Cat litter comes in all shapes, sizes and types, and it is an important cat care product that can impact your cat’s willingness to use the litter tray.

We all know cats can be sensitive and fussy at times but did you know they can refuse to use a litter tray simply because they don’t like the smell or texture of the litter?

Finding a high-quality litter that is cat-friendly and house-friendly can transform your pet care routine. The best cat litter is absorbent, neutralises odours and is easy to clean.

We’ve reviewed some of the best cat litter options to help you find one that suits you and your kitty. The buyer’s guide below gives you some insight into the common materials used and key factors to keep in mind too.

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1. Purina Tidy Cats 24/7 Performance Clumping Cat Litter (Top Pick)

The Purina Tidy Cats Clumping Cat Litter is a great option for anyone with a multi-cat household or a busy schedule. This is a low-maintenance litter that makes keeping your cat’s litter tray clean easy.

The deodorizing litter protects against urine, faeces and ammonia ensuring your home smells clean and fresh at all times.

This litter forms tight clumps when soiled so it is easy to scoop out and dispose of. The litter is also 99.6% dust-free. This 6.35kg bag of litter will fill a small litter try and provide regular tray top-ups for 1 month.

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2. Kitter Wood Pellet Cat Litter

This wood pellet litter from Kitter is a great option for anyone looking for a natural, bio-degradable litter that is free of chemical additives. This litter is garden friendly and is made in Australia.

The natural wood is highly absorbent and has natural anti-bacterial properties which help to prevent bacteria growth and ammonia smells forming in the litter tray.

This litter gives off a pleasant, fresh, pine scent and is a long-lasting option for any litter tray.

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3. Wonder Wheat Cat Litter

The Wonder Wheat is a fully flushable cat litter that is free from additives and clumping agents. This is a natural solution for litter trays and is both cat-friendly and environmentally friendly.

The pure organic litter neutralises and eliminates odours and when soiled it forms firm, flexible clumps that are safe to flush down sewer or septic toilets. This litter has a natural smell and is also 100% biodegradable.

This is an Australian-made cat litter that works naturally to absorb mess and eliminate odours, it is cat-safe and easy to use.

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4. Rufus & Coco Wee Kitty Clumping Corn Cat Litter

Rufus & Coco Clumping Corn Cat Litter is a long-lasting, natural option. It is biodegradable and can conveniently be flushed down the toilet in small quantities.

One tray of this corn cat litter can last up to one week thanks to the natural clumping qualities and high absorbency.

This litter offers odour controlling qualities that can remove odours within 5 minutes. The litter is also dust-free, low tracking and paw-friendly making it a great option for your cat, your home and the environment.

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5. Trouble & Trix Crystal Cat Litter

These fresh-scented litter crystals from Trouble & Trix help to keep litter trays dry and free from bacteria. This is a lightweight option that is well suited to homes with multiple cats.

This litter kills 98.7% of bacteria on contact while also absorbing moisture and controlling odour. For ease of cleaning, the crystals turn to a solid colour which indicates to you when the litter needs to be changed.

These crystals are made from natural silica sand and have a natural antibacterial agent added to keep the litter tray clean and smelling fresh. The crystals are also biodegradable and ensure low tracking around the house.

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6. Oz-pet Organic Wood Pellet Kitty Litter

This organic litter from Oz-pet is suitable to use with a wide range of pets from cats to birds, guinea pigs and reptiles. It’s one of the best options for keeping your exotic pets litter tray or enclosure clean and dry.

This litter is made from wood and soaks up 3-4 times its own weight in liquid. It naturally controls odour and the pellets also contain eucalyptus oil to stop bacteria growth and prevent the well-known ammonia smell.

This litter is biodegradable, has no chemical additives and is even garden-friendly. This is a long-lasting option as you only need to remove a small amount at each clean offering you good value for money.

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7. Ezi-LockOdour Natural Mineral Zeolite Pellets Cat Litter

The Natural Mineral Zeolite Pellets from Ezi-LockOdour are designed to offer a small waste footprint and a long-lasting solution for litter trays.

This litter is designed to be used with the Ezi-LockOdour Dual Layer Cat Litter System. Using this system means you only need to change the cat litter once a month. The litter dehydrates moisture and locks in any odour.

This comes as a 2L bag which should last around a month.

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8. BYETOO Non-Stick Cat Litter Sifter Scoop

This cat litter sifter scoop is designed to make cleaning any type of litter easy. The high sides ensure less mess and scattering of the litter as you scoop it and the irregular holes make sifting effortless.

The handle is long, ergonomic and has a moulded rubber coating for your comfort and control. This scoop is strong and lightweight, it is made from stainless steel so you can expect it to last a very long time.

Another great feature of this scoop is the non-stick coating that makes it waterproof and rust-resistant. You can rinse the scoop clean after use and there’s a convenient hole in the handle for hanging it up after use.

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Cat Litter Buyer’s Guide

There is a wide range of options available when it comes to cat litters. Choosing the best cat litter for your cat and your home can take some trial and error.

Each litter offers different features from how it smells to how absorbent it is, how you dispose of it and how much you need to use per litter tray.

A good litter is not only easy to clean and offers excellent odour control but it can encourage your cat to use the litter tray.

A litter that your cat likes can reduce stress and make your cat more comfortable in the home.

When choosing a litter consider the following factors:

Cat Litter Types

Clumping Litter vs Non-Clumping Litter

Clumping litter tends to be easy to clean as the litter clumps together into firm lumps when soiled.

As the litter clumps together when it is messy it means you can more easily spot clean the litter box and you won’t need to clean out the whole tray as frequently. Regularly spot cleaning is required otherwise strong odours can build up quickly.

Non-clumping litter is often less expensive and some cats seem to have a preference for non-clumping litter. The litter can still control odours but as cleaning is not as easy as with clumping litter.

The litter box will need to be emptied on a weekly basis to keep the tray dry and clean.

Scented vs Unscented

Scented cat litter is often preferred by owners as it masks common litter box odours many of us are familiar with. However, the scent is often too strong and is therefore disliked by cats which can impact their litter box habits and usage.

Unscented litter is more natural and tends to be preferred by cats. Unscented products rely more on natural ingredients within the litter to eliminate and absorb odours.

Flushable vs Non-Flushable

Some cat litter types are flushable meaning they are safe to flush down a toilet. Trying to flush non-flushable products such as cat litter crystals down a toilet can damage your plumbing and septic system.

The litter packaging and specifications will usually clearly state if the litter is safe to be flushed, if it does not state this then the litter will need to be disposed of in bins or if it is biodegradable you can compost it in the garden.

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Cat Litter Material

There are many different types of cat litters available, below is a lowdown on the most common materials you will encounter in your search:

Clay – clay litter is one of the most common cat litter types available. It can come as clumping or non-clumping. Clumping clay is easy to clean, offers good odour control and needs changing less frequently than many other options. However, clay litter is not biodegradable and it can also be dusty.

Corn – corn is a biodegradable litter that offers a good option for environmentally conscious cat owners. Corn is dust-free and is usually flushable but it can be pricier than other litter types.

Wheat – using wheat in litter boxes provides odour control and thanks to the starch level it naturally clumps when soiled. This clumping litter is dust-free, absorbent and can usually be flushed. The clumps are often looser than the clay clumping litter making it not quite as easy to clean.

Wood – wood litter is often used from pinewood, it is a natural byproduct and is absorbent, dust-free and has a natural scent that helps to deodorize the litter box. Wood litter is biodegradable and environmentally safe but it does not clump and some pet owners may not like the pine smell.

Silica crystals – these tend to be very absorbent and are effective when it comes to controlling odours. Silica crystals don’t clump, don’t create tracks in your home and are dust-free. However, they do not clump and you will need to change the litter each week but you don’t need to use much litter in a tray thanks to how absorbent the crystals are.

Recycled paper – recycled paper is a low-cost, eco-friendly option that is dust-free and gentle. It doesn’t offer the best odour control so will likely need to be changed more often than other litters.

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Changing Cat Litters

Cats can be quite sensitive to change so when you are switching the type of cat litter you will be using it is best to do so slowly.

Gradually add small amounts of the new cat litter to the old one, increasing the amount of new litter over a week or two until the cat litter is just the new one.

This gives your cat the time to adapt to the new smells and textures and makes it more likely for the transition to be smooth and seamless.