Even though cats are amazingly clean animals, they are also quite fastidious about their litter boxes and types of litter, too, and may decide to eliminate them elsewhere if they are not happy with their personal toilets.
But even if your cat uses its litter box properly and at all times, it is still hard to eliminate the smell of urine, feces, and ammonia when the cat’s litter box is inside your home.
Using good quality and efficient odor control cat litter like the Ever Clean Extra Strength Cat Litter can help eliminate the smells and will make life more comfortable for you and your pet too.
Here is a list of the leading odor control cat litters for 2022 to pick from.
Best overall
ARM & HAMMER Platinum Clump & Seal Platinum
As the name of this kitty litter suggests, it will clump the litter once your cat uses its litter box, and then immediately will seal the smell as well.
Key features:
- It offers 10% better odor elimination that the regular clump and seal by the same brand.
- The formula is 100% dust-free
- It is made to seal and destroy the odor immediately.
- The clumps are hard and do not stick to the litter box, and are easy to scoop out.
- The manufacturer promises a 7-day odor-free home with this kitty litter.
- It is suitable for multi-cat homes too.
- The litter is offered in 27.5lb and 40lb boxes.
- It is sold at a very affordable price.
The runner-up
World’s Best Cat Litter, Clumping Litter Formula
The name of this kitty litter says it all – it advertises itself as the world’s best cat litter. Well, it may not be the absolute top one, but it definitely works for eliminating the odors from kitty litter boxes even when more than one cat uses them.
Key features:
- It offers superb odor control
- This is an entirely natural litter made from whole kernel corn, which acts fast and clumps all of the moisture up
- Cleaning up the litter box is easy and requires no messy scraping and chiseling
- It is septic safe and flushable
- The litter is dust free and light in weight as it contains no silica dust
- It contains no harmful fragrances or chemicals
- Sold in bags of 28 and 45 pounds
Fresh Step Extreme Mountain Spring Scented Litter with The Power of Febreze
If you and your cat don’t mind scented litter, then the Fresh Step Extreme Mountain Spring Febreze Freshness is one of the great odor control cat litters you can buy.
This clumping litter is designed specially to fight the nasty odors and to keep them away from the litter box even after days of use.
The clumping clay is easy to scoop, and when your kitty uses its litter box, the litter will immediately start emitting a pleasant and fresh mountain spring smell.
The litter also has activated charcoal mixed in with the granules. Activated charcoal is one of the leading natural odor absorbing materials and acts immediately after getting into contact with the smelly substances.
It also has added Ammonia Block Technology, which kills the pungent smell of cat urine instantly by attacking the bacteria causing the odors and eliminating the enzymes and smells.
This is low dust, low tracking, easy to scoop kitty litter, which has partnered up with Febreze freshness to provide up to 10 days of an odor-free litter box (not that we recommend that you leave the litter box uncleaned for 10 days!)
You can also purchase it with a Hawaiian Aloha scent. The superb quality odor control cat litter is sold in packs of 14, 20, 34, and 75 lbs.
You don’t have to worry about the effect of the added components and scents on you or your cat because the kitty litter has been tested and certified as safe and pet-friendly.
Best bang for the buck
Arm & Hammer Double Duty Clumping Litter
This reasonably priced clumping litter is made to fight off both the urine odors and the feces odors from the kitty litter boxes.
The Arm and Hammer Double Duty litter destroy both of the nasty smells instantly via the added baking soda crystals in the mix, which become activated as soon as they come into contact with moisture.
This affordable cat odor control litter is also almost entirely dust-free and does not cause tracking, so not only will your home smell nice, but it will have cleaner air and cleaner floors too.
The litter comes in packages that are easy to pour without spilling,
It is scented, and a fresh smell will be emitted each time the kitty uses its litter box.
The litter is offered in 20 lbs. packs.
It forms hard clumps that are easy to scoop out, plus they will be scented, so cleaning the litter box will be a more pleasant experience too.
The rest of the best odor control litter for 2022
Fresh Step Ultra Unscented Litter, Clumping Cat Litter, 20 Pounds
If you like the 10-day odor-free promise of our runner-up but do not like scented kitty litter, then you can opt for the Fresh Step Ultra Unscented Clumping Litter.
Key features:
- It offers a 10-day odor-free experience, making it suitable for multiple cat households and for people who prefer not to change the litter every day
- The litter is unscented, so it won’t irritate your cat and your nose, eyes, or lungs
- It has activated carbon which absorbs the smells as soon as it comes into contact with the moisture or odor
- The litter also provides antibacterial control and destroys odor-causing bacteria for up to 10 days
- It has a low dust formula for cleaner air and a cleaner home
- The clay litter forms tight clumps which are very easy to remove and clean
- It is also lighter than traditional kitty litter
- Offered in boxes of 20 lbs.
SmartCat All Natural Clumping Litter
The Smartcat All-natural clumping litter is made of 100% seed grass without any GMOs, no chemicals, no fragrances, and no dust. It is also biodegradable and renewable which is as eco-friendly and healthy as you can get.
Key features:
- It is clay free, dust-free, and fragrance-free for a cleaner and healthier home and environment
- It features “No smell can’t tell” odor elimination control thanks to the extremely quick clumping
- The litter is much lighter than clay litter
- Made out of GMO-free, chemical-free, and biodegradable grass seed
- It forms tight clumps that harden until all of the urine is absorbed
- Since the clumps are formed immediately, they can be scooped out shortly as well
- The texture of the litter is sand-like and soft, so most cats don’t have a problem getting used to it quickly
- It is offered in 5, 10, and 20 lb. bags
Purina Tidy Cats 24/7 Performance Clumping Cat Litter
This is another superb odor control cat litter from the Purina Tidy cats series. It will help eliminate the nasty odors and make cleaning up your cat’s litter box a much easier and more pleasant experience.
Key features:
- It offers its patented Tidy Lock protection which “locks” away all of the nasty smells from cat urine, feces, and ammonia
- It absorbs the moisture quickly, so your cat will feel more comfortable when using its litter box
- Made of natural clay, the litter forms hard and easy to scoop out clumps
- It offers 24/7 odor control and is suitable for multiple pet households
- It is 99.99% dust-free
- The litter is offered in pails of 27 or 35 lbs., in bags of 12 and 40 lbs. or in 20 lb. jugs
Ever Clean Extra Strength Cat Litter, Unscented
The Ever Clean Extra Strength Unscented is the top odor control cat litter you can buy in 2022.
It comes in a 42lb. pack with 4 bags of 10.5 lbs. of this premium quality clumping cat litter.
The bags are designed to be easy to carry, store, and pour without too much hassle and without making a mess.
The cat litter has added fast-acting activated carbon in the mix, which efficiently absorbs all odors in the litter box as soon as the kitty does its business.
The clumping cat litter also contains special antimicrobial agents that attack the bacteria and prevent the development of bacterial odors.
The premium odor control cat litter is unscented, so it will not irritate the people or the kitties with sensitive noses at home.
It is easy to scoop out and clean the extra hard clumps and will help eliminate all of the nasty odors from the kitty litter box.
Your home will be smell-free, and you will be able to enjoy living with your precious pet without having smelly post-effects.
It may be a more expensive cat litter brand, but if you want a dust-free, smell-free experience when cleaning and changing your cat’s litter box, then Ever Clean Extra Strength Unscented Cat Litter is the way to go!
Purina Tidy Cats 4-in-1 Strength Clumping Cat Litter
If you are tired of dealing with messy, hard-to-carry, and pour bags and boxes of kitty litter, then you should definitely try out the Purina Tidy Cats 4-in-1 Strength Clumping cat litter, which is sold in easy to store and handle jugs.
Key features:
- 4-in-1 strength formula which promises to eliminate the urine, feces, and ammonia odors, as well as to prevent weak clumps which are hard to scoop
- It immediately absorbs and locks the moisture in hard clumps to make cleaning the litter box easier for you and using it more comfortable for your cat
- Made of natural clay
- It emits almost no dust (99.6% dust-free)
- It is suitable for homes with more than one cat
- The formula is lightweight and easier to carry
- Sold in easy-to-store, carry and pour jugs of 14 and 20 lbs. and in 35 lb. pails or boxes of 38 lbs.
Related: List of leading cat litter boxes in 2022
Nature’s Miracle Premium Clumping Corn Cob Litter
This is another all-natural odor control cat litter for cat parents who want to use chemical-free and harmless natural litter for their kitties, but also want to eliminate the unpleasant odors from the litter boxes too.
Key features:
- It is made of natural, gentle, and clumping corn fibers
- It is light and easy to carry, pour, and clean
- It works with traditional and with automatic kitty litter boxes
- The quick clumping traps the odors from the urine and feces
- It is naturally dust-free
- The natural litter is sold in 10, 18, 36-pound bags
- There is a newly updated formula for this product
Cat’s Pride Fresh and Light Premium Clumping Fragrance-Free Scoopable Cat Litter Jug, Pack of 5 15-Pound
If you or your kitty are sensitive to fragrances and dyes, this Fresh and Light litter by Cat’s Pride is a great option for an odor control cat litter without any fragrance at all.
Key features:
- The litter is 25% lighter than traditional clay litter, which makes it easy to carry, pour and clean up
- It clumps up in tight clumps which absorb the nasty smells and are easy to scoop up
- The litter has zero fragrance or dyes in it
- It is almost completely dust-free
- It is offered at an affordable price for a pack of 5 15 pound jugs
Related: Most Wanted Self-Cleaning Litter Boxes in 2022
Tips for keeping the kitty litter odor under control
Even though the cat litters in this list are excellent products for odor control for cat litter boxes, they are not magical and will not keep the odor under control all by themselves.
Please note that a smelly and dirty litter box will not only be unpleasant for you and the other people in your home, but it is unpleasant for the feline as well, and there is a big chance that it will refuse to use it altogether.
Here are some basic tips for minimizing or eliminating the odor of urine, feces, and ammonia that comes from your kitty’s litter box:
Keep it clean
You can minimize the smell from your cat’s litter box if you take the time and put in the effort to keep it as clean as possible.
It is recommended that you clean it at least twice a day. If you use clumping litter, scoop up the clumps, and if you use non-clumping litter, remove the stools, and the urine-soaked litter with a spoon.
Don’t forget to add a new odor control cat litter to make up for the one you have removed.
If you prefer, you can use an efficient automatic self-cleaning litter box, which will do the periodic scooping instead of you.
Remember to wash the litter box too
When using clumping cat litter, you should wash the litter box at least once a week. Use unscented mild dish detergent or a diluted bleach spray to clean the litter box and the scoop. Rinse the detergent off well, and let it dry before adding the new kitty litter.
Use the right-sized litter box
In order to contain the urine, feces, and smell inside the litter box, you should ensure that it is large enough for your cat.
It is recommended that the litter box is at least twice the length of your kitty and is wide, at least as your cat is long.
This will ensure that your furbaby has enough space to use the litter box, dig in it without spilling litter outside, and also that it will have enough space to use it even if it has been used before that.
Use the right number of litter boxes
If you have more than one cat at home, you should ensure that there is a litter box for each cat. if you live in a large house, you may even want to double the number and have two boxes per cat placed in different parts of your home
Choose a proper and ventilated location
Although it may be tempting to stick the litter box in a tiny dark closet or bathroom, it makes sense to place it somewhere where there is sufficient ventilation to help disperse the odors, rather than make them even more concentrated.
Plus, if it is hidden away from your view, or is hard to reach, you may forget or find it too much of a hassle to clean it out regularly.
It is a good idea to create a habit of scooping and cleaning the litter box just like you would proceed with any other everyday chore.
Also, make sure you keep your scoop or spoon nearby, as well as the disposal unit for the soiled litter. This will make cleaning the box easier and require much less effort from your side.
You can also use a litter collection mat, which will limit the tracking and the spilling of the litter around the box and all over your home.
Buy high-quality odor control cat litter
You should choose a good quality cat litter like the ones in our list of the recommended odor control cat litters for 2022 if you want to eliminate the nasty smell, as well as the mess, and also makes cleaning the litter box an easier and less repulsive task for you.
Here is what features to look for when choosing an odor control cat litter
Since there are hundreds of different types and brands of cat litter for odor control available on the market, it can be pretty tough to choose the right one for you and your cat’s needs.
Here are some of the features to keep in mind when shopping for litter for odor control:
The scent
Some people and most felines are sensitive to heavy fragrances, so although it may be tempting to buy a scented odor control cat litter, keep in mind whether you will be able to take the scent well.
Also, cats can feel nose, lung, and eye irritation from some strong fragrances and may refuse to use cat litter, which is too heavily scented, so you may want to stick to an unscented and odor absorbing kitty litter instead.
The dust
It is a good idea to look for a cat litter that produces as little dust as possible while pouring it, cleaning, and scooping it. This will help you keep the air at home cleaner, and will prevent lung, eye, and nose irritations for you and your feline friend.
Tracking
Nobody likes finding granules and kitty litter all over their home and furniture, which is why you should pick a brand of odor control cat litter, which minimizes the tracking and doesn’t get stuck to your cat’s paws and other body parts.
The cat’s comfort
This is a matter of personal preference for every cat, but keep in mind that if your kitty dislikes the texture of the litter and hates stepping on it, it will most likely decide to avoid using the litter box altogether.
Clumping or non-clumping
This feature, too, is a matter of personal preference and budget. But to make life easier on yourself and for easier scooping, you may want to choose an odor control cat litter, which forms tight and easy to scoop out clumps when your cat does its business in it.
What to do if the cat stops using its litter box
There are times when kitties simply refuse to use their litter boxes. In fact, according to the ASPCA, more than 10% of all felines will develop such problems at some point.
Here are some clues and tips to help you resolve these messy and smelly elimination problems:
- You are not scooping or cleaning it regularly enough
- Your kitty may prefer a more private setting – like a hood or a more discrete placing of the litter box
- The litter box is too hard to get in and out or too small for your cat
- It is not accessible at all times – if you close the door, or limit the access to it otherwise
- The litter inside is too shallow or too deep