide may neutralize the odors temporarily, a humid day can cause the uric acid to recrystallize, and the infamous cat odor will return. The only way to destroy the uric acid is to use an enzyme cleaner.

Why do I smell cat litter?

Your cat visits her litter box about five times a day, so you'll be left with a strong ammonia smell if you let the dirty litter sit. While this is normal, extreme odors could indicate a urinary tract infection and warrant a veterinary visit. The smell of your cat's urine could be affected by what she's eating, too.

Do air purifiers help cat smell?

Yes, an air purifier will help with pet odor as long as it includes an Activated Carbon filter. This is the only type of filter that can absorb cat and dog smells. Other filter types like HEPA are good at removing pet dander but don't eliminate odors.

Do covered litter boxes smell less?

The truth is, certain highly-rated litter boxes — especially those that are covered — can be better about containing smells because of a carbon filter. Automatic litter boxes can also be better at odor reduction but tend to be pricier.