Selecting the best clumping cat litter in the UK is vital if you're looking for a more hygienic litter choice that is easy to maintain. As the name suggests, this type of cat litter is super absorbent. It forms into clumps when it comes into contact with urine and faeces. Many cat owners opt for clumping litter as it's an easier option to clean up. You can simply scoop out the lumps soon after they form to keep your kitty's litter tray or box fresher for longer.
Cleaning the litter tray is nobody's favourite part of cat ownership. So, finding a litter that will make the task of cleaning up after your kitty quick and as mess-free as possible should be a priority. That's where clumping cat litter comes in. Containing wee and poop in one solid lump means that it can simply be scooped out and disposed of, without having to change the entirety of the litter every time your kitty uses the bathroom. Clumping litter is also great at masking smells. Everything left behind by your kitty is conjoined together so you can remove the odour and the mess at the same time. There are lots of great clumping odour-control cat litter out there to help.
Best clumping cat litter UK at a glance:
• Best overall: Tippaws Long-Lasting Clumping Litter – View on Tippaws
• Best eco-friendly clumping cat litter: KatKin Scoop Planet Cat Litter – View on KatKin
• Best clumping cat litter for absorbency: Catsan Natural Clumping Cat Litter – View on Amazon UK
You'll want to make sure the clumping litter you choose creates as solid and stable clumps as possible. Cat food and litter brand, Tippaws states that this is important as you want all of the clumped litter to be easily removed from the tray as it holds the urine and faeces and therefore the smell. If the clump collapses, the spoiled litter will remain in the tray. This will not only contaminate the litter left in the tray. But, it will also leave behind the odour so the litter tray won't smell as fresh as it could and will require changing more often.
Whether you're looking for cat litter for an indoor cat or one that outdoor cats will prefer, we've searched the web to bring you all the best clumping cat litter in the UK. They come highly rated by cat owners across the country.
Best clumping cat litter UK
Best clumping cat litter overall
www.tippaws.com
Made from plant fibres, the Tippaws Long-Lasting Clumping Litter is a 100 per cent biodegradable and compostable clumping litter so it's kind to the parent as well as your kitty.
It is designed to offer tight clumping for easy clean-ups and it's ultra-absorbent too, so it'll soak up all the messes left behind by your feline friend. Compared to other litters in this list, it has a patented antibacterial formula that offers great odour control and long-lasting freshness to stop toilet odours from wafting into your home.
Opinions on the overall value of this litter are mixed in the on-site customer reviews. Some reviewers felt the cost per use was higher compared to other litters but others found that if you're a regular subscriber, it does work out more cost-effective getting it sent to your door as you'll get it slightly cheaper.
Pros
- Planet and kitty-friendly formula as it's 100 per cent biodegradable and compostable
- Offers tight clumping for easier clean-ups
Cons
- Price is cheaper if you subscribe, but if you want to test this out to see if your cat gets on with it, it'll cost you a little bit more
Best eco-friendly clumping cat litter
www.katkin.com
Another litter that is kind to the planet as well as your kitty, the Scoop Planet Cat Litter by KatKin, is 100 per cent biodegradable and made from industry food waste. This plant-based pea and millet formula promises straightforward scooping to make clean-ups quick and simple.
Not only is it easy to scoop up but it's highly absorbent too so you'll find the clumps form much more quickly after coming into contact with moisture from your cat's urine or faeces. It also gets a huge paw up from us for being made from dust-free pieces so you shouldn't find your home covered with a light dusting of cat litter every time you change it.
Customers have mentioned that this litter does track slightly despite being advertised as a non-tracking litter but it isn't any worse compared to other cat litter customers have tried. Another thing to bear in mind is that the litter is available on subscription so you will need to sign up just to give it a try, although you can cancel or pause the subscription at any time. In general, reviewers appreciate the formula is planet-friendly and relatively dust-free.
Pros
- Easy to scoop to make clean-ups quick and simple
- Relatively dust-free so you shouldn't get a cloud of dust settle every time you go to change the litter
Cons
- Available on subscription only but you can pause or cancel at any time
Best clumping cat litter for absorbency
The Catsan Natural Clumping Cat Litter has over 7,000 reviews on Amazon so you know it's a popular choice with other cat owners.
It works quickly to absorb moisture from the moment your kitty goes to the toilet so it can trap the smells inside the clumps. That way, you shouldn't be able to smell what's inside the litter box from the outside. After removing the clumps from your kitty's litter box, you can simply dispose of them down your toilet as they're designed to be flushed down individually for a mess-free cleanup.
When it comes to removing the clumps from the litter, customers have had a mixed bag of experiences. Some reviewers found the formula to be a bit sticky after it's been used so they've had trouble getting the clumps off their litter scoop, whereas others have found the clumps easy to remove from the tray but they've made sure the tray was deep filled first.
Pros
- Locks odours inside the clumps when they form to stop the toilet odours escaping the litter tray
- Clumps can be flushed individually down the toilet for a mess-free cleanup
Cons
- Some reviewers found the clumps to be a bit sticky when removing them from the litter tray
Best clumping cat litter for strength
If you're after an extra-strong clumping cat litter, you can't go wrong with the Ever Clean Clumping Cat Litter. It locks in smells, eliminating urine, faecal and ammonia odours, instead of masking them.
As the formulation is clay-based, it's designed to create extra strong clumps so you should see a reduction in the amount that crumbles while using this litter. These solid clumps will then be easy to scoop out of the litter tray so you can spend less time cleaning out the litter tray and more time giving your kitty the fuss they deserve.
As this litter is an unscented one, you may think that it won't do such a good job at hiding the toilet smells compared to others but as reviewers online have found, it has exceptional odour control and it traps smells in well. Some reviewers found it to be not as good value compared to litters they've tried in the past but the quality of the clumping, odour control and ease of removal makes it all worth it.
Pros
- Reviewers felt it had exceptional odour control to stop toilet smells from lurking around the home
- Has a clay formulation which makes the clumps formed extra strong and solid for easier cleaning
Cons
- Some reviewers didn't think it was as good value compared to others they've tried but all the features it has made it worth it
Best clumping cat litter for freshness
Containing active oxygen, the Sanicat - Clumping White Unscented Cat Litter will help to contain unpleasant odours inside your cat's litter tray or box so your home stays clean for longer.
The oxygen odour control technology in the formula of this litter uses the natural power of the oxygenation process to neutralise and break down unpleasant odours. Clean up is easy too because the clumps form almost instantly from when your cat's urine or faeces hit it.
Some reviewers found it to be quite dusty even though it's supposed to be a low-dust formula so that's something to be wary of as you may find yourself having to clear up dusty paw prints from around your home more often when using this litter. Overall though, customers find it to be pretty absorbent and great at eliminating toilet smells.
Pros
- Neutralises and breaks down odours
- Easy clean up as clumps form quickly
Cons
- Some reviewers found it quite dusty even though it's a low-dust formula
Best supermarket clumping cat litter
groceries.morrisons.com
Another hygienic option, the Morrisons Antibacterial Clumping Cat Litter is great for odour neutralising so you don't have to worry about the smell from your cat's litter box or tray lingering in your home.
The litter also has anti-bacterial properties to make everything as clean as possible, from your kitty doing their business to you removing the clumps and changing the litter.
Some Morrisons customers felt the pieces were fairly heavy which meant it didn't clump as well as what they would have liked but one reviewer found that as long as you fill the litter tray deeply, it left behind a solid lump. In our opinion, one of the best things about this litter is that you can pick it up as part of your grocery shopping - no need for separate orders!
Pros
- Anti-bacterial properties to make every stage as hygienic as possible
- Great for odour neutralising to hide smells
Cons
- Some customers wished it made bigger, more solid clumps
Best scented clumping cat litter
www.petsathome.com
Lightweight and naturally scented, this clumping litter by World's Best smells like lavender to help mask odours that may occur after your cat has done their business.
It's naturally silica dust free so it offers low tracking and less mess. We think this big bag is a great option for homes with multiple cats as you've got plenty of litter to cover more frequent changes and the size of the bag means it should hopefully last a while.
Although the lavender smell will help to keep things fresh, it may not be the preferred scent for you or your cat as the customer reviewers are very mixed on whether they liked the scent of the litter. They said it does a great job of reducing toilet smells but some didn't like the fragrance of it in general and others thought it smelt nice. We'll let you and your kitty be the judge of that!
Pros
- Naturally dust-free so it offers low tracking and therefore low mess
- Great for homes with multiple cats due to the big bag size
Cons
- Some reviewers have commented that the lavender scent is quite strong so could be a little overpowering
Best bulk buy clumping cat litter
This Natural Super Clumping Cat Litter is very good value for money because it claims to last four times longer than normal cat litter. It's premium sodium bentonite clay cat litter that's gentle on cats' paws. Plus, it's all-natural, with no added fragrance. The litter has undergone a five-stage dust extraction process, so it's safer for humans and pets.
It's an Amazon's Choice recommended product, with customers praising this cat litter for being excellent value for money. It's effective in forming solid clumps and absorbing odour. It's also suitable for use in self-cleaning litter trays. Several reviews say they think it's better than leading brands. However, there is some mixed opinion on the clumping, with some reviews saying it sets hard on the litter tray and becomes difficult to remove.
Pros
- Natural, non-toxic and low dust
- Good value for money bulk purchase
- Clumps well and absorbs odour
Cons
- Reviews comment that it's difficult to remove, setting like concrete to the litter tray
Best flushable clumping cat litter
This is 100 per cent natural tofu and bentonite cat litter that's 99 per cent dust-free. This innovative PETKIT cat litter has high water absorption and strong clumping; it doesn't stick to paws, so there's less tracking. It also contains activated carbon to absorb odour.
Customers highly praise this litter for being flushable. They like the convenience, and it's preferable to the messy disposal of waste in the bin. It repeatedly exceeds expectations for clumping well, trapping odour, low tracking and controlling odours. One to two reviews say that it has a distinct fragrance, like vanilla.
Pros
- It is a good option if you suffer from allergies, as the coarse granules are practically dust-free
- Water dissolvable – it can be flushed down the loo
- Made from plant materials
Cons
- Some reviews comment that this litter didn't work so well in their automatic cat litter trays
How we chose the best clumping cat litter
All of these clumping cat litters have been hand-selected by our team of Take A Break Pets shopping experts. We carefully considered clumping ability, absorbency and odour control in our selection of the best. Our team has spent hours investigating and researching clumping cat litter to make it easier for you to find the very best, and we'd never recommend a product we don't believe in.
With pets big and small on our team, where possible we'll share the best products that have been tried and tested by our own furry friends who have given their paw of approval.
Clumping cat litter FAQs
What is clumping cat litter?
As the name suggests, clumping cat litter is designed to form solid clumps when it interacts with moisture, such as urine. This makes it easier to clean up after your cat when they’ve been to the toilet in their litter tray. As the clumping makes bigger chunks, it’s easier to scoop out so you can remove soiled litter and leave the clean litter behind, cutting down on wasted litter. Not only are these lumps easier to clean, but they’re also effective at trapping odours so your cat’s litter tray smells fresher for longer. Just remove to regularly scoop out the clumps to keep their box or tray as fresh as possible.
How often does clumping cat litter need cleaning and changing?
How often you change your moggy’s litter will all depend on the size of their cat litter box or tray, the type of litter you use and also the number of kitties using it. When using clumping cat litter, you should scoop out and remove the clumps of urine and faeces daily to keep it clean and stop odours from building up. How often you change the litter completely will just depend on the needs of your cat and your household. Of course, as all cat owners know, cats love to feel fresh and clean. So, changing the litter regularly will help to create a more hygienic environment for your kitty.
Is clumping cat litter safe for cats?
Generally speaking, clumping cat litter is safe for cats. However, many are made with clumping agents like sodium bentonite and quartz silica that can be toxic to your moggy if ingested. As kittens are more inquisitive and learn about the world as they grow, they may be more likely to try and eat it. Therefore, clumping litter may not be such a good option if you have younger cats.
Rosie Floyd is a Senior Home & Pets Product Writer for Take A Break Pets, specialising in all things dogs. She grew up always having at least one dog as part of the family and has experience in owning a variety of breeds, including Labradors, Cockapoos and Yorkshire Terriers.