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Keeping the litter box clean and odor-free can be difficult, especially when you have multiple cats, but you probably want to spend more time cuddling with your kitties than picking up after them. The best cat litters for multiple cats are highly absorbent, keep odors under control, and are easy to clean. Also important: They're formulated to minimize dust and allergen exposure in both cats and humans.
Your first choice will be between clumping and non-clumping litter. Clumping litters form easy-to-scoop chunks as they absorb moisture, so you can remove them easily, which means you won't have to empty and clean the litter box as often. Some cats prefer clumping clay litter, especially those without synthetic fragrances and odor-control additives like baking soda or activated charcoal. However, if your cats aren’t too finicky, it’s worth trying a litter with baking soda or activated charcoal for more odor-eliminating power. As an alternative to clumping litter, non-clumping crystal litter is highly absorbent, great for odor control, and requires less scooping, but you’ll probably have to change out the litter more frequently as it becomes saturated. Another non-clumping alternative is cedar litter made with — you guessed it — cedar chips. An eco-friendly choice, these fragrant chips are biodegradable and compostable.
Other considerations are litter tracking and dust. You'll want to opt for a litter with larger, heavier particles that can help minimize the amount of tracking after your kitties use the box, and you'll also want to keep an eye out for low-dust formulas to help prevent respiratory irritation for both you and your cat.
Of course, a regular litter box cleaning routine is key to making sure your cats use the box properly, but these are the best cat litters for multiple cats that can help reduce odors and keep you and your kitties happy.
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A Best-Selling Clumping Litter That's Great For Finicky Cats
Although it's made without deodorizers or scents, reviewers rave that this best-selling cat litter offers excellent odor control, making it the best option for finicky cats that turn their noses up at additives like baking soda or activated charcoal on Amazon. The easy-to-scoop clumping litter is made with natural ingredients, and since it's 99.99% dust-free and hypoallergenic, it likely won’t irritate allergies. Plus, the large, dense litter particles don’t stick easily to your cats’ feet, so there’s less chance of them tracking it around the house.
You can also purchase different litter styles: Ultra for mechanical litter boxes, Ultra Scented, Cat Attract (for litter box training), and Clean Tracks for even less litter tracking. Choose from 18- or 40-pound bags.
According to a cat owner: “This litter is completely dust free and there is absolutely no smell coming from the litterbox. It also tracks much less than other litters I've used before, probably because the granules are heavier. The cats had no problem adjusting to it, and I couldn't be more pleased.”
2
A Clumping Litter With Odor-Eliminating Baking Soda
Formulated with Arm & Hammer baking soda, Clump & Seal cat litter is great for reducing odors in the litter box, and it's a zero-dust formula so you don’t have to worry about respiratory irritation for you or your cat. The clumping cat litter is made with moisture-activated granules that help seal the waste to further eliminate odors and create easy-to-scoop clumps. And while some reviewers are pleased with how well this minimizes litter tracking around the house, others find it can stick to their cats’ paws.
According to a cat owner: “This is the best and only litter I use. With 5 cats, keeping the odors at bay can be challenging! Obviously, scooping several times a day is key. I've tried all the other brands over the years and nothing works as well as A&H Clump and Seal. It has minimal dust, clumps very well and no strong fragrance.”
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An Unscented Clumping Litter With Activated Charcoal
Made with odor-neutralizing activated charcoal, this unscented clumping cat litter can help reduce smells in a multi-cat litter box. Free from fragrances that might bother cats and owners, the clumping formula is also 99.9% dust-free and easy to scoop. Reviewers are generally pleased with this litter’s minimal tracking, but some found their cats still track it around the house.
According to a cat owner: “I have two cats - one of which is passive aggressive and doesn't like to bury her business - so I'm constantly trying different litters to cover up the smell of instant death every time one of them poops. This traps all of those wonderful litter box odors and helps my apartment smell like I don't even own any cats."
4
An Absorbent Crystal Litter
This highly-absorbent crystal cat litter is designed to pair with the PetSafe automatic litter box, but you can also use it in regular litter boxes, too. The non-clumping crystals absorb odors and urine and dry solid waste. If you’re using a traditional litter box, you can scoop solid waste as needed and change out the entire litter box when the crystals get overly saturated. (For reference, I have one adult cat and change this litter about every five days). This unscented litter is 99% dust-free, and the heavy crystals may mean less tracking of cat litter around the house. However, some reviewers complain that it's a bit on the dusty side. Sold in a two-pack, each pre-portioned bag of litter weighs about 4.4 pounds, so this option is more lightweight than clumping litters, but will still last you about the same amount of time.
According to a cat owner: “This has become the litter we use for our two cats. Easy to change - just put the old litter in a bag, pour the new litter in. The cats have no issues with it, and we've not noticed a smell, as long as we clean it regularly.”
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An Eco-Friendly Cedar Litter
If you're looking to be as eco-conscious as possible, this cedar cat litter is 100% biodegradable and compostable, and can even be incinerated. Cedar wood is highly porous and absorbent, and gives off a pleasant, woodsy smell (think: cabin in the woods). Reviewers write that the dust level is impressively low, but that tracking can be a bit of an issue, and you'll have to change the litter about every four to seven days. Like crystal litter, it's very lightweight, so this 23-pound bag will last you as long as the other options.
According to a cat owner: "Beyond a doubt the best kitty litter I've ever used! No odor, very little tracking. [...] You would never know we have a cat pan in our house!"
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Also Great: A Cat Litter Mat
This mesh cat litter mat has thick coils and deep grooves that help trap litter so it doesn't get tracked around your home. Plus, it’s also great for catching litter spills around the box. This non-slip, water-resistant mat comes in nine colors and several sizes and shapes, and it's easy to clean just by shaking and rinsing.
According to a cat owner: “Absolutely perfect! We have eight cats and we scoop their (several) litter boxes a couple of times a day, but they tend to get a lot of litter on our hardwood floors. We had other mats, but they were too small, even though we doubled them. This mat has kept the litter [off] the floor and made clean up much easier.”
