Best Cat Litter in 2025: Low-Tracking, Dust-Free, Eco-Friendly

Cats are picky creatures — and we can all agree that they deserve the best. When it comes to cat litter, choosing the right product is vital. Not only does it keep your cat happy, but it can help reduce the chance of them peeing outside of the box (no, they’re not doing it out of spite).

We asked cat experts to help us whittle down a shortlist of their favorite litters, weeding out the ones that don’t hold up to our (let’s be real, our cat’s) standards.

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According to Dr. Jessica Bell, a professor at Washington State University School of Veterinary Medicine, “Scientists have actually researched litter preferences and found that cats prefer clay litter to silica (sand) or wood pellets.” And the biggest turn-off for cats is smell. “Cats have really sensitive noses and don’t like perfumed litter,” Dr. Bell says, so always opt for a fragrance-free litter to start. Although many cat people may gripe that they’d prefer a nice scent to cover up their cat’s business, if your cat’s litter is deterring them from using the box, we’re confident that an unscented option will start to look pretty good.

We evaluated litter based on a few features, from odor control to clumping ability to flush-ability. We gave extra points to those that use upcycled or sustainable materials, and formulas that absorb odor rather than covering it up with scents. Now, it’s still possible that your cat’s preferences may fall outside these picks, but we’d consider this a great start to a potentially lengthy hunt for their favorite litter.

Best cat litters

Btw, our editors (and their pets) picked out these products. They’re always in stock at the time we publish, but there’s a chance they’ll sell out. If you do buy through our links, we may earn a commission. (We’ve got a lot of toys to buy over here, you know?)

Best overall cat litter

• Best-odor control litter: Ever Clean Extra Strength Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter

• Best low-dust litter: PrettyLitter Cat Litter

• Best clumping litter: Dr. Elsey’s Premium Clumping Litter

• Best eco-friendly litter: Natural Wheat Multi-Cat Litter

Odor-control ability

Odor control is a must for any cat litter — but, let’s be real, some litter boxes need more help than others. If that sounds, or smells, like your cat’s litter box, we’ve picked out the best cat litters for odor control. 

Top pick:

Ever Clean Extra Strength Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter

$23

Activated charcoal in this litter helps mask the stink of your cat’s litter box, which leaves it fresh for up to 14 days, so that’s a plus right off the bat. Its clumping powers are also a cut above, making cleanup easy. What more could you want?

• Women Owned
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$23 at Chewy

Another great option:

Fresh Step Clumping Cat Litter

$34

For an odor-control litter that doesn’t skimp on the clumping, opt for Fresh Step Advanced Cat Litter. With 20,000-plus five star reviews, this litter is clearly a favorite of cats and cat parents, thanks to its 99 percent dust free formula and added “Ammonia Block Technology” that kills odors on contact. And, as far as scented litters go, we found this one to be adept at reducing odors, not masking them.

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$34 at Amazon

Dust production

For some cats and their parents, dust can be a home and health hazard. No matter if you’re trying to keep the dust from getting into your mouth or your carpets, these are the best low-dust cat litters. 

Top pick:

PrettyLitter Cat Litter

$24

One day, not too long ago, a beautiful genius arose from their slumber and decided to invent a perfect, high-tech kitty litter for the 21st century. From their mind came Pretty Litter, a silica gel-based cat litter that is literally dust-free.

In addition to great odor control, Pretty Litter’s color-changing silica gel pellets react with your cat’s urine to indicate possible health concerns. These pellets are also dust-free, which is great if you or your cat has allergies.

• Sustainable
• Gives Back

$24 at PrettyLitter

Another great option:

Tuft + Paw Really Great Cat Litter

$29

Tuft and Paw’s Really Great Litter formula delivers low-tracking, flushable litter right to your door in the appropriate quantities, so you can say goodbye to the days of hiding excess litter under your kitchen sink. Plus, it’s made from a soybean byproduct that would otherwise end up in a landfill, so you can feel good about the way your litter choice impacts your cat, home, and planet.

• Gives Back
• Sustainable

$29 at Tuft + Paw

Clumping ability

When it comes to urine absorption and scoop-ability, a top-tier clumping litter is a must. If those qualities top your list of litter needs, these are some of the best clumping cat litters.

Top pick:

Dr. Elsey’s Premium Clumping Cat Litter

$15

$12

If you’re looking for a hard-core clumping litter, look no further than Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Ultra Cat Litter. Affordable and effective, we were shocked at how good this bentonite-clay based litter was when it came to clumping and odor control. For a clay litter, we also found Dr. Elsey’s to be low-tracking (though not entirely dust-free) and strong enough for use with multiple cats. 

• Gives Back

$12 at Amazon

Another good option:

Arm & Hammer Litter Platinum Scented Clumping Clay Litter

$27

Another great option, this litter by Arm & Hammer instantly clumps waste. It also scores high marks on odor control, promising to seal scents for up to two weeks.

• Gives Back

$27 at Chewy

Environmental factors

If you’re trying to take a greener approach to pet parenthood, your cat litter is a good place to start. These litters use natural, biodegradable materials that don’t trade effectiveness for sustainability, making them our top picks for the best environmental cat litters.

Top pick:

Natural Wheat Multi-Cat Litter

$29

$26

Wheat is a great active ingredient for cat litter if you’re looking for a natural, biodegradable option. This litter by Wheat Scoop is a top choice when it comes to odor control and dust-control. Reviewers also loved its lack of “perfume-y” odors and its flushable, clumping pellet.

• Sustainable
• Women Owned

$26 at Amazon

Another good option:

Catalyst Upcycled Soft Wood Cat Litter

$25

This sustainable, renewable, and responsible litter is perfect for the eco-friendly pet parent. It conceals odor using an upcycled wood substrate, and its lightweight formula makes it a favorite for cats with sensitive paws. Compared with clay litters that use more added materials, it’s better for the environment; it uses wood fibers that trap bad smells while using zeolite to release a mild fragrance that’s non-offensive to cats and their humans.

• Sustainable

$25 at Amazon

Litter box compatibility

Another factor to consider when picking out a litter is whether it’s a good fit for your litter box. The answer there is that it really depends on the kind of litter box you have. If you have an automatic litter box, you’ll want a litter that has a very good clumping ability.

If you have an open-top litter box, you’ll want to make sure your litter produces a low amount of dust, in addition to clumping well. Again, it really comes down to your cat’s preferences (and you’ll want to figure those out as early as you can).

Your cat’s preferences

As any cat parent might know, cats can be picky about their litter box. Texture, scent, and box style can influence your cat’s willingness to properly utilize their designated bathroom. 

Unfortunately, getting the right combo of litter and litter box might take some trial and error. As a general rule of thumb, keep the litter box in a private, quiet area away from their food and water. Also, just as with humans, cats are likely to prefer a clean box over a not-so-clean one. If location and litter don’t appear to be the issue, you might want to consider swapping out the box itself. 

FAQs (People also ask):

What is the best cat litter for multiple cats?

The best cat litter for multiple cats is the one they will all agree on. However, if multiple cats are using the same litter box, you might want to prioritize an odor-reducing litter above all else.

Why is my cat pooping outside the litter box?

There are multiple reasons for why your cat might not be taking to their litter box. For starters, pet parents should rule out medical issues, such as UTIs or gastrointestinal distress.

Should I get a Litter-Robot for my cat? 

Automatic litter boxes scoop used litter for you, keeping the box extra clean for your cat, which will encourage them to use it. These babies can be a real game changer for the cat parent grind, with one cat dad going so far as to say it made him a better parent to his kitty. (Just make sure you get a safe model.)