Does your cat’s litter box smell awful? Is the foul odor coming from their litter box hard to deal with? After testing over 25+ products, we help you with such concerns by reviewing the 5 best-scented cat litters of the season.
Imagine having to be disgusted by the smell of cat poop and pee each time you enter your house. Not only does it feel unpleasant, but the thought of cleaning up the smelly waste and litter can turn you off.
What comes to your rescue is scented cat litters. Scented cat litter helps in eliminating urine and poop odor from the litter box while leaving behind a pleasant fragrance. Moreover, it offers you choices of fragrances from fresh, breezy, floral, natural, and a lot more.
We have reviewed the best-scented cat litters for you and your kitty to dig into some soothing scented litter fragrances.
A Glance of Our Favorites in 2023
Best Overall
World’s Best Scented Clumping Cat Litter
- Mildly scented litter made of corn and it is safe
- Suitable for every type of boxes
- Does not form dust while pouring, sifting, cleaning
Editor’s Pick
Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Microguard Cat Litter
- Eliminate odor due to bacteria
- Contains baking soda to absorb dirty smell
- Microgranual particles trap odor easily
Affordable Pick
The 5 Best Scented Cat Litters of 202 (Reviews)
1. World’s Best Scented Clumping Cat Litter
Worlds Best Scented Clumping Cat Litter is our best choice amongst all as it is naturally scented with no fake or artificial perfumes. The litter promises long-lasting odor elimination with even multiple cats.
The litter is 99% dust-free, causing no dusty clouds or particles while pouring, sifting, or cleaning. The litter is suitable for all types of boxes. Moreover, it clumps very easily, making it convenient for you to scoop.
Features
- Type: Clumping
- Scent: Lavender
- Material: Natural Corn
- Dust-free
- Flushable and safe for septic systems
The lightweight cat litter is non-tracking as well as flushable. It is made of corn meal and whole corn kernel which is absolutely feline friendly with no harmful chemicals or allergic fragrances.
“To conclude, we think this is the overall best-scented cat litter.”
Pros
- Mildly scented litter made of corn which is feline friendly and safe
- Flushable and easy to dispose
- Does not form dust while sifting, cleaning, or pouring
- Suitable for multiple cat households
Cons
- Cats are picky about the fragrance
- Heavily priced as per the quantity of litter offered
2. Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Microguard Cat Litter
Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Microguard Cat Litter makes it to our premium choice of products. It not only controls odor but also the growth of bacteria making it every cat owner’s favorite choice of litter.
Arm & Hammer offers a 7-day guarantee, controlling cat odor for 7 days. The litter is 100% dust free and produces no dust clouds while pouring or scooping. The litter has moisture activated Micro-Granules along with Arm & Hammer Baking Soda to effectively eliminate the waste smell from around the house.
Features
- Type: Clumping
- Scent: Natural
- Material: Plant-derived Microgranular particles
- Dust-Free
- Prevents bacterial odor and growth
The baking soda seals odor on coming in contact with odor particles. It produces no crumbles and produces solid clumps making it easy to manage and scoop. Keep your kitty feeling fresh and safe each time she uses the litter box with Arm & Hammer Microseal Litter.
Pros
- Eliminates odor due to bacteria, safe and harmless
- Microgranular particles trap odor easily
- 7- day effective odor elimination
- Contains baking soda to absorb the dirty smell
Cons
- Not suitable for all types of litter boxes
- Tracks and spreads across the floor
Dr. Elsey’s Premium Scented Clumping Cat Litter makes it to our budget pick as it offers premium quality litter at an affordable price. Each packet is made with care and by putting heart, soul, and science into it. They formulate pet products on the basis of the complex needs of cat owners and cat lovers.
The litter releases moisture activated natural scent which is not too overwhelming to your sensitive cat. The litter is suitable for cats of all ages. It is absolutely dust free and non-tracking and has a natural scent that cats will get attracted to.
Features
- Type: Hard Clumping
- Scent: Natural
- Material: Medium Grain Clay
- Superior odor elimination
- Hypo-allergenic
Moreover, it is totally scoopable and easy to manage. The product can be used by multiple cats. The litter would last in the box for a month with efficient scooping and cleaning making it totally worth the purchase.
Pros
- Has a natural scent that cats love
- Non-tracking litter helps in keeping your house clean
- Hard Clumping litter for ease of scooping
- Suitable for all types of cats and litter boxes
Cons
- The scent is too weak
- Users complain of the texture of litter being poor
For pocket-friendly purchases, you can refer to our article on which type of cat litter is cheap?
4. Frisco Tropical Breeze Scented Clumping Cat Litter
Frisco Tropical Breeze Scented Clumping Cat Litter is a natural litter made of clay and is suitable for multiple cat households. The litter features a special odor neutralizing technology for fighting against strong ammonia odors. It is hard, clumpy, and easy to scoop and manage as well.
Frisco litter is non-dusty and is suitable for small kitties as well as adult cats. The litter feels gentle on your cat’s paws. It has a light and soft fragrance that is soothing to your cat and won’t overwhelm the space with fragrance.
Features
- Type: Clumping
- Scent: Tropical Breeze
- Material: Clay
- Special odor neutralizing technology
- Non-tracking and non-dusty
The scented litter only gets activated with moisture or when your cat comes in contact with the litter. The clumping litter is suitable for all types of litter boxes. It is non-dusty as well as non-tracking, helping in keeping your house clean and fragrant.
Pros
- Non-dusty litter, easy to manage
- Clumps easily
- Odor reducing technology effectively blocks ammonia smell
- Non-tracking to keep your floors clean
Cons
- Users complain that the fragrance is too strong
- Does not scoop efficiently
5. Fresh Step Hawaiin Scented Cat Litter
The Fresh Step Hawaiin Scented Cat Litter is non-dusty and comes with a pleasant Hawaiin Aloha scent that works against extreme cat urine odor. The litter gives a 10-day odor-reducing guarantee with its Ammonia Block Technology.
The litter is clumping type making it easy to manage, clean, and scoop each time your cat gets it dirty. It has activated charcoal that is known to trap the most unpleasant odors. The litter features paw activated fragrance that releases a smell each time your cat uses the box.
Features
- Type: Clumping
- Scent: Hawaiian Aloha
- Material: Clay
- Non-Stop odor elimination
- Ammonia Block and ClumpLock Technology
It also features ClumpLock technology that absorbs urine and forms rigid clumps, making it easy to manage with no sticky crumbles. The litter is suitable for small kitties as well as adult cats.
Pros
- Ammonia Block Technology reduces urine smell
- Easy to clump and manage
- Lightweight
- Suitable for cats of all life stages
Cons
- The scent is very strong for cats
- The litter hardens below the cat’s paws at times
Also read
What is Scented Cat Litter?
Scented Cat Litter contains additional substances in the form of fragrances in order to absorb the foul smell coming from cat urine or litter.
The scented substances that are added to your cat’s regular litter may include fragrance, deodorizers, perfumes, and natural or artificial scents. There is a wide type of fragrances available in cat litter which includes pine, lavender, breezy fragrance, etc.
Scented litter helps in minimizing the odor coming out of cat urine or poop in their litter box. Sometimes the typical woody or sand-like smell coming from plain litter is also not very desirable.
Scented litters are available in all types of materials like corn, clay, wood, wheat, etc. The type and the fragrance you choose depends upon your cat’s preferences. It is not always that cats would want scented litter as they may find it irritating.
Cats usually prefer a fragrance that’s more natural, earthy, and soothing to their senses.
Advantages of Using Scented Cat Litter
While we know that scented cat litter is used to minimize the odor coming from your cat’s box, there are a few more advantages to using it.
Prevents Stale Litter Smell
Any litter can have a dusty or peculiar smell that can be irritating to the nose and feel like we are sensing an allergy.
Instead, the scented litter will keep that smell away making you feel better each time you come in contact with the litter box or around it. It will also help to keep the box smelling fresh for days.
Home Smells Better
If the litter box lies in a dampened close corner of the house, you would obviously get stung by the disgusting smell at that corner. Fragrant litter controls the typical odor you may have to smell around the litter box, making your house and corners slightly pleasant.
Traps Odor
The fragrant molecules in scented cat litter trap the odor molecules, leaving a litter box that smells fresh and clean and not like cat urine or poop. Some very effective scented litter types are good at trapping typical ammonia odor that comes from cat urine too.
Encourages Use of Litter Box
If you have figured out the exact fragrance your cat prefers, then you can definitely incorporate that in the litter box. Cats like natural, earthy smells and would like to visit the litter box more often instead of loitering about the house for peeing.
This keeps your house clean, smelling pleasant, as also attracting your cat, and encouraging to use the litter box each time.
Scented vs. Unscented Cat Litter, What’s Better?
There is no particular preference when it comes to talking about what’s better, scented, or unscented litter. It all depends on your choice of smells and your cat’s preferences for using the litter.
Unscented cat litter does not have any scented agents that give out a particular fragrance. In fact, it usually has the smell of the material it is made of, either clay, wood or pine, or cornmeal.
Sometimes, it may have additives like baking soda or carbon. The litter may then smell like those substances.
Scented cat litter, on the other hand, has additional fragrant substances that may produce a fresh, breezy odor. These are specifically added to trap the dirty smell that comes from cat urine and poop and not let it spread around the house.
While cat parents would always prefer a scented litter to please their noses, it must all depend on your cat’s preferences as they are the ones who would be using it. If the scent or smell is too strong, cats won’t use it as they deter away from strong smells.
As a cat parent, if you do not want to take the risk of whether your cat would like the fragrance, go for an unscented litter or a litter with a mild fragrance. Cats like mild odor and natural fragrances suit their senses better.
What to Look For in Scented Cat Litter?
There are various types of scented cat litters available. But you don’t want to choose the wrong one for your cat. We help you decide on the best-scented cat litter for your feline buddy.
Material
Clumping Clay is the most preferred material for scented litters. They help in retaining the fragrance for a longer time. However, if your cat loves a natural essence, the non-clumping types like wood, pine, cornmeal, wheat, etc. impart a natural odor.
Type
There are two types of litter available, clumping and non-clumping type. While clumping is easier to clean, manage and scoop, non-clumping absorbs moisture effectively.
The type is for you to choose as per your convenience and your feline’s preferences. The most common preference amongst cat owners is clumping cat litter.
Moisture Activated Scent
Moisture activated scented litters are a great idea because they get activated only when they come in contact with moisture, like cat urine.
Therefore each time your cat uses the box, the scent gets activated and automatically eliminates the odor coming from their pee or poop.
Odor Eliminating Agents
Certain litter types come with odor-controlling and eliminating agents like baking soda, ammonia blockers, etc. Apart from giving out a fresh fragrance, these litters remove the odor from the box and surrounding by absorbing the smelly particles.
This is easier to manage as each time while cleaning, you do not have to get disgusted by the dirty smell of the box.
Anti-Microbial Agents
Few types of cat litters are made with anti-microbial agents to prevent the spread of bacteria and germs from cat urine and litter.
They not only help in eliminating odor but also reduce the chances of spreading potential diseases due to the dirt in the litter box. Usually, litter that has ammonia blocking agents will reduce the odor as well as potential pathogens from cat litter.
FAQ’s
Is scented litter safe for cats?
Scented litter with mild fragrances is absolutely safe for cats. However, if the litter uses chemical agents or citrus fragrances, then it may be harmful to cats or they might deter from the smell.
Fragrances with chemical agents can cause allergies and respiratory disorders and hence should be avoided.
What scents do cats prefer?
Cats like mild fragrances like the earthy smell, the odor from your clothes, dust, grass, or even their own urine. Each cat has its own preferences but they deter away from strong scents.
How do you stop cat litter from smelling?
The best way to stop or avoid litter smell is to scoop dirty litter daily and replace the litter entirely in 2-3 days. Another way to reduce the smell from litter is to use odor eliminating agents like baking soda or vinegar or use a mildly scented cat litter.
How much does a scented cat litter cost?
A pack of scented cat litter can cost you anywhere between $10-$50. If you are looking for a premium quality litter for your pet, then choose the Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Microguard Cat Litter that costs around $45-$50.
For a cheaper purchase, you can opt for Dr. Elsey’s Premium Scented Clumping Cat Litter which costs around $15-$20.
However, for real, fragrance-filled scented litter, the best choice is World’s Best Scented Clumping Cat Litter that would cost you anywhere between $20-$25.
Which is the best-scented cat litter?
According to us, the best-scented cat litter would be the World’s Best Scented Clumping Cat Litter that has a mild lavender fragrance and is made of corn. It is easy to dispose of as well as manage.
If you are looking out for a high-quality premium choice that effectively kills foul smell with technology-driven odor reducing formula, go for Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Microguard Cat Litter.
A litter that offers moisture-activated odor elimination at a budget price is Dr. Elsey’s Premium Scented Clumping Cat Litter which is a good choice under a budget.
Final Note
Scented Cat Litter proves to be a relief to all those cat parents who are disgusted by the strong poop and ammonia smell around their house and the cat’s litter box. Not only do these offer effective odor elimination but they possess a mild fragrance that is released each time your cat uses the box.
Moreover, there are various types of clumping litter available that are easy to scoop and cause no dust while cleaning.
Sit back and soothe your senses as we help you choose the best-scented cat litter for your kitty’s litter box.
References:
- PetMD Editorial. (2018a, March 29). Natural Cat Litter: What’s the Difference and Should You Switch? PetMD. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://www.petmd.com/cat/centers/litter/evr_ct_natural_cat_litter
- Voss, J. L. (2020, October 15). How to train your cat to use a litter box. Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://vetmedbiosci.colostate.edu/vth/animal-health/how-to-train-your-cat-to-use-a-litter-box/
- Biobased Kitty Litter is the Cat’s Meow. (n.d.). USDA ARS AgResearch Magazine. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://tellus.ars.usda.gov/stories/articles/biobased-kitty-litter-is-the-cat-s-meow/