Last Updated: 6 months ago

If you’re tired of finding gross little kitty paw prints all over your home, you definitely need to check out these cat litter brands!

From the best clay and clumping litter to more unique offerings (like walnuts! ), we’ll look at all the top brands that don’t make a huge mess!

Read on for your complete guide to the best trackless cat litter!

Best Non-Tracking Cat Litter Reviewed

1. ARM & HAMMER Clump & Seal

Okay, so Arm & Hammer isn’t a totally track-free litter. However, as far as the “big 4” go (A&H, Tidy Cat, Fresh Step, Scoop-Away), it’s among the lowest tracking major brands that’s also dust-free!

Pros

  • Price per pound: about $0.63
  • 10% more odor eliminators than their other clump & seal litters
  • Claims to be 100% dust free
  • Guaranteed 7 day odor-control

Cons

  • The “odor eliminators” make for a fairly strongly-scented litter experience.
  • Claims of “zero dust” don’t seem to be accurate, according to at least a few cat owners.

2. Feline Pine Original Cat Litter

5105Zg2JGFL

Feline Pine is a rather unique type of litter made of natural pine pellets. Along with being a very low-tracking litter, it’s also virtually dust-free.

Features & Pros

  • Price per pound: about $0.69
  • No Harsh Chemicals- just the pine along with some baking soda
  • Highly absorbent, so it sucks up stinky urine quickly.
  • Low-dust
  • Lightweight
  • No new trees are cut down to make it

Cons

  • Pellets are kind of hard to scoop
  • Non-clumping
  • The pine pellets aren’t as gentle on kitty feet as other pellet brands

3. Tidy Cats Litter Pellets

51jpMlf3ZfL

Did you know that Tidy Cats made a pellet-style litter? Neither did I!

Technically, you’re supposed to use it with their Breeze non tracking cat litter box but there’s no reason why you can’t use it with any standard litter box.

Features & Pros

  • Price per pound: about $2
  • The pellets dehydrate solids so they’re easier to scoop out
  • 99.9% dust-free as well as non-tracking
  • Ammonia Blocker blocks stinky ammonia odors for 7 days
  • Formulated for multiple-cat households

Cons

  • It’s pretty expensive for litter!
  • They’re not biodegradable
  • Made of 100% Silica, which may cause issues with some cats

4. ökocat Natural Paper Cat Litter

51bMMNtuk+L

Let me start by saying that this litter does have the worst reviews out of any on this list. However, I’ve personally used it and I don’t understand why it’s not getting more love!

Features & Pros

  • Price per pound: about $1
  • Made from paper pellets
  • Almost totally dust-free
  • Absorbs 200% its weight, so one box lasts a pretty long time
  • Super soft on cat’s paws
  • Biodegradable and flushable

Cons

  • Not the best odor control if you don’t clean it out daily
  • The litter itself isn’t the best-smelling of the bunch
  • Kind of pricey at $1 per pound (although it lasts longer than typical litter)

5. So Phresh Scoopable Odor-Lock Clumping Micro Crystal Cat Litter

51IhjSUGULL

So Phresh clumping uses micro crystals to lock both odors and liquid waste rather than relying on heavy perfumes, making it a great choice for sensitive kitties.

Features & Pros

  • Price per pound: about $1.23
  • No fragrance, which is good for both you and your kitty
  • Superb odor control even without fragrance
  • Low-dust (although not dust-free)
  • Lightweight, so it’s not a back-breaker

Cons

  • It’s expensive compared to some of the other litters on our list
  • Doesn’t ship free on Amazon, so the actual price is closer to $1.76 when you factor that in!
  • Tends to stick to the side of the box (don’t use it in automatic cat litter box)

Best Non-Tracking Cat Litter on Chewy

Now we’ll head on over to Chewy to see what great non-tracking cat litter brands they have to offer.

Remember, all of these litters ship fast & free with orders over $49.

1. Dr. Elsey’s Ultra Premium Clumping Cat Litter

70025 MAIN. AC SS300 V1486131998

Dr. Elsey’s is one of the other few brands on this list that I haven’t had a chance to try yet, but it’s highly rated among other cat owners.

FEATURES & PROS

  • Price per pound: about $0.60
  • Not just low-tracking but also 99% dust-free
  • Hypoallergenic and all-natural, so it’s good for those with allergies.
  • Comes in 5 different “formulas,” including one that’s designed just for senior cats.
  • Unscented formula is good for people or cats with fragrance sensitivities.

CONS

  • Tends to cling to the walls of the litter box
  • Sadly, it’s not the best at controlling odor
  • Clumps get really heavy and cement-like

RECOMMENDATION

About 80% of users gave this litter a 4-star rating on Chewy, and many of them swear they won’t use any other brand.

It’s on my list of litters to try, especially since it’s fairly inexpensive for a premium cat litter.

screativeref 1011l63390

2. Blue Buffalo Naturally Fresh Walnut-Based Multi-Cat Quick-Clumping Cat Litter

Naturally Fresh is probably one of the most unique types of litter! It’s made with walnut shells. Crazy, right?

It’s one of the most eco-friendly cat litter options on this list.

FEATURES & PROS

  • Price per pound: about $0.84
  • One single bag is the same as 3 bags of the leading clay litter.
  • Creates harder clumps to make it easier to scoop.
  • Super absorbent, so one bag lasts a while!
  • Doesn’t track or stick to paws.
  • Made with renewable sources and no chemicals or toxins

CONS

  • Since it’s such a unique litter, cats may be apprehensive about using it.
  • Not compostable, even though it’s made from walnut shells
  • Kind of has a weird odor, according to some

RECOMMENDATION

I just find this litter so fascinating. I mean, walnut shells? I worry that it would be harsh on my cats’ feet, but apparently it’s not!

It’s pretty inexpensive for such a unique eco-friendly cat litter.

You’ll definitely need to transition your cat by using 1/4 of this and 3/4 of their regular litter, then half and half, and so on.

3. Next Gen Pet Products Green Tea Cat Litter

Okay, if you thought the walnut litter was unique, wait until you see this one!

As the name implies, Green Tea Fresh is made from green tea! Well, not just green tea. Read on to learn more.

Features & Pros

  • Price per pound: about $2.93
  • Made from natural wood and green tea leaves, which help cut back on bacterial growth.
  • The tea leaves also control odor.
  • One bag lasts 4-6 weeks
  • No chemicals or artificial fragrances
  • Silica-free
  • Flushable and compostable

Cons

  • The most expensive litter on this list (although one bag does last all month and then some)
  • While it’s non-tracking, it is kind of dusty
  • Clumps don’t always hold together very well

Recommendation

I love that it uses green tea to control odor and bacteria, which is something that’s actually backed by science in case you’re wondering.

While the price is a little scary, especially if you’re not sure your cats will like it, Chewy has always been good to me when I have issues. Because of that, I’m far more likely to give it a try.

4. Nature’s Logic 100% All-Natural Pine Non-Clumping Cat Litter, 24-lb bag

If you want a super budget-friendly non-tracking cat litter, grab yourself a bag of Nature’s Logic pine litter.

Features & Pros

  • Price per pound: about $.055
  • 100% pine litter is totally natural.
  • Also completely silica-free
  • Almost totally dust-free
  • Safe for kittens
  • Biodegradable

Cons

  • Doesn’t clump as well as other litters
  • Only flushable in very small amounts
  • May be rough on sensitive paws (especially if you adopted a declawed cat)

Recommendation

While I like that this litter is very inexpensive and all natural, I am concerned about it not being gentle enough on sensitive paws.

One of the reviewers on Chewy mentioned that she adopted a declawed cat (she did not declaw him, in other words) and the litter hurt his toes.

Still, the price is right and a lot of other customers absolutely love it, with one even saying she’d pay twice the price!

5. Frisco Crystal Summer Clean Scent Multi Cat Non-Clumping Cat Litter

Frisco is one of Chewy’s in-house brands, so you know that they’ll stand behind it.

I haven’t use the non-clumping formula, but I have tried other Frisco litters and liked them well enough.

Features & Pros

  • Price per pound: about $1.62
  • One bag lasts up to a month, which accounts for the high price tag.
  • Low-dust along with low-tracking
  • Gentle on your kitty’s paws

Cons

  • Significantly more expensive than the clumping Frisco cat litters
  • It has added fragrance, although not as much as some other brands
  • Not the best odor control

Recommendation

It’s important to note that this is a low-tracking versus no-tracking litter.

That means litter can travel outside the box, although it likely won’t make it too far since it will fall off your cat’s feet.

Again, I haven’t tried this particular formula, but other Frisco litters worked well enough for us.

Non-Tracking vs. Dust-Free

No one wants cat litter tracked all over their house.

Keeping waste-laced litter from tracking everywhere, especially on counters and in your bed, is more hygienic, but “it’s just cleaner” doesn’t address the hygiene issues.

What’s the difference between low-dust and non-tracking cat litter?

Dust-free or low-dust litter keeps tiny litter particles from floating throughout your air (and keeps you from breathing them in).

Non-tracking is cat litter that doesn’t stick to paws and winds up everywhere that your cat steps. 

While it is feasible to find brands that cover both bases, as we saw in our low-dust litter list, quite often there’s a trade-off. 

Dust-free litter, after all, is heavier, so it tends to stick to your cat’s feet. On the flip side, non-tracking litter is lighter, so it tends to be dustier.

Final Word

Regardless of which one you pick, there’s one thing you need to remember: just like nothing is 100% dust-free, nothing is going to be 100% track-free all of the time.

Still, all of these brands come as close as possible to being non-tracking cat litter!

Your turn! Tell me if I left out any of your favorite non-tracking cat litter brands. Use the comments below.

photo showing cat paws

Last update on 2024-12-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API