The 3 Best Cat Litters of 2024 | Reviews by Wirecutter

A cat litter that controls odors and is easy to scoop can keep your house from becoming that house.

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Life with cats has many rewards, but litter boxes are not one of them.

With its slender shape and narrow slats, this versatile, nonstick scoop digs into corners and lifts litter effectively. The slats can clog, but we found they were easy to clear out.

This corn-based litter clumps well and produces minimal dust, but it doesn’t control odors as well as clay litters.

This litter is great at controlling odors, and it produces less dust than most other clay litters we tested. But its clumps were weaker than those of our top pick.

This cat litter forms sturdy clumps and contains odors, and it’s one of the more affordable options. But the bag is awkward to pour from, and clumps may stick to the bottom of the litter box.

Although no litter we tested was truly dust-free, we favored those that produced less dust when we were pouring or scooping.

To help cat caretakers keep up with frequent litter box maintenance, we looked for litters that were easily available and affordable.

We tested each formula’s scoopability, how well it clumped, and whether it left caked-on deposits at the bottom of the pans.

We sniffed out how well each formula controlled odors from cat pee and poop over the course of 14 days.

After six years of testing and sifting 23 cat litters, we’ve learned that every litter has its trade-offs. But no cat litter has outperformed Dr. Elsey’s Ultra Unscented’s combination of excellent odor control and scoopability at an affordable price.

This litter forms tight, solid clumps, which hold together better during scooping than those of most other litters we tested. The average-size granules are easy on cats’ sensitive paws, so kitties are more likely to accept this litter. In terms of dust, Dr. Elsey’s falls in the middle of the pack: It produced less dust when it was poured than half of the brands we tested, and dust clouds were minimal during scooping.

However, Dr. Elsey’s Ultra comes in a large, awkward plastic bag that’s a hassle to pour litter from and to carry. And, as with most of the litters we tested, with this litter, some clumps may stick to the bottom of a dirty pan.

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If clumping is less important to you than minimizing dust and tracking, we recommend Arm & Hammer Super Scoop Clumping Litter. The larger granules help rein in dust, and they reduce the spread of stray litter crumbs outside the box. When we were pouring, this litter produced a smaller dust cloud than most of the clay litters we tested. And when we were vigorously digging and scooping, the dust was barely noticeable.

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Arm & Hammer Super Scoop controls odors well, and it comes in a cardboard box, which is easier to pour from and to carry than a plastic bag. But its clumps don’t hold together as well as Dr. Elsey’s Ultra’s clumps—the Super Scoop clumps broke and crumbled into smaller pieces. That means they can slip through the slats of most litter scoopers, leaving more soiled litter behind in the pan.

Clay-alternative cat litter is rising in popularity, and many of our readers asked us to look into a best-selling brand, World’s Best Cat Litter. We found that World’s Best Cat Litter Multiple Cat Unscented—made of whole kernel corn grown in the US—does a great job of clumping and produces minimal dust, but it doesn’t control odor as well as clay litter does. And, like Dr. Elsey’s Ultra, this litter comes in a plastic, non-resealable bag, so it’s a challenge to store and to pour. We plan to test more non-clay litters in the future. But we think World’s Best Cat Litter is a good option in this category, and it performs well with regular scooping.

Of eight scoops we tested, the DurAnimals DuraScoop Original Cat Litter Scoop was the least nasty after scooping several heavy loads. There was minimal pee and litter crust on the edge, and no litter bits got stuck in the slats.

Because of this scoop’s generous size and sturdy construction, it’s easy to rake through the litter box quickly and catch most clumps.

If you want to clear out more of the soiled bits that sometimes fall back into the pan, we recommend a scoop with narrower slats, like our also-great scoop, the iPrimio Non-Stick Litter Scooper.

The iPrimio Non-Stick Litter Scooper caught dirty bits of litter that other scoops missed. Slightly smaller than our DuraScoop pick, the iPrimio scoop can get into tight corners while still combing through a larger box with ease.

What is Lightweight Cat Litter?

Most, but not all, lightweight cat litter is clay-based. Lightweight litters are about 50% lighter than their full-weight counterparts and are usually made of bentonite, perlite, diatomaceous earth, Fuller’s Earth, or other absorbent minerals.

How Does Lightweight Cat Litter Work?

Lightweight cat litter is made of mineral particles that absorb moisture from urine or feces and form hardened clumps that you can scoop from the litter box. It works the same way as regular clumping cat litter, but the particles can be more porous (have more holes) and are less dense.

Although half the weight of regular kitty litter has been removed from lightweight litter, that doesn’t mean less absorption power or lower odor control. In fact, some lightweight litters perform even better at quickly absorbing wetness and locking in odor than other, heavier litters.

Pros & Cons of Lightweight Cat Litter

Asking “which cat litter is best” is a difficult question because the answer truly is “it depends what you’re looking for.” There is no perfect cat litter; all types have positives and negatives and choosing the right litter is a balancing act of getting the features that matter most to you with drawbacks you can live with.

Here are some reasons a lightweight litter might be the right option for you:

Lightweight Litter Pros

• Less-heavy package is easier to carry into your home, and easier to carry in the trash after scooping or dumping the litter box.
• Lighter weight litter is easier to lift and pour into the cat box.
• Super-fast wetness absorption after kitty uses the box – you can scoop out clumps of urine right away.
• Available in scented and unscented versions.
• Some cats may prefer the softer texture that’s more like outdoor pottying.

Lightweight Litter Potential Cons

• Smaller, less-dense particles may be easier for kitty to track outside of the litter box. Use a litter mat to reduce tracking.
• Particles may stick to your cat’s paws or fur more easily than heavier weight litter particles.
• Some lightweight litters can be more dusty than others.
• Your vet may advise against very young kittens using lightweight litter until they get older and bigger. Check with your vet about any litter recommendations.

Pros & Cons of Regular Clumping Cat Litter

There will always be both pros and cons, no matter which type of litter you choose. That said, regular clumping cat litter is one of the most popular litters on the market, and there’s good reason for that.

Regular Weight Clumping Cat Litter Pros

• Absorbs wetness quickly and coats feces to trap odors.
• Creates hard clumps that are easier to scoop.
• Typically easy to find in retail stores or online.
• Available in scented or unscented formulas.
• Most popular type of cat litter, preferred by many cat parents and kitties alike.

Regular Weight Clumping Kitty Litter Cons

• Box can be very heavy, up to 40 lbs, making it harder to carry up flights of stairs or longer walks from your vehicle or public transportation.
• Heavier litter can be difficult to lift and pour into the box.
• Particles can track or be scattered from the litter box.
• Putting 3-4 inches of litter in your cat’s box can make it heavy and hard to move.
• Disposing of used litter can be more difficult due to the weight of the litter.

Choose Whether Lightweight vs. Regular Kitty Litter is Right for You

Although cat litters don’t come in weight classes like boxers or wrestlers, you may find that a lightweight litter such as ARM & HAMMER™ AbsorbX clumping cat litter is your best bet for taking odor and wetness to the mat. Choosing the regular or lighter weight version of cat litter comes down to preference: both what you prefer and what kitty likes and will use without complaint.

If you live up several flights of stairs, have a physical disability, are unable to carry heavy packages, or live alone and have trouble lifting a full-weight cat litter container to fill your box, lightweight litter may be the right combination of features for you. If the weight of litter isn’t an issue for you, the regular formula clumping cat litter may be your top choice.

And here’s another related question: does lightweight litter track more than regular litter? The answer is: it depends. While the smaller, less-dense particles in lightweight litter may sometimes stick to cat’s paws or be easier to fling from the box during use, the type of litter isn’t the only factor in causing litter tracking everywhere. Here are 5 tips to reduce litter tracking, no matter what type of litter you use.

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