Cats are wonderful pets that offer a lot of love and affection, but they come with some messy tasks. Cleaning a litter box is no one’s favorite chore, especially if your cat tends to make a mess and track litter all over the place.
Non-tracking cat litter is a big market. A lot of litter brands claim that their litter won’t track when your cat uses the litter box, but that doesn’t make it true. Generally, clumping litter and litter with large particles or crystals are less likely to end up everywhere but the litter box. Cats can be particular about the litter they use, however, so it’s important to find the balance between the cleanliness you want with the formula that keeps your cat happy.
Check out the eight best non-tracking cat litter brands, based on top reviews from messy cat owners.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites of 2024
| Image | Product | Details | ||
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Best Overall
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Arm & Hammer Cat Litter |
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Best Value
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Simply Pine Pellet Cat Litter |
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Premium Choice
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Fresh Step Clay Cat Litter |
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| Best for Kittens |
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Dr. Elsey’s Clay Kitten Litter |
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Dr. Elsey’s Precious Ultra Cat Litter |
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The 8 Best Non-Tracking Cat Litters
1. Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Cat Litter – Best Overall
| Litter Type: | Clay |
| Litter Feature: | Clumping |
| Lifestage: | Adult |
The Arm & Hammer Platinum Clump & Seal Cat Litter is the best overall non-tracking cat litter for its unique dust-free formula, odor control, and trackless design. Like other Arm & Hammer cat litters, the Platinum Clump & Seal formula uses more odor eliminators to seal in odors from cat waste and destroy them for a fresh-smelling home.
The clay material creates rock-hard clumps from urine and feces, ensuring that your cat’s waste stays in the litter box where it belongs. These clumps making cleaning quick and easy, especially in multi-cat households. While many reviewers experienced less dust and tracking with this litter, other reviewers complained that the litter sticks to litter boxes and doesn’t filter effectively through automated litter boxes. Keep this in mind if you use an electronic litter box.
2. Simply Pine Unscented Pine Pellet Cat Litter – Best Value
| Litter Type: | Pine |
| Litter Feature: | Natural, odor control, unscented, eco-friendly |
| Lifestage: | Adult |
Simply Pine Unscented All-Natural Pine Pellet Cat Litter is the best non-tracking cat litter for the money. Made of pure Northeastern White Pine, the litter is completely free of chemicals and additives. The pelleted formula ensures no dust and no tracking, while capturing odors for a fresh scent.
Wood naturally absorbs cat urine and offers a texture that many cats enjoy. The pellets are biodegradable and naturally antibacterial, satisfying the desire for natural and eco-friendly litter with your cat’s health and safety. Many reviewers enjoyed the eco-friendly odor control of the pine litter, but others had issues with quality control, slow absorption, and excessive litter waste.
3. Fresh Step Clean Paws Clay Cat Litter – Premium Choice
| Litter Type: | Clay |
| Litter Feature: | Clumping, odor control, low tracking |
| Lifestage: | Adult |
Fresh Step Clean Paws Scented Clumping Clay Cat Litter is the premium choice for low-tracking cat litter, especially in multi-cat households. The litter is specially designed for heavy use by multiple cats and features a triple-action Ammonia Block formula that controls odors caused by bacteria and blocks strong urine smells. Large clay particles are designed to keep the litter in the box – not on the cat’s paws.
For additional odor control, the fragrance in the litter is activated by cats stepping into it, releasing a fresh scent. The patented ClumpLock technology also absorbs liquid and keeps odors contained in the easy-to-scoop clumps. The litter is also dust free, keeping litter dust from traveling through your home or into your face while you clean. Despite its low-tracking formula, some reviewers experienced heavy tracking with this litter.
4. Dr. Elsey’s Kitten Attract Clumping Litter – Best for Kittens
| Litter Type: | Clay |
| Litter Feature: | Clumping, dust-free, odor control |
| Lifestage: | Kitten |
Dr. Elsey’s Kitten Attract Clumping Clay Cat Litter is a great choice for training kittens to use the litter box. The litter features a kitten-specific herbal attractor that entices a kitten to use the litter box. Kittens also enjoy the texture and small particle size.
The litter is 99 percent dust free and forms hard clumps for easy cleaning and low tracking. Unlike other clumping formulas, this litter works with electronic and automated litter boxes. Once kittens reach a year, the manufacturer recommends switching to the adult version of the Cat Attract litter line, which has the same benefits for adult cats. Some reviewers complained about the plastic bag packaging, which is prone to spilling and tears that create a mess.
5. Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter
| Litter Type: | Clay |
| Litter Feature: | Clumping, odor control, dust-free |
| Lifestage: | Adult |
Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Ultra Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter uses heavy non-tracking granules with medium-grain clay for a superior clumping litter that absorbs moisture quickly. Clumps don’t break down, ensuring the rest of the litter stays fresh and cleaning is a breeze.
Designed with odor control, the litter is perfect for multi-cat households and households with electronic/automated litter boxes. The litter is all-natural, hypoallergenic, and dust-free to help with tracking and allergies. Some reviewers found that the litter box had to be replaced more often than comparable litter, however.
6. Cat’s Pride Total Odor Control Clumping Clay Cat Litter
| Litter Type: | Clay |
| Litter Feature: | Clumping, unscented, dust-free |
| Lifestage: | Adult |
Cat’s Pride Unscented Total Odor Control Multi-Cat Clumping Clay Cat Litter is a great litter for multi-cat households and uses a highly absorbent clay formula that traps moisture and forms hard clumps. Cleaning is fast and easy, and the lightweight formula is convenient for full litter changes.
The litter is 99 percent dust-free and without perfumes or dyes, so it’s a good choice for sensitive cats or households prone to allergies. Cat’s Pride is also endorsed by the American Humane Society. Despite the dust-free, odor-control formula, some reviewers experienced strong smells and a lot of dust and tracking.
7. Naturally Fresh Unscented Clumping Walnut Cat Litter
| Litter Type: | Walnut |
| Litter Feature: | Clumping, odor control |
| Lifestage: | Adult |
Naturally Fresh Walnut-Based Multi-Cat Quick-Clumping Cat Litter is made of natural walnut shells that absorb moisture and eliminate urine and fecal odors. Walnut shells are also biodegradable and eco-friendly. Without any clay dust, this litter is unlikely to track or upset people with allergies or sensitivities.
The litter is free from chemicals, clay, toxins, and corns and grains, which can breed bacteria. Most reviewers experienced good results with this litter, but a lot of reviewers complained of heavy dust and wood particles that track.
8. ScoopFree Premium Non-Clumping Crystal Cat Litter
| Litter Type: | Crystal |
| Litter Feature: | Non-clumping, odor control |
| Lifestage: | Adult |
ScoopFree Premium Unscented Non-Clumping Crystal Cat Litter is a crystal cat litter that comes with its own pre-filled, self-cleaning tray. The litter and tray are completely disposable, making cleaning quick and easy. The litter has its own fresh scent that helps to control odors, and the tray only needs to be replaced every few weeks.
With the crystal formula, the litter creates virtually no dust and won’t stick to cat’s paws to track throughout the house. The litter is designed for use with the disposable tray, but you can also get reusable litter trays that require cleaning. Kittens and multi-cat households may need to replace this litter box and litter often, which can be expensive.
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Non-Tracking Cat Litter
Finding the right non-tracking cat litter with a formula that works well for you and your cat can be challenging. Here are some things to consider before choosing your litter:
Tracking Dust
Cats can not only track litter through the house and onto your bedding and furniture, but just using or cleaning the litter box can lead to a lot of dust that floats through the air, lands on furniture, and irritates existing allergies. Dust can also stick to your cat’s paws and end up all over the floor and surfaces.
Clay litter is among the most popular for cleaning and odor control, but it can cause a lot of dust. If you prefer clumping clay litter, try to look for brands with dust-free or low-dust formulas.
Granule Size
Litter size can have a profound impact on how much gets tracked in the house. Smaller litter granules can get stuck on and in between your cat’s toes and paws while it uses the box, then fall off as it walks through the house. In addition, small particles can be ingested by your cat while grooming, which could cause problems with digestion.
If this is a concern, choose a brand with larger granules, pellets, or crystals that are less likely to get stuck on your cat.
Absorbency
Low tracking may be your goal in shopping for litter, but the formula still needs to perform its main duties. Litter should be high absorbency to ensure that it captures your cat’s urine. This not only helps with cleaning and odor control, but it keeps the bottom of the litter box dry for your cat while it does its business. Plenty of formulas offer superior absorbency, including clay, wood, and crystal.
Clumping vs. Non-Clumping
Clumping litters are preferred by many cat owners because they capture all the moisture and form a hard lump, which is easy to find and scoop out. Clumping may also be a requirement for certain self-cleaning or electronic litter boxes, so be sure to check the recommendation for your product.
Some non-clumping litters allow urine to pass through the litter and onto a pad at the base of the tray, while others absorb the urine into the granules. These litters must be stirred frequently, however, to keep the urine from creating a puddle on the bottom and causing odors.
Litter Box
If tracking is a problem, you can attack it from both angles with low-tracking litter and a litter box designed to reduce tracking. These litter boxes have features like an entryway to catch particles or high sides or domes to catch litter that’s kicked by your cat. Be sure to explore all your options to find the combination that works best for your situation.
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Conclusion: End Litter Tracking with Non-Tracking Litter
Plenty of litters on the market off low-tracking formulas that help eliminate tracking and dust in your home. The Arm & Hammer Platinum Clump & Seal Cat Litter is the best overall choice for non-tracking cat litter for its dust-free formula, odor control, and trackless design. For the best value, choose the Simply Pine Unscented All-Natural Pine Pellet Cat Litter, a biodegradable and eco-friendly option. Fresh Step Clean Paws Scented Clumping Clay Cat Litter is the premium choice for dust-free low-tracking cat litter in multi-cat households.
Featured Image Credit: Lightspruch, Shutterstock
