Keeping our cat’s litter trays clean probably doesn’t rate highly on any cat owner’s list of favorite things to do, but it’s a job that’s certainly made easier by using the right type of cat litter. Whether you’re looking for a scented litter to help disguise those kitty odors or a clumping clay litter to make cleaning up easier, there are many choices out there!
Some cats can be pretty fussy, so finding a cat litter that they will happily use is critical. Choose the wrong one, and your cat will decide that they’d rather do their business somewhere else, which leads to messy clean-ups.
Our reviews are designed to help you cut straight to the chase, rather than trawling through the hundreds of different cat litters available on the market today, simply take your pick from our top recommendations. We take into account factors like price, effectiveness, and product ratings to help you find the perfect litter for your cat.
As the best cat litter in the U.K., we selected Catsan Hygiene Litter. This non-clumping litter is made from fine unscented granules of natural quartz sand and limestone. It effectively controls odors far more effectively than many other cat litters, keeping your house smelling fresher for longer.
The mineral shield of the granules helps trap odors inside, and while this litter is non-clumping, it’s easy to clean out the litter box regularly. A full litter change is recommended every 1 to 2 weeks. This litter is great value for money and comes in three different bag sizes, from 5 to 20 liters, so you can choose the one that best suits the number of cats you have.
If you’re looking for the best cat litter in U.K. for the money, then we recommend Cj’s Premium Cat Litter. This litter is made from 100% pure pine wood, with no additives, chemicals, or other hidden ingredients. Pine is naturally antibacterial, so it will help keep those litter boxes free from germs and bacteria. As a bonus, it gives off a gentle pine fragrance to keep your home smelling pleasant.
This litter is an environmentally friendly choice, it’s made from pine from managed forests, and it’s also 100% biodegradable, lessening the waste that you need to send to landfill. Once the solid poop has been removed, you can use the remaining litter on your compost. These pellets are absorbent and a great choice for long-haired cat breeds, as they won’t get stuck in their fur.
As our premium choice, we recommend the Ever Clean Extra Strong Clumping Cat Litter. This has a super-effective clumping effect, which makes it easier than ever to clean out that litter tray. Ever Clean says that a 10-liter box of this litter can last for up to 2 months when used in a one-cat household. So, while it’s more expensive than some other options out there, in the long run, you might find that it works out as better value for money.
This litter also offers a fresh scent that’s activated as your cat steps on the litter, helping to keep your home smelling fresh. It also uses activated carbon technology to lock in odors rather than just masking them.
The Pettex Pampuss Woodbase Cat Litter is a great choice if you’re looking to bulk-buy your cat litter without spending a fortune. This large bag of pinewood litter contains 30 liters of highly absorbent pine cat litter. It absorbs up to two times its weight in liquid, helping keep your cat’s litter tray drier for longer.
Unlike clumping litters where you can just remove the waste, this litter will need the entire tray to be cleaned out periodically. This can create more waste, but as this pine litter is biodegradable and can be put on the compost heap, you might decide that’s a compromise that you’re happy to make.
It’s a big claim, but the World’s Best Cat Litter is indeed a great choice if you’re looking for a biodegradable, natural litter. This corn-based litter is also clumping, so you get the best of both worlds in terms of convenience and eco-credentials. This lightweight corn litter is said to be flushable, but we’d recommend disposing of it on your compost heap instead.
One bag of World’s Best Cat Litter should last one cat 30 days, so thanks to its concentrated effectiveness, you’ll buy less. So, while it is on the expensive side compared to clay litter, you shouldn’t need to buy it as often.
The Extra Select Premium Hygiene Cat Litter is a highly absorbent, clay-based litter. The fine granules create a comfortable surface within the litter tray, while the extremely porous granules soak up mess rapidly. This is a non-clumping litter, so the whole litter tray will need cleaning out regularly.
This litter is low-dust, but you may find that it does track through your house if you don’t use some kind of mat around the litter tray. It’s also not as good at absorbing odors as some other litters, but as it’s an economic option, you might decide that’s a worthwhile trade.
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly cat litter that also ticks the eco-friendly boxes, then the AmazonBasics Cat Litter Wood Pellets is a good choice. Coming in a 30-liter bag, this offers great value for money and will last a long time too. The pine pellets are soft and gentle on your cat’s paws and release a subtle pine scent to help with odor control.
This litter is biodegradable and can be placed on your compost heap once the solid waste has been disposed of in the trash. This is a non-clumping litter, so as your cat urinates on the pellets, it will absorb the liquid but also break it down into smaller pieces. This means you’ll need to replace the entire contents of the litter tray every week or so, as the broken-up pellets mix with the fresh ones.
Fresh Paws Premium Wood Pellet Cat Litter comes in two bag sizes, 5 liters or 15 liters. This litter is made from 100% British softwood. This super-absorbent litter is also antimicrobial, so it does a great job of stopping odors and bacteria from lingering in your cat’s litter tray. As a non-clumping litter, this absorbs liquids, and the pellets then break down to form a fine powder.
Some cats don’t like the texture of wood-based litter, and luckily, this is available in a smaller 5-liter bag, which you can use as a tester before investing in the larger 15-liter bag if your cat seems to like it. The soft powder can track through your house, so you might prefer to use a mat around your cat’s litter tray to keep this to a minimum.
Exstream Wood Based Cat Litter comes in a choice of three different bag sizes and is made using premium recovered pine sawdust. This cat litter has a fresh pine scent, as well as an antimicrobial action that helps keep your cat’s litter box clean. As a bonus, this litter is completely biodegradable, so once you remove the solid waste, you can simply put it on your compost heap.
As these wood pellets break down into smaller pieces when they’re exposed to moisture, they gradually break up in your cat’s litter tray to form a fine powder. This can get tracked around your house, creating a mess that needs cleaning up. Be careful when lifting this cat litter, as not only are the largest bags heavy, but they can also split quite easily. The last thing you want is 30 liters of cat litter outside of the tray!
almo nature Cat Litter uses all-natural vegetable fibers to create a high-performance litter. It is more expensive than many of the other brands we reviewed but combines both qualities of being clumping and eco-friendly. Many other clumping litters contain clay, something that some cat owners are looking to reduce their use of.
This litter is flushable, but you can also put it on your compost heap. The particles are very fine, more like a sand texture. While some cats don’t mind this, others don’t like it and may take a while to get used to it. It will also track through your house, but you might decide that’s a compromise that you’re willing to make for this litter’s eco-credentials.
Pros
Clumping
Eco-friendly
Cons
Only available in small bag sizes
Expensive
Tracks in the house
Very fine particles that some cats don’t like
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Cat Litter
If your cat’s been urinating outside of their litter box or you’re fed up cleaning cat litter that’s tracked through the house on their cute little paws, then it might be time to switch to a different cat litter brand. But there are simply so many different options to choose from.
To make it easy for you, we’ve compiled this handy buyer’s guide to explain the differences between the different types of cat litter.
Firstly, let’s take a look at the three most popular types of cat litter, along with the pros and cons of each.
Clay cat litter
Clay cat litter comes in clumping and non-clumping varieties, although the clumping versions are more expensive. Cats like both versions, as the texture can be appealing for them. Clumping litter is longer lasting than non-clumping clay litter but more expensive due to the additional ingredients. Clay litter is obtained through strip mining, which is destructive to the environment. It also needs to be disposed of in a landfill, so it creates a great deal of waste.
Wood pellet cat litter
This is usually made from scrap pine wood from mills, making it far more eco-friendly than clay cat litter. It’s non-toxic, biodegradable, and compostable. The downside is that some cats don’t like this litter at all. It also takes more effort to clear out, as the pellets disintegrate into a fine powder, so you’ll need to switch the whole tray to clean pellets regularly.
Corn cat litter
Another environmentally friendly option, corn cat litter is non-toxic and often made using waste products from other industries. It can be composted, so it doesn’t take up room in a landfill, like clay litter. The downsides are that it isn’t as effective at masking odors as some litters and it’s pretty expensive.
Clumping or non-clumping?
Clumping litter contains your cat’s urine into clumps that are easy to remove while leaving the rest of the litter clean in the tray. Some owners prefer to avoid using clumping litters with kittens or inquisitive cats, as they can be tempted to eat cat litter, which can then expand in their digestive systems and cause a blockage.
Non-clumping litters still absorb liquid but the individual pellets don’t stick together. This can make it harder to remove all the soiled pellets, as they can often get mixed in with the clean ones, especially if your cat likes to dig in their litter tray. This means non-clumping litters can start to smell, and you’ll need to change the entire contents of the tray.
Image Credit: Africa Studio, Shutterstock
Unscented or scented?
Unscented cat litters don’t contain any artificial fragrance, although some types, especially wood pelleted cat litter, can give off a subtle natural fragrance. Unscented cat litters are best suited to cats with allergies or respiratory issues or that are particularly sensitive to smells. If you’re not sure what cat litter to start with, unscented is the safest option.
Scented cat litters contain an artificial fragrance. Some are only activated to release fragrance when your cat steps into the tray, while others give off a scent all the time. While scented litters are great for masking those litter tray smells for us humans, some cats can find them overpowering. That can lead them to do their business somewhere else, which doesn’t help!
Making the switch to a new cat litter
So, you’ve made the decision and bought a new brand of cat litter! But don’t be tempted to go straight in and make a complete switch as soon as the new litter arrives. Cats are sensitive souls, and if you go ahead and change their litter to a new brand while they’re taking a nap, they might just pay you back by rejecting the new litter and doing their business somewhere totally different!
Instead, make a gradual change over the course of a week or so. When you next do a complete clean of your cat’s litter tray, place one-third of the new litter in the base, and cover it with two-thirds of their old brand of litter. Keep this percentage for a week, as this gives your cat a chance to get used to the new scent and sensation of a different litter without feeling overwhelmed by the change.
The next time you change the tray out, place half new litter in the base, covered with half old litter. If all is going well up to this point, you can then make a total change using completely new litter the next time that you change the tray.
Remember that if you have multiple cats, you’ll want to make sure they’re all comfortable with the new litter. As a general rule of thumb, you want one more tray than cats, and you should place these in different areas of your house so your cats never feel like they need to compete for them. If one is taken, they can head to another.
Our Cat Litters in UK Selection Process
Catster’s dedicated team of writers and editors collaborate with expert veterinarians, considering a wide range of factors when selecting the best for cats. These parameters include customer reviews, brand reputation, veterinary experience, and in some cases, hands-on testing. Of course, our cats have a say in the process, too! We strive to select and review the highest-quality products available, to help you choose the best possible product and make the most informed decision for your and your cat’s needs.
Why Trust Catster?
Catster has been a trusted online brand since 2001, so we know a thing or two about cat litters. We’re a team of cat-loving writers, editors, and veterinarians dedicated to helping you make the most informed decision for your feline. We deeply believe in providing the best information for cat owners to help their cats live their best life possible. We look at reviews from the most trusted sources available, and this, combined with our veterinary team’s experience and expertise, helps us gather the best options on the market. Our team is invested in the welfare and health of cats around the world, and believe that expert knowledge is one of the best ways to achieve this.
Conclusion
Our choice as the best overall cat litter in the U.K. is the Catsan Hygiene Litter. This non-clumping clay-based litter effectively eliminates odors, is suitable for kittens, and is low-dust.
In terms of best value, we recommend Cj’s Premium Cat Litter. This pine pelleted cat litter is made in the U.K. and is biodegradable and compostable. It’s non-clumping and has a fresh pine scent that helps naturally mask those litter tray smells.
Christian started writing for a local newspaper as a teenager, and he's been involved in the publishing industry for most of his adult life. Combining his love of writing with a passion for animals, he is currently the Director of Editorial at Pangolia and the Editor-in-Chief at Catster.
Christian lives in the Philippines with his wife, son, and four rescue cats: Trixie, Chloe, Sparky, and Chopper.
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