With so many options to choose from, finding a cat litter that works for both you and your cat can be overwhelming.
That’s why, today, we want to take that stress off your shoulders by going over some of the top cat litter brands that are worth taking a look at. Here at tuft + paw, we are cat experts. We're intimately familiar with features that are most important to cats and we also spoke to actual cat and cat furniture experts to make this guide.
Top Cat Litter Brands
We’ve tried everything - and we can confirm that finding a flawless cat litter is a challenge. Rather than overwhelm you with an extensive list, we’ll chat about the top 8 brands: what we like about them, some concerns we have, and the brand we would recommend for all your cat litter needs.
Our Choice for the Best Cat Litter Brand:
Tuft + Paw Really Great Cat Litter
Okay - we're admittedly biased - so read on below for other options. But our team of cat people developed this litter after being frustrated by the available options. We developed, what we think is the best cat litter in the world.
| PROS | CONS |
| *Extremely" low tracking because of the bigger lightweight pellets, disintegrates in water so it's flushable, eco-friendly, safe for your cat, no synthetic fragrances, great natural odor control, quick clumping, and absorbent | A bit more expensive than traditional litters, but because you don’t have to clean the box as frequently, you likely won’t notice a huge shift in what you spend on cat litter |
If you want to learn more about what makes tofu cat litter so effective and convenient, this guide to tofu cat litter will shed some light on the subject.
Other Brands
1. Purina Tidy Cats
With over 70 years of experience in the cat litter industry, Purina is a brand that has time and experience on its side. Tidy Cats is Purina’s brand of cat litter. You’ll find a variety of different types of cat litter that vary by need, like clumping litters, as well as more eco-friendly composting litters.
| PROS | CONS |
| Plenty of choices to suit a variety of needs, affordable price point, comfortable texture on paws, lightweight | Often use synthetic fragrances to mask odors which can be toxic and unpleasant, not as many natural options as other cat brands on the market, lightweight (often results in more tracking and dust) |
2. Fresh Step Cat Litter
Owned by Clorox, this is easily one of the more popular cat litter brands available on the market. Because of this, you’ll have to pay a bit more for this litter, but most cat owners find that the price is well worth it. Having said that, Fresh Step does have some flaws, which we want to make you aware of.
| PROS | CONS |
| Made in the United States, good odor control, suitable for almost all domestic cats | High price point, most options have added fragrance which we recommend avoiding for your cat’s health, dust-producing, their clumping litters are made from sodium bentonite which can be very dangerous if your cat consumes the litter |
3. Dr. Elsey's Cat Litter
Developed by a doctor, this product is marketed as safe and effective. Dr. Elsey’s has 35 years of veterinarian experience, but there are still a couple of downsides to this litter that we think are worth noting.
| PROS | CONS |
| Great clumping action, well known for its odor control, different litters to suit different issues (i.e. litters for senior cats, for cats with respiratory issues, for cats who won’t use their litter box, etc.) | Many customers complain about the litter sticking to the sides of the box when wet, dust-producing, have to clean frequently in order to prevent the litter from becoming sticky and difficult to change, frequent changing means you’ll have to purchase more litter (i.e. expensive) |
4. World’s Best Cat Litter
With a brand name like World’s Best Cat Litter, it’s at least worth considering this option. This brand is very common at most physical pet stores and is made from compressed corn.
| PROS | CONS |
| Natural cat litter option (all varieties are made from natural compressed corn), lightweight, dust-free, flushable for easy disposal, clumping for easy clean-up | Expensive, doesn’t have long-lasting odor control, requires frequent cleaning to maintain freshness, lightweight results in more tracking |
5. Arm & Hammer
One of the oldest and most well-known cat litter brands out there, Arm & Hammer definitely has the benefit of being a well-recognized brand.
| PROS | CONS |
| Wide variety of options to suit different needs, good clumping action, baking soda provides 7 days of odor protection, dust-free, low tracking | Few natural alternatives, some cats don’t like the baking soda odor associated with Arm & Hammer products, some cats also don’t like the sandy texture, definitely not a good option for picky kitties |
6. Scoop Away Cat Litter
Probably the most well-known clumping litter, Scoop Away was actually the first clumping cat litter available for cat owners in the United States.
| PROS | CONS |
| Affordable, forms hard clumps that are easy to remove when cleaning, relatively good odor control | Not much variety in terms of different cat litters for different needs, clay litters can be very dangerous to cats if consumed (swells in the digestive tract), dust-producing, uses synthetic fragrance, liquids stick to the bottom of the box, high tracking |
7. ScoopFree Cat Litter
Because we know some of you might use self-cleaning littler boxes, we wanted to mention ScoopFree. This brand was specifically developed for self-cleaning litter boxes and it utilizes crystal litter in all of its cat litter varieties.
| PROS | CONS |
| Less maintenance when you use a self-cleaning box, good odor control since the box is cleaned with each use, low tracking, low dust production | Not all cats will use a self-cleaning box (the mechanism that cleans the box scares them), this brand uses crystal cat litter which some cats don’t enjoy on their paws, crystals are made from silica gel which is a carcinogen for both cats and humans |
8. Frisco Cat Litter
Frisco is Chewy’s line of cat litter products. It’s an affordable option that cat owners seem to enjoy and is worth considering if you have a cat that is in need of a litter change.
| PROS | CONS |
| Affordable, low dust production, low tracking, easy to scoop | Few natural alternatives, utilizes strong synthetic fragrances, very heavy bags which can be a problem for people with mobility issues (i.e. 40lbs bag) |
Other Factors To Consider When Choosing Cat Litter
We hope you’re feeling more confident choosing a cat litter brand that has your cat’s best interests at heart, but we quickly want to close by reminding you that the brand you choose is only part of the puzzle.
When choosing cat litter, you also need to consider:
- The safety of the product for both you and your cat
- If your cat is receptive to the texture of the litter
- How easily you can clean the litter (i.e. tracking, dust production)
- How long the litter lasts (more cleaning means more purchasing litter)
- The environmental impact of the litter
- Clumping vs. non-clumping — if clumping is your thing, check out our guide to the best clumping litters
Taking the time to carefully consider these factors can not only improve your cat’s life, but it can also have a lot of benefits for you.
If you need more help on thinking through some of the factors listed above, our ultimate guide to cat litter is an excellent resource on your journey to finding the perfect cat litter. If tofu litter piqued your interest, check out our list of the 5 best tofu cat litters.
Are you thinking of switching to a new litter? There are a few important things to know beforehand. Watch our video below for some tips to make the transition as smooth as possible for you and your cat.
