There are sooo so many brands available on the market. There are 3 main categories of cat litter based on material but you can also find clumping and non clumping litters, and several other attractive info on the packaging.
How to decide which cat litter to choose?
Clumping or non-clumping
The first main aspect to consider is whether a litter is clumping or non-clumping. Clumping cat litter clumps together when wet, allowing you to scoop urine from the box. With daily scooping, clumping clay cat litter lasts longer than non-clumping litter.
Non-clumping litters quickly become soaked by urine, so you have clean the entire box more frequently. But there is no daily scooping needed. Pro and contra. Your preference.
What is litter made of
Clay cat litter can be clumping or non-clumping, and comes in many formulas, including low-dust, low-tracking, multi-cat, lightweight, and scented or unscented. This is the most common cat litter you can find everywhere and there is a wide range of selection in every price range and quality level.
Made from silica gel, crystal looking cat litters are non-clumping. They absorb urine and trap odors. You need to discard the entire litter once it starts looking full.
Plant-based cat litters may be clumping or non-clumping. Some of them are flushable in the toilet which reduces household waste. Nowadays there are plant based litters on the market made of wood, pine, corn, wheat, paper, grass and even walnut shell. The most common are wood pellets.
Scented or unscented
Scented litter covers the odor of the cat’s products and they are pleasant for the human nose. Some cats however dislike the scented litters. A hooded toilet with carbon filter can be a compromise in such cases.
Dusting
Cats love digging and the induced dust can irritate the cat’s airways. Also, dust settles on furniture. Most higher quality cat litters are advertised dust free or low dust.
Brands we like
The very best cat litter I have ever seen is Ever Clean. It is quite pricey but it lasts very long, it clumps like a dream and due to the excellent clumping the litter box stays clean for weeks even with several cats using it. It is scented; my cats accept it and I enjoy the spring smell. The scent is activated by touch, so the cats’ paws smell like perfume 😀
Another very good brand is Tigerino Canada Style. Very fine pieces, the scented or unscented versions are both good. Clumps very well. My cats like it but I prefer a stronger scented litter.
Surprisingly good quality in the lower price range is the litter produced by Kaufland. The scent is really nice and strong, the cats accept it and it clumps really well.
We also tried Lidl and DM litters and even though they are very good, we ended up using the above brands.
Cats Best natural pellets are for some reason rejected by my cats. They only accept it when mixed with a clay litter but then the whole point is gone because it cannot be flushed in the toilet anymore. But I have breeder friends that only use Cats Best and they are very happy with it. So nothing against the quality, it is just my cats’ taste.