It’s not easy finding the best cat litter for odor control. There is an entire industry built up around the tail-end of domestic cats.
When you take a look at all your options, you might feel slightly overwhelmed. But don’t. That’s what we’re here for!
Before you find yourself lost between pine pellets and odor-killing crystals, here is our review of the best cat litter for odor control.
Urine Odors VS Poop Odors
Depending on which cat litter you use, you might find a stronger urine or poop odor resonating from the litter box. Finding the right litter to cover up cat litter odors, such as pee and poop, might take a little trial and error.
If one of the above-recommended litters doesn’t work for you, don’t get discouraged! Try again with another litter. It’s important to consider your cat’s unique needs and preferences while shopping for cat litter. Some cats hate the scented litters while others don’t mind them.
Our Top 6 Picks for the Best Cat Litter for Odor Control {Overall}
Skip to the front of the line! Here’s our ultimate list of best cat litters for odor control. The table below features carefully-selected cat litters that give you the best all-around value for money, odor, efficiency, cost per unit, size, and more.
*Based on experience, research, ratings, customer reviews, ingredients, and price per unit.
| Product | Brand | Price | Quantity | Features | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  | Frisco | $ | 40-lb bag | Unscented Clumping Clay-based Low-dust |   |
  | Purina Tidy Cats | $-$$ | 35-lb pail | Unscented Clumping Clay-based 99.9% dust-free formula |   |
  | Scoop Away | $ | 42-lb bag | Scented Clumping Clay & Plant-based Ammonia Shield technology | |
  | Dr. Elsey’s | $$ | 40-lb bag | Unscented Hard clumping Clay-based 99.9% dust-free |   |
  | Arm & Hammer | $$-$$$ | 28-lb box | Scented Clumping Clay-based 7-day guarantee for odor protection Low-dust |   |
  | PrettyLitter | $$$ | 4-lb bag | Health-Monitoring Unscented Silica Gel Crystals Non-clumping 4-lb bag lasts one-month! |   10% OFF FIRST CHARGE. USE CODE: AFF10 |
Details of Each Cat Litter
Here is some helpful info to learn more about the litters in the table above.
Frisco Unscented
Frisco’s unscented cat litter is hard to beat when it comes to simple, affordable cat litter for multiple-cat households. Frisco is a Chewy-exclusive cat litter, meaning you can only find it available online.
What are its perks? Frisco offers quality value for money. The litter features low-dust and low-tracking and is soft on kitty’s paws. What’s more, Frisco’s cat litter combats odors at the start using a deodorizing process instead of covering them up.
This litter costs less than $14 for 40-lbs. Get 30% Off Your First Order.
Tidy Cats Instant Action
Tidy Cats is one of the largest commercial cat litters, owned and operated by Nestlé Purina. You can find it virtually in any department store and also online. It is widely known as one of the go-to litters for odor control. Plus, its small price is attractive.
The 35-lb pail holds approximately 4 gallons of litter. The clay-based litter is equipped with Aromaburst Technology, meaning good-smelling crystals burst upon contact with moisture to release an aromatic, floral scent.
If you use Tidy Cats, please consider recycling and reusing the pails before tossing. Also, consider switching to an eco-friendly cat litter.
The price remains very affordable at under $14 for a 35-lb pail. Purrchase now.
Scoop Away Complete
Scoop Away is another leading brand of commercial cat litter. Just like its competitors, Scoop Away is made with clumping clay litter. Like other major clay-based litters, this litter is not biodegradable and must be thrown in the trash.
Clay litters are designed to make the litter box cleaning process easier. Scoop Away features an Ammonia Shield Technology so as to eliminate urine odors faster by preventing bacteria from spreading.
Many cat owners with multiple-cat households recommend this brand for its low-tracking and odor control.
The 42-lb bag should last you a while and costs less than $17. Check reviews.
Dr. Elsey’s Ultra
Dr. Elsey’s is a reputable, quality brand of cat products that began in 1987 by Dr. Bruce Elsey – a feline-only veterinarian. Their line of cat litter is simple yet effective, featuring natural clay that clumps and deodorizes naturally without the need for artificial scents or perfumes.
The litter is hard-clumping so that the clumps will not break down when scooping. The texture is medium clay with large granules to prevent tracking of fine particles and dust like in other tiny-particle-sized clay litters.
The quality shows for itself. Luckily, the price remains reasonable at under $18 for a 40-lb bag. Buy meow.
Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal
Did you think Arm & Hammer just made your toothpaste or baking soda? Nope, this giant brand also has its claws in the cat industry. The Arm & Hammer line of cat litter is widely used by cat owners for its tough formula on litter box odors.
First, micro-sealing granules trap urine and feces odors, locking them in before they can spread. Then, the litter’s special formula combined with baking soda eliminates the trapped odors.
The Clump & Seal cat litter costs about the same as its major competitors (Tidy Cats, Frisco), however, it offers 12-lbs less litter. Overall, the price/unit is higher than the other brands of cat litter for odor control. Check price on Amazon.
PrettyLitter
PrettyLitter is not like your other cat litters. It is uniquely made with silica gels from sodium silicate. It is not clay, not heavy, not dusty, nor smelly. PrettyLitter is a real game-changer when it comes to the best cat litter for odor control.
Yoda has been testing out PrettyLitter for the past few weeks and so far, there is not one hint of that “cat litter smell.” It is above all a litter designed to monitor your cat’s health via their urine output. The color of the litter reacts to your cat’s urine to indicate if your cat has an underlying health issue.
PrettyLitter is one of the best cat litters for odor control because it truly is an “invisible” litter. Plus, you only need to use one 4-lb bag per month. That is 5 times LESS the average amount of clay litter necessary for a one-month supply (1).
You scoop the poop and just mix the urine together. It is non-clumping, odorless, and stress-free. At the end of the month, empty and replace with a new bag. PrettyLitter offers a monthly subscription for one-cat households ($21) or multi-cat households. Order now and get free shipping.
Best Cat Litter for Odor Control – By Category
So now we have reviewed the top 6 cat litters for odor control (overall), but now we will review the best litters for odor smells by CATEGORY.
In this section, you’ll find our choices for the best cat litters for odor control divided into categories. We know cats can be fussy, which is why it’s important to choose from unscented, scented, clumping or non-clumping, natural, and more!
🐾 Best UNSCENTED Cat Litter for Odor Control
The top unscented cat litters to combat feline urine and feces odors. For us, there are three.
We just introduced PrettyLitter to you. It is a truly odorless litter that is so simple to clean. The $22 price tag for a one-month supply is worth trying out. Plus, aren’t you curious to see if your cat’s pee turns a healthy color?
Dr. Elsey’s is the second runner-up for best cat litter for odor control. It is quality-made by a feline-only veterinarian and works to deodorize litter box odors naturally.
The Frisco brand of unscented cat litter is simple and efficient. It is not a corporate giant like Purina or Arm & Hammer either, so we prefer to support the underdogs…err, undercats.
Pssst. Are you a conscientious cat owner? Then why not try Frisco’s eco-friendly, biodegradable option?
Get 30% off your FIRST Chewy ORDER here –> Frisco All Natural Grass Clumping Cat Litter, 20-lb bag
🐾 Best SCENTED Cat Litter for Odor Control
Our selection of scented cat litters for odor control. Some households prefer scented cat litters, but just make sure your cat is ok with that!
1. Frisco’s Line of Scented Litters
There are three types of scented (clumping) cat litters that Frisco offers at the same great price we know and love. Each option comes in a 20-lb bag. Try out Fresh Scent.
Scoop Away’s Complete scented cat litter is hard to beat! At such an affordable price, it’s no wonder there are hundreds of 4 and 5-star review. Most noteworthy, it is simple to clean while being tough on odors.
It comes in a hefty 42-lb bag but carrying it won’t be a problem when you order online.
🐾 Best CLUMPING Cat Litter for Odor Control
Does your cat like clumping litters? Here is our top pick for clumping cat litter that combats odors. Clumping litters are handy when you want to easily scoop and clean the litter box. Not all clumping cat litters are created equally, however.
Pet food giants, like Purina, have a big stake in what goes into your pet and also what comes out. Their line of cat litters gets high marks in both price and odor control from users due to their wide popularity.
There are several varieties of clumping litters by Tidy Cats.
- 4-in-1 Strength
- Instant Action
- 24/7 Performance
Each of them has a different scent, but if clumping is what you’re looking for, Tidy Cats knows where it’s at!
A litter that we’ve recommended before and will again. Dr. Elsey’s features hard-clumping to ensure your clumps stick together and stay that way, even during scooping.
The Fresh Step Multi-Cat litter combines forces with Febreeze to bring cat owners a scented, clumping formula.
Fresh Step is a little pricier compared to its competitors, and it doesn’t seem like you get “better quality” as a result. It works great and smells great, for those wishing to try it!
🐾 Best NON-CLUMPING Cat Litter for Odor Control
Sometimes kitties (or cat owners) prefer non-clumping litters. See our selection of the best non-clumping cat litters for odor control here below.
1. Feline Pine by Arm & Hammer
Despite being one of the pet-industry giants, Arm & Hammer does produce a more eco-friendly and biodegradable product which we highly recommend trying out. It’s called Feline Pine.
Feline Pine is one of the better natural cat litters for odor control. It is made of recycled kiln-dried shavings from lumbar production sites.
A 40-lb bag of non-clumping, natural Feline Pine will cost just under $17-18 dollars. Try it meow!
The ultimate non-clumping {odorless} cat litter. Just remember to take the poop out and leave the urine in. You’re set for one month!
Frisco is back with super absorbent non-clumping crystal litter (similar to PrettyLitter). It offers 8-lbs for a one-month supply, a little more than what PrettyLitter offers at half the price. Try and see if you like it!
🐾 Best NATURAL Cat Litters for Odor Control
Natural litters have an array of benefits for both your cat and the environment. We have been using only natural litters for Yoda since he was itty bitty. It is a great way to reduce your cat’s carbon paw print!!!
Also Read: How to Reduce Your Cat’s Carbon Paw Print
1. Feline Pine (as mentioned above)
Paul and I always resort to Feline Pine when we are living in the U.S. because of its efficiency, low-price, and green thumb. It is one of the cheapest natural cat litters you can find in the US. 😉 But as time goes on, more natural and eco-friendly cat litters are popping up on the market.
Cat litter made from 100% recycled paper (hence the snazzy name). Yesterday’s News is completely bio-degradable and made from recycled materials, making it one of the best natural litter options as well as eco-friendly options.
Furthermore, it is not only better for the environment, but it could be on your wallet, too. Since the litter is 3x as absorbent, it requires less litter compared to clay brands. Less litter = less money. Buy it meow.
3. sWheat Scoop
sWheat Scoop echoes simplicity when it comes to best cat litter for odor control. Created using 100% biodegradable ground wheat, this litter is completely eco-friendly; making it better for your cat and our planet.
The wheat uses natural starch enzymes to eliminate odors while clumping moisture together. We highly recommend this product if you want an eco-friendly litter. It’s particularly useful for composting cat litter, too! Check price on Amazon.
Best Cat Litter for Odor Control – By Price
In general, the large pet-brand giants offer the cheapest products (to no surprise). In contrast, smaller brands offer more targeted, often higher-quality products.
If you are a conscientious cat owner, then you will likely pay a little extra for biodegradable or eco-friendly cat litter. And that’s not bad!! Consider the value of your dollar. Yes, YOUR dollar. Your purchase speaks volumes! It matters what we buy, even for our pets.
But the reality is that not everyone can afford biodegradable litter because of varying lifestyles. Also, some cats just might prefer cheaper clay litter. After all, it’s soft under their paws; can we blame them?
Best Bargain Cat Litter for Odor Control
The cheapest cat litters for odor control are the following in lowest-highest order*:
- Frisco’s Multi-Cat Clumping Litter
- Arm & Hammer’s Double Duty
- Tidy Cat’s Instant Action & 24/7 Performance
- Scoop Away Complete
- Nature’s Miracle Intense Defense
- Feline Pine
- Dr. Elsey’s
*Price estimations subject to change and are based on a price/pound.
To give you a better idea of how much these litters cost, the price/lb ranges from around $0.39-0.44. Therefore, expect to pay approximately $13.25 – $17.50 for a 40-lb bag (prices subject to change).
Notice that within the above list there is only 1 brand of litter that is made from a recyclable or eco-friendly resource (Feline Pine).
Best Medium-High Priced Cat Litter for Odor Control
If you wish to spend a little more on cat litter for higher quality, here are the cat litters to look out for:
- Purina’s Yesterday News
- Naturally Fresh Walnut
- sWheat Scoop
- Frisco Natural Grass
The above list of medium to high-priced litters are based on current price/lb and are subject to change.
Each litter is priced over $0.50/lb (which is why we place them in the medium-high category). See the above links if you wish to read more about the products.
Now, how many litters in this list are made from eco-friendly, natural resources? All of them!! 🙂
Personal Experience Finding the Right Litter
There’s no “perfect” cat litter for every cat owner. What might work for us really well, just might not work for you. And we get it! Above all, we want to make sure you find the correct type of cat litter (for odor control or other) that is suitable for your feline and their lifestyle.
But on a personal note, we have always found such a better litter experience when we use natural or biodegradable cat litter.
Natural-based litters just do so well with our cat Yoda, and it really helps to know we are reducing our environmental impact! If you too, wish to learn more about eco-friendly cat care tips, check out our page right here.
Why Buy Cat Litter Online?
There are two very good reasons for buying your cat litter online.
1. Convenience
Firstly, cat litter pails, boxes, and bags can be quite heavy to lift. Unless you work with free weights, a shopping trip to the local pet store can be a real workout. Avoid this repetitive heavy-lifting by ordering online and having your cat litter delivered to your door.
Secondly, buying cat litter online allows you to read about the pros and cons of each product based on real customer reviews. It’s hard to know what works and what does not when you’re shopping in the store.
2. Affordability
Furthermore, buying cat litter online often gives back. You can enroll in auto-ship to receive your cat supplies (and other daily essentials) weekly or monthly at a reduced price. This is totally awesome because you know you’ll need a new bag of cat litter or more cat food every couple of weeks.
Final Thoughts: The Best Cat Litter for Odor Control
We recognize that even if buying cat litter seems like an easy task, it can be far from that. Firstly, sneaky marketing tools try to trick you. Secondly, there’s a wide selection to choose from. But we are hoping this guide has helped you in finding the best cat litter for your kitty by breaking it down into category and price.
We encourage you to take some time to read through the many different product descriptions and choose according to your lifestyle and budget. It is tricky however not impossible to find the best cat litter for odor control.
Finally, remember that litter changes should happen slowly. Consider transitioning your cat litter slowly, especially if you have a finicky cat.