Picture this: you’ve returned home after a long day at work or from completing a list of errands. As you step through the door, you’re greeted by an unpleasant smell lingering in the air. Within moments, it becomes clear that the source of the foul odor is none other than your cat’s unclean litter box, which seems to have invaded your sense of smell.
Using a product like Naturally Fresh Ultra Odor Control Cat Litter may be the necessary change you need to trap odors before they permeate throughout your home. So if you’re pressed for time and just want to know what we recommend, this is it.
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History of Cat Litter
Cat litter was accidentally invented in 1947 by businessman Edward Lowe.
Lowe and his family sold sand, sawdust, and clay that was used to absorb oil and grease. Realizing the mixture had potential, he tried to market the clay as a nesting material for chickens, but business didn’t go according to plan. So Lowe did what most successful business people do — he pivoted.
You see, in the 1940s, cat owners used ashes to mask the scent of their cat’s bodily fluids. But for at least one woman — Kay Draper — this wasn’t good enough. She was fed up with her cats tracking ashes throughout the house, so she called upon Lowe, who offered his clay as a substitute. And cat litter was born!
What is Cat Litter?
Cat litter is a granulated substance used to assist with maintaining your cat’s litter box by absorbing the remnants released by your cat when nature calls. The type of granulated substance varies depending on the brand and your particular preferences. Cat litter can be made of many substances but most often is clay-based, silica-based, or biodegradable.
Shopping for cat litter can be intimidating for the novice cat owner. Not only do you have to choose between the type – clay, silica-based and biodegradable, but you’ve also got to decide on a dozen or so sub-categories: odor reducer, clumping technology, multi-cat formula, carbon-infused litter, low dust formula, etc.
The one thing all cat owners can agree on is that if you are going to have an indoor cat, choose and change the litter in your cat’s litter box regularly. No matter the formula or technology the litter you choose may have, ignoring cat litter maintenance will result in the wafting of odor from your cat’s leavings throughout your home. Using litter not only softens the odor but also makes cleaning up a whole lot easier.
Benefits of Cat Litter
As we previously mentioned, cat litter assists with dampening the odor of your cat’s waste. Whether you purchase scented or unscented litter, the absorption of litter will provide you with a bit of time before the odor begins to flood the halls of your home. This is where odor-reducing litters come in handy.
While all litters will help with weakening the scent rising from your cat’s litter box, odor-reducing litters choke the smell and keep the box fresh for longer. By using ingredients like carbon, odor-reducing formulas trap the scent inside the box and often use a pleasant scent such as Febreze freshness to help mask the foul smell.
Additionally, cat litter helps make cleaning your cat’s litter box much easier. First, cat litter allows you to scoop out any excrement without having to worry about it sticking to your cat scoop. Moreover, cat litter keeps the waste from permanently staining the cat box. The cat litter absorbs the liquid waste and makes changing the bag of your cat’s litter box less messy.
Our Picks for Best Odor Controlling Cat Litters
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Fresh Step Odor Shield Scented Litter is a clumping litter that uses the power of Febreze to help mask the foul stench of your cat’s unmentionables. This product’s ClumpLock technology causes the litter to form tight clusters when wet. This allows for more straightforward disposal of all waste your cats leave in their litter box.
Fresh Step has a 10-day odor control guarantee which uses charcoal to trap and eliminate the odor inside your cat’s litter box. Moreover, Fresh Step developed a low-dust formula for cleaner surfaces to keep the air clean, ensuring your cat won’t track litter throughout your home. Its paw-activated fragrance releases every time your cat steps in his/her litter box.
This product takes every step possible to assist with controlling the odor expected from your cat’s private space. They also designed their formula with your cat’s health in mind. It is a safe, 4.5-star-rated product and one of the most well-known brands on the market.
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Ever Clean Extra Strength Cat Litter is an unscented brand fortified with an ammonia shield to destroy odors at their source. The unscented option doesn’t make Ever Clean less powerful of an odor-controlling cat litter than any of the others. Instead, it sets Ever Clean apart by not stinging the nostrils of cat owners as they pour the litter into a freshly cleaned box.
Cat owners are aware that some of the scents cat litter brands use can kick up into their noses and be unpleasant. Ever Clean decided to forego this issue by making this particular product unscented. For added odor protection, Ever Clean Extra Strength Cat Litter uses activated carbon, which bonds and is mixed with litter granules to prevent the odor from wafting throughout the halls of your home.
Finally, Ever Clean Extra Strength Cat Litter is a 4.5-star rated product that contains an antimicrobial agent to inhibit the growth of bacterial odors on your cat’s litter. This clever addition keeps your cat’s private space safe and free from spreading any possible diseases it may contain. Just another way Ever Clean Extra Strength Cat Litter protects your home from the foul nature of your cat’s litter box.
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Purina Tidy Cats Clumping Litter is one of Amazon’s Choice products, meaning it is rated highly, well-priced, and available to be shipped immediately. Purina states their litter holds 24/7 performance and protects your home from cat odors all day. Similar to our first two brands on this list, Purina Tidy Cats Clumping Litter makes use of clumping technology to assist with easy cat litter box cleanup.
Purina Tidy Cats Clumping Litter has a powerful triple-odor protection, they call TidyLock, to help defend against unpleasant aromas and provide protection from lingering odors “all day and all night.” With their low-dust formula, owners do not need to worry about clouds of litter casting over their faces as they pour the litter into their cat’s box. Most of all, Purina Tidy Cats Clumping Litter is formulated for multiple cats. You can guarantee that this product’s strong odor protection power is ready to keep your house smelling fresh even as your cats roam around your house.
Purina Tidy Cats Clumping Litter is a four-star rated product, and being one of Amazon’s Choice selections, it’s highly rated despite its starred reviews.
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Arm & Hammers Clump & Seal Platinum Clumping Cat Litter is another of Amazon’s Choice products and is rated four stars. Its platinum formula is 10% more effective at eliminating odors than previous Arm & Hammer cat litter and is 100% dust-free, meaning you will never have to worry about breathing in that cloud of litter that forms when pouring. This Clump & Seal Platinum Clumping Cat Litter guarantees your home to be odor-free for seven days.
The Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Platinum patented formula seals and destroys odors upon coming in contact with your cat’s waste. Once again, this product, like the others, creates clumps when wet, allowing for easier cleanup. When researching this product, you will find they boast about its ability to protect your home from cat odors.
They highly promote their odor protection because of their plant-derived particles, which help create rock-solid clumps. Additionally, their blend of moisture-activated Micro-Granules forms a tight seal around your cat’s waste, while heavy-duty odor eliminators, along with Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, destroy sealed-in odors on contact. The result is a litter box you won’t even realize is there.
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Naturally Fresh Ultra Odor Control Cat Litter is another of Amazon’s Choice products rated four stars. Made of 100% natural walnut shells, Naturally Fresh is a different kind of litter. This brand forgoes the typical clay-based litter for a more organic and biodegradable solution. This means you will keep your house fresh and the world safe.
Naturally Fresh claims that one bag of their litter is equal to three bags of the leading clay litter because their cat litter is so absorbent. This can help you save money when regularly changing your cat’s litter box. The walnut shells are virtually dust-free and do not stick to your cat’s paws keeping your air and home clean.
The Winner and Our Recommendation
While each of the cat litter on this list is strong enough to keep any home free of the vicious odors lurking in and around your cat’s litter box, our recommendation is Naturally Fresh Ultra Odor Control Cat Litter.
Not only does this product promote the same odor protection as the others, but it also uses organic materials to do so. This added touch sets Naturally Fresh Ultra Odor Control Cat Litter apart from the rest.
Clay-based litter can be messy even with their clumping technology. Silica-based litters create dust clouds when being poured, infecting the air you breathe. A biodegradable litter like Naturally Fresh Ultra Odor Control Cat Litter is safe for your lungs, home, and the world we all live in.
By taking the extra step and thinking beyond the single cat-owning home, Naturally Fresh Ultra Odor Control Cat Litter takes the prize as the best odor-controlling cat litter on the market.
"In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this."
-- Terry Pratchett
