Type of cat litter I used during this experiment
This article is the result of an experiment I did by using popular clumping clay cat litters to discover which is the best to use with the Litter Robot III cat box, and also the Litter Robot 4. This comparison took me a year to conclude, and it’s still ongoing with new brands, but I am happy with the results because I can honestly give you the best choices without you needing to try them all.
I also used non-clay clumping Litters during my experiment
- Crystals. Check my results on how the crystal cat litter works with the Litter-Robot.
- Corn. I also tested corn cat litter with the Litter Robot 4. See how the corn-clumping litter works with the Litter Robot.
- Wheat. I recently tested the Litter Robot with wheat cat litter. Check the results of using wheat litter with the Litter Robot.
Cat litters that work for LR 3 also work for LR 4 | This is why
This article was created using clumping clay cat litter with the Litter Robot 3. However, the screen’s holes of the LR3 have the exact shape and dimension of the holes in the sifting screen of the Litter Robot 4 (I measured them). This means all these cat litters work exactly the same with both units ( I have tested a fair number of them already with the LR4). This way, if you have the Litter Robot Open Air, Connect, or the LR4, the following cat litter brands work the same as with either one.
Important points to consider before checking the Comparison:
- The Litter Robot has excellent odor control with any good cat litter due to its sealed waste drawer. The odor control I mention in this comparison is the odor I perceived when I had to empty the waste drawer of the Litter Robot after 7 days.
- I must mention that all of the reviewed cat litters are excellent to use with the Robot machine. I rated the following clumping litters according to their best features for the Litter Robot and for your convenience.
- I didn’t consider the price in my analysis. I just wanted to find the best cat litter to use with the Litter Robot.
Best Cat Litter To Use With The Litter Robot 3 & 4: My Top Picks
#1 Ever Clean | Unscented (new review Oct/Nov 2022)
Weight 1 cup: 297g
Dust when pouring: None
Speed to clump: Fast
Firmness of clump: Very firm and well-sealed litter clumps
Odor control after a week: Excellent, almost no odor
Scattering: Very low
Easy to pour: It’s easy to open, but the box is heavy, so if you have backaches it could be challenging.
My Experience using Ever Clean:
I placed Ever Clean in the first position because this cat litter worked excellently in every aspect when using it with my Litter Robot. The first thing I noticed is this cat litter is heavy and heavier than any other I used, which means you don’t need to use too much inside your Litter-Robot. The next thing I noticed is that when I poured it into the Litter Robot I didn’t really see any dust whatsoever. Also, when they labeled unscented, they mean it, there’s really no scent at all with this cat litter which I really appreciate.
To test how it works during a rotation I poured water onto the litter bed to recreate cat urine and to my surprise the water got totally absorbed fast, not spreading out to the surrounding cat litter as it happened with other brands. Also, the litter clump formed was really hard and heavy, which helped very much to ensure the sliding down into the waste drawer without leaving traces. The consistency of this cat litter is more on the coarse side so the litter clumps formed are bigger than usual when using other cat litters that are finer.
Finally, when it was time to open the waste drawer I was very, but very surprised that it was ZERO odor, none. I couldn’t believe it. Regarding litter track, I must say that the scattering is so much lower than with other brands, it could be due to its heavier weight. This is good because it means less cleaning. To finish my review of Ever Clean —and this is the main reason why I picked this cat litter as the #1— is that the rubber after 7 full days of use is almost clean! I took a picture for you to see how clean it looks. This one was the final point that convinced me 100%. If you want to experience the same with this excellent cat litter, get Ever Clean on Chewy with fast shipping here.
EVER CLEAN CAT LITTER VIDEO REVIEW
#2 Fresh Step Gain Scent Febreze Freshness | Scented
Weight 1 cup: 280g
Dust when pouring: Very low
Speed to clump: Fast
Firmness of clump: High
Odor control after a week: High, up to 10 days
Scattering: low
Easy to pour: yes (new easy-to-open lip)
My experience with Fresh Step Gain Scent:
Chewy provided me with this new cat litter for me to test and review. I did this testing with a regular litter box and with the Litter Robot. The main differences between this new version comparison with Fresh Step Unscented are 4:
- Fresh Step Gain Scent has a very nice and mild fragrance that controls odors for up to 10 days.
- The clump forms much firmer according to my experiment than with the unscented version.
- The pre-perforated opening is so much easier to open, making it easy to pour cat litter into the Litter Robot.
- The Gain Scent version is a little heavier than the unscented version, so you use less litter.
I have to say that this is the first time I don’t mind scented cat litter. Its scent is really nice and mild, its fragrance doesn’t invade the whole room like others and it controls the litter box odor really well, up to 10 days (confirmed by me). The Fresh Step box is much easier to open now, you just push the lip open and pull the lip out so you can pour the cat litter into the Litter Robot much easier. Before it was really hard to open the box, but not anymore. I noticed that the clumps form firmer and leave less dirt in the Litter Robot when rotating.
If you have asthma, an allergy, or if you don’t like any type of scent even the mildest one, this is not your #1 option. I have to say that this fragrance is really mild, it didn’t bother me at all (and I don’t like scents). This mild Febreze Freshness scent gets confined in the Litter Robot’s waste drawer and it doesn’t spread through the whole room like others. Good technology. For all these reasons, I put this new cat litter as the #1. (Note: If you can’t handle scents at all consider the following Fresh Step Unscented as the #1). Get Fresh Step Gain Scent cat litter in Chewy with 35% off on your first order if you are a new customer and 5% on repeat orders here.
Fresh Step Gain Scent Febreze Freshness Demo Video
#3 Fresh Step Simply Unscented | Unscented
Weight 1 cup: 268g
Dust when pouring: Very low
Speed to clump: Fast
Firmness of clump: Medium
Odor control after a week: High
Scattering: low
Easy to pour: no
My experience with Fresh Step:
I had a very good experience with this cat litter. Much less litter scattering which means less cleaning on the litter mat and the odor level after one week was very low. The litter weight is not heavy and not light either, it has a good balance.
When I poured out the litter I saw very little dust, almost nonexistent. When I poured water into the litter the clump formed pretty fast and when the Litter Robot started to rotate, the clump moved smoothly down into the waste compartment. All in all, this is a good litter to use with the Litter Robot 3. The Simply Unscented is a great option if you can’t stand fragrances. Note: The manufacturer changed the design on the package so the Fresh Step Simply Unscented won’t look like the one I used, instead, the colors on the package are white and light green. You can get Fresh Step Simply Unscented cat litter on Chewy by visiting here (with a new package). I recommend Chewy because they are providing top-notch customer service. They offer 24/7 response if you have any issues with your order, I can confirm this after having an issue with one of the cat litters I ordered. They responded quickly and solved my problem delivering a new cat litter the next day!
Fresh Step Simply Unscented Video Demo
#4 Litter Box Cat Litter | Unscented
Weight 1 cup: 279 g
Dust: No dust
Speed to clump: Fast
Firmness of clump: very firm
Odor control: Medium
Scattering: Very low
Easy to pour: Yes
My experience with Litter box:
I really liked this cat litter a lot. It has a balanced litter weight which creates very low litter scattering when the cat jumps out. This means very little mess around my Litter Robot.
When I put water in the litter it created a clump rapidly and very well sealed too. I made a video of my cat using my litter plastic container to do her business (lol) and there you can see how well-formed the clump is. This is really important when the Litter Robot is rotating because it doesn’t break down the clumps, which keeps the inside of the machine clean. I poured half of the bag into my plastic container and I saw zero dust. None. Also, as I cut one corner of the bag I decided to directly pour litter into the Litter Robot and it was really easy. If you cut only the corner of the bag you won’t have a problem pouring litter directly through the opening of the Litter Robot. The bag comes inside a heavy-duty cardboard box that protects the bag from any damage. The odor control of Litter Box was acceptable to me. This litter is natural, without fragrances or chemicals added, which is a good alternative if you or your cat has allergies or intolerance to scents.
What’s new with this cat litter
The bag’s been redesigned with a cute cat on the front of the bag and named “All Natural Premium Cat Litter” instead of “Litter Box” litter, but the quality is exactly the same. The All-Natural Premium Cat Litter comes in 20 lbs. resealable bags. If you subscribe, they will send you a bag to your door, every month, or every 2 or 3 months, whenever you need. You can cancel the subscription or skip a delivery anytime. Subscribe to all-natural, clay-clumping litter today!
Clumping capacity of Litter Box Cat litter (my cat mishap helped me to make this video :)
Litter Box Cat Litter Video Demo
Get the Litter Robot Premium clumping cat litter here.
#5 Boxiecat Clumping Cat Litter | Unscented
Weight 1 cup: 283 g
Dust when pouring: Almost none
Speed to clump: High
Firmness of clump: Firm and well sealed, however, it creates little small clumps sometimes.
Odor control after a week: Medium
Scattering: Low
Easy to pour: Yes
My experience with Boxiecat:
I have been using this cat litter for about 3 weeks with the Litter Robot and I waited long enough to do a valid review about how it works. I bought the 16-lb bag, but you can find a 28-lb bag as well. The first impression I had is that the texture of this cat litter is great, you can see and feel it’s natural and without chemicals that are bad for our cats in the long run. Also, I was impressed when I poured this cat litter into the Litter Robot because I didn’t see any dust.
Boxiecat in general works well, it creates solid litter clumps that rotate into the waste drawer with no problem. Also, the rubber bottom of the Litter Robot doesn’t get yucky with pieces of clumps stuck on it, I took a picture of how the rubber bottom looks after 20 days and it doesn’t have pieces stuck on it. Only the normal sand is attached to it a little. Take a look at the picture:
This is because Boxiecat is a natural clumping clay litter, it doesn’t have any type of strong glue that usually causes a yucky mess stuck to the rubber. For the same reason, it works similar to Litter Box cat litter (the Litter Robot brand), which means the odor control is not that great (unless you get the scented version). You can smell the litter clumps when you open the waste drawer. But the great points of this cat litter are the fact that is natural, it creates almost zero dust, it doesn’t cause a nasty mess in the bottom rubber, unscented means it really doesn’t have any scent (I didn’t smell anything at all, at least me), the tracking it creates is very low in comparison to other brands, and cats seem to like this cat litter. Though sometimes very tiny litter clumps are formed with this cat litter that the Litter Robot doesn’t screen and they stay on the litter bed. But this is a minor thing that doesn’t affect the functioning of the Litter Robot at all. For all these reasons I put Boxiecat in position #4. If you like this cat litter, visit Chewy and get it with fast shipping here.
Boxiecat Video Review with the Litter Robot
#6 Arm & Hammer Double Duty | Scented
Weight 1 cup: 287 g
Dust when pouring: Low
Speed to clump: High
Firmness of clump: Firm and perfectly sealed
Odor control after a week: Medium
Scattering: Low-Medium
Easy to pour: No
My experience with Arm & Hammer Double Duty:
I have been using Arm & Hammer Double Duty with my Litter Robot for a while with good results. When you use the same cat litter for a long time you don’t get to compare the features of it with other brands. I noticed that Arm & Hammer Double Duty produces more litter scattering than other litters I tried so I needed to clean more often.
The litter weight is on the heavy side, which is good because it requires less to reach the calibration for the sensor to activate which means you save more on cat litter, but it’s bad if you have a cat that prefers a deeper litter bed to dig. If you use this cat litter you will have to put much less cat litter in the chamber. If your cat likes to dig a lot, this may not be the best brand. This and the scent of this litter are the main “cons”. If you don’t want to smell the litter right from the box, this is not your option. If you don’t mind scents this is a good economic choice.
Arm & Hammer Double Duty Video Demo
Check the price of Arm & Hammer Double Duty here.
#7 Tidy Cats 4-in-1 Strength | Scented
Weight 1 cup: 235 g
Dust when pouring: Low
Speed to clump: Fast
Firmness of clump: Medium
Odor control: Medium
Scattering: High
Easy to pour: Very easy
My experience with Tidy Cats:
I must say I loved this cat litter because of its container so easy to pour. I just loved that fact. I usually pour down all the litter from the box into a plastic container and this time I didn’t need to do that. This container makes it so much easier for someone with backaches or arthritis. The litter weight is lighter than other brands which leads to more litter scattering (not good). I also noticed less odor control than other brands.
The clump formed fast during my experiment, but I noticed the clumps breaking down during rotation. Ideally, the cat litter needs to create firm clumps to slide down onto the waste drawer without breaking down during the process.
All in all, it’s an easy-to-use cat litter that doesn’t create much dust, which is good, but the scent could bother you. The main “con” is the clump breaking down when sliding which puts this litter in position #6.
Tidy Cats Video Demo
#8 Dr. Elsey’s Ultra | Scented
Weight 1 cup: 282 g
Dust when pouring: Low
Speed to clump: Fast
Firmness of clump: Very firm
Odor control: Medium
Scattering: Low-Medium
Easy to pour: No
My experience with Dr Elsey’s:
This cat litter has low dust, when I was pouring this litter in my plastic container I saw very minimum dust, which is excellent. The litter scattering is not that high so it won’t be a mess around the litter box area.
One of the best features of Dr Elsey’s litter is its clumping capacity. The clump forms really fast and it gets hard. This is good if your feline friend creates soft feces. Also, the fact that this clumping litter gets hard in contact with liquids makes it stick to the bottom much more than other litters, creating more dirt on the bottom rubber of the Litter Robot.
I also noticed the odor control after a week was not the same than other brands, although this cat litter has good odor control, according to my testing it was not excellent. The fact that litter residues stick to the rubber liner more than other cat litters, I put this brand in position #7.
Dr Elsey’s Cat Litter Video Demo
#9 Scoop Away Multi-Cat | Scented
Weight 1 cup: 291g
Dust: Medium
Speed to clump: Very fast
Firmness of clump: Medium
Odor control: High
Scattering: Low-Medium
Easy to pour: No (though, easy to open and grab)
My experience with Scoop Away:
This cat litter has a good odor control but the scent could bother you if you don’t like fragrances. The clump formed really fast when I did my experiment but it broke down a little when sliding down the waste drawer, which is not good. The litter scattering wasn’t bad, so not a big mess around the Litter Robot.
The dust when pouring down this litter into my plastic container wasn’t as low as I would have liked. I saw dust that I had to avoid. The good thing is that this litter comes in a box that is easy to open and easy to carry, due to a strong plastic handle, but not easy to pour down inside the Litter Robot. Still, the fact that the box is easy to open and carry it’s a bonus.
Scoop Away litter weight is heavy which means the Robot requires less litter to provide the weight the sensor needs. This fact saves on cat litter much more. Due to its dust level and strong scent I put this litter in position #8.
Scoop Away Multi-Cat Video Demo
This is the result of my testing for the best litter for the Litter Robot. I will keep testing new brands and change the rating if I find a better one. I hope this article helped you!
Disclaimer: All my conclusions are according to my experience using each one of the described cat litters with my Litter Robot 3 and Litter Robot 4. I am not making official statements regarding each brand but only reviewing and concluding according to my personal experience.
Very helpful! Would love to see your thoughts on Worlds Best clumping litter.
Hi Amy! I am planning on keep testing more cat litters to add to my experiment. Thanks for your comment!
Did you test Worlds Best yet?
Thanks,
Rob
Hello Rob, I will test World’s Best Cat Litter. It’s on my list. Thanks for your suggestion.
Lorena – thanks so much for this comparison test!!! I am posting my comment here to help you and others on the World’s Best Cat Litter which is what I STARTED out using when my two kittens were too little to really be in the “robot” such that I had to manually cycle when the “went.” That said, one of the reasons I used the World’s Best for multiple cats was because it wasn’t clay; however, it drove me crazy because there was dust and trails of it all over the place despite a plethora of litter mats to catch the stuff. I was so happy when I could switch to clay and switched to your #5 choice (unfortunately!) and while happy it’s not a trail of dust everywhere, there’s still a lot of scattering going on and the worst part is having it stick to the bottom of the litter robot and NOT drop off despite the rotation and being upside down! Lately (different formula?), it’s even starting to get caught up other places!! I thought it was b/c I didn’t have the cycle time long enough so switched from 7 to 15 minutes but, nope!, it’s still finding a way to stick to the bottom!! I’m ordering the Fresh Step TODAY and oh so thankful for this post as I was about to switch to Tidy Cats and only bring my hopeful woes up one notch vice to #1 choice! Thanks!
Hello Sandy, I am happy I can help you with my experiment. I was also confused what brand to use with my Robot and that’s why I decided to do this. I am sure Fresh Step with work well with your unit.
Have you tried Tidy cat light weight?
Hello Laura, the only one I have tried so far is the 4-in-1 Strength on my review. I tend to avoid lightweight formulas because it seems like more clean litter tends to get collected in the waste drawer and also it creates much more litter scattering. Thanks for your comment!
We’ve been using the Tidy Cat light weight litters with our Litter Robot 4 for a while now, and there was just something we couldn’t figure out. We noticed that if we kept the cycle timer low (3-7 min), the poop would just stick and smear. We had to push the cycle timer up to 25-30 min, just so we’d get clumps that wouldn’t do this, and wouldn’t break apart. Unfortunately, this long of a cycle delay reduces much of the oder-related benefits of the litter robot. We’re trying Fresh Step Gain next.
Thank you SO much for making this article! This was beyond helpful for me, as I just got my Litter Robot III for my 3 kitties. I’ve been trying Dr. Elsey’s, but really don’t like the smell.
I’ll be trying some of the ones you recommend this week! Thank you!
I am happy to know that my article helped you!
What about Slide litter? Did you try that?
Hello Anne, right now I am experimenting with crystal litter. I am planning on testing the Slide litter too. Thanks for your comment.
Great review. Thank you so much for putting this together. We have 5 cats and use the unscented Fresh Step litter. The litter is great, but I have noticed that sometimes the lump gets really wet and then gets stuck on the wall of the litter robot and smears it. Have you noticed that as well in your tests? Do you have a solution for this?
Hello Petra, what’s the delay time of your Litter Robot? I have mine with 7 minutes and yes, the clumps are not that firm but I haven’t experience the clumps breaking down or getting stuck on the wall. Let me know what’s the delay time you have set for your unit.
I had the identical experience as Petra with the FreshStep Unscented turning into a gluey mess of litter globs stuck to my Litter Robot Globe. :(
I forgot to mention that I have 6 cats using it, with the timer set on 15 mins. I have noticed that it primarily happens when they pee right next to the entry, as opposed to turning around and peeing into a deeper section of litter.
Hello Beth, my experience was quite different and Fresh Step is actually the cat litter I use for my Litter Robot. Tough, I have the delay setting in 7 minutes, I believe with 15 minutes any clumping litter will get gluey and will get stuck in the rubber liner. I know this because I used to use this setting and that happened too, then I switched back to 7 minutes.
I have the SAME exact problem!
1. I first used Word’d Best scented litter, and it was sticking to the rubber bottom.
2. I then used the Litter Box litter. Same issue.
3. My friend said she didn’t have the problem with Fresh Step Clean Paws multi-cat scanted one, so I mixed it in with Litter Box. Same issue.
4. I used only Fresh Step litter. Same issue and it was getting worse by the day. Clumps and clumps are sticking to the bottom.
I called Litter Robot and they said it’s because my cat likes to pee right at the entry. So they asked me to train the cat to turn around. But I don’t think it is going to solve the problem and I can’t imagine my problem is so unique! I am lucky enough that my cats would use it as it is! So then I tried spraying Pam cooking oil as they recommended. Did not help either! What’s interesting is that I also tested on my friend’s robot using plain water at all edges. Hers worked just fine. But when tested on mine including pouring water in the middle of the bottom and around the edges, they all stuck to the rubber bottom. (I noticed the video posted here only poured water in the center.)
I ended up having them send me another globe, and upon first try, using plain water at the entry point, the same issue happened! I put the fence as recommended by Litter Robot to encourage my cat to turned around when entering, so he doesn’t pee at the entry. Then my cat just peed on the floor because he didn’t like it! I also don’t think having him turn around is going to solve the problem because it happens in all sides. The litter just like to stick to the rubber.
I am beyond frustrated! Any suggestions? Any litter that would work better? Lorena, would you be able to test it by pouring water on the front edge near the entry? Thanks!
Hello Jasmine, the globe of the Litter Robot works with a mechanism that releases the stuck litter clumps to drop them. On my videos I pour water in the center because it’s where my cat usually does her business. Can you make a video of this and send it to me? I don’t really have an explanation about this sticky litter on the rubber of your Litter Robot.
I have the same issue! I use fresh step multi cat and have one cat that pees right at the entrance. We get clumps stuck to the walls and ceiling all the time and then my poor big guy goes in and the nasty litter that’s stuck to the ceiling gets in his fur. We have 3 cats. Would love a solution to this. I have no clue how I would train him to turn around before peeing. Sounds like a daunting challenge that I won’t win…
The Litter-Robot company designed the fence to deter cats from using the entrance when doing their business. They touch the fence with their buts so they naturally turn around. I hope that helps.
Did you find a solution to this problem as I am having the same
Has anyone tried arm and hammer SLIDE? It is not supposed to stick. I am curious because my cats pee at entrance and I just ordered a litter robot.
I have. I just got Litter Robot in October 2021. I bought A&H Slide. It works great. The litter looks brand new after every cleanse. I am now waiting for my other 3 cats to get on board;>)
Thanks for your comment Donna, I have to try that type soon to keep my experimentation with cat litters. I hope I can find an unscented version.
Yes keep me updated. Ty
Would love for you to test non clay based natural litter
Hello Joseph, the Litter Robot works with clumping cat litter. Any litter that has the ability to create firm clumps and that can be effectively sifted by the screen it works. Clay clumping litter happens to work optimally with the unit. What type of cat litter do you have in mind? it may be a good experiment to test a non-clay type cat litter.
Can you test crystal cat litter? I have a long haired cat and use crystal litter.
Crystals can work with the Litter Robot as long as they are small enough to be sifted by the screen. I will have to do a testing to show how it works, thanks for giving me the idea Dotty!
Have you test crystals yet?
Hello Teresa, I haven’t been able to try crystals yet, but I have it in mind.
Yes, please do test non-clay litter. I am about to try Worlds Best even though a commenter says it’s messy. We’ll see. We really should try to get away from clay, environmentally speaking.
I used Sustainably Yours and it didn’t stick at all. I tried switching to world’s best since it was cheaper and still sustainable, but I found the litter would constantly stick to the bottom despite changing the setting to 15 minutes. I tired it for about a month trying different things, but eventually switched back to sustainably yours. SY tracks a bit since its super fine like sand, but I feel better using it since it uses natural and sustainable materials.
Hi Karen, I used that brand too but it was too dusty for me and the odor control was not optimal. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Hello,
Thank you for this article it was very helpful!
I noticed when I used Tidy Cats Light Weight, I found a lot of unused litter in the waste bin. Is that only with the Lightweight?
Thank you
Hi Cindy, I haven’t experienced lot of unused litter in the waste drawer of my Litter Robot, but I don’t use lightweight litter either so maybe it has to do with it. I am planning on trying a lightweight cat litter to test the Litter Robot and post it soon.
Thanks for your response. I actually switched to the Arm & Hammer, and it fixed my problem. So I could confirm that lightweight doesn’t do so well
Hello Cindy, I am happy you discovered this. That way I didn’t have to get a lightweight cat litter that won’t work for me lol. Thanks a lot for your contribution to this testing, it will help others to switch if needed.
Hello Lorena…thank you for your work…I plan on getting some Fresh Step today! :-)
You’re welcome Jennifer, I will continue testing other brands and types in the future :)
Lorena, just bought my first litter robot and needed to know what litter works best and imagine my surprise to find your article. Thank you! I would have continued to use light weight litter and from the comments, that would have been a mistake. I’m trying your first choice and discovered they now sell fresh step in small easy to use bags. Much easier to pour. Thanks again for your research.
You’re welcome Sandy!
Hi Lorena,
Just ordered a little robot for my beautiful Tabby boy today so this excellent test great as you done hard work for me. You answered every thing that crossed my mind.
All the comments super helpful as well. Thanks guys
You are very welcome Lin :)
Thank you for all your work doing this. It is very helpful and you really covered all the necessary points. Great job!
I’ve always used Freshstep Simply Unscented but am always interested in seeing what else is out there. I also HATE the boxes. I wish they hadn’t stopped using the pail. I bought some Tidy Cat just for the pail to pour the Freshstep in.
I’ll definitely save your website and check back for your next reviews. Will it be another year?
Thanks again!
Hi Valerie I am planning on testing more cat litters :)
I have been using Pretty Litter for about a year now and absolutely love it for my regular boxes. I hope it works for my new robot I get tomorrow! It’s crystal like and does not clump urine. It absorbs the odor and releases the water. It maintains odor for weeks.
How is the Pretty litter working in your Robot?
Hi
I tried Cat’s Best Original… Half of what you put in gets dumped as the granules are fairly large so it blocks the holes for the clean litter. Will go back to Tigerino Canada Cat Litter but will try Fresh Step as you recommend :)
It’s the best so far in my opinion.
love the idea for this article and how you went about it! Thank you!! Ha, some of the vids are impossible to see though and I’m obsessed right now trying to find the best litter for the litter robot. I’m having sticking to the bottom of the box/mushy clumps right now so. I will definitely try some of the ones on your list!!
Hi Rosa, I am sorry about some of the videos, I had the light on but it seems like Winter didn’t let me do good videos :). I am happy I can help with this post.
Our Liter Robot is fairly new. 7 minutes you think is the best ? I didn’t do setup but I am finding litter clumps stuck to the inside.!i will see how to change time & try that. We are using a feather weight but I’m going to try Fresh Step & see if that helps.
Hi Dorothy, I haven’t had any litter clump stuck to the inside of my Litter Robot. Try the Fresh Step, I am sure it will work well. The 7-minute delay it’s the best in my opinion.
Which litter has the lowest clay content?
I have a larger male cat who pees high. Urine goes behind where the clean litter is stored during emptying rotations. We currently used Litter box. When it rotated, the clay and the urine clump and get stuck behind. Any suggestions on what is the best litter to use to prevent this?
Hello Jen, according to my experience Fresh Step and Tidy Cats 4-in-1, together with Scoop Away are cat litters that create clumps with medium firmness which means they stick less on the Litter Robot rubber. Hope that helps!
Thank you very much. I’m not worried about the rubber portion. I’m currently using the litterbox for litter. When I cleaned the globe, there were large about of wet clay trapped on the top of the globe where the “clean” litter goes as it cycles to empty.
Hi Jen, I have never had that happened to me but I suggest you to chose the litter I mentioned because it doesn’t stick as others. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Hey all – I stumbled onto this page because I’m looking to replace Worlds Best. I love it but some of the urine makes it’s way to the bottom before clumping, it after a day it starts to smell a bit. These recommendations are great and I really appreciate you sharing with us Lorena!
You are welcome Mike :)
Great comparisons! I appreciate the work that went into this. Have you since tried A&H SLIDE ? wondering if it clumps fast enough? I have used it in other automatic and manual boxes, and the cats like it.
Hello Sean, I will make a review with the Arm & Hammer Slide, I am very curious about it. I will do it next month since I still have a couple of packages with other cat litters. As soon as I purchase the Slide cat litter I will post my videos and review.
I used Slide with my other litterboxes, pre-Litter Robot, because my cat sitter liked it and I liked keeping her happy. It doesn’t stick as much as other litters in the box but the scent they use just gags me. It’s awful and permeates the whole house. We’d return from our trip and have to clean every box we had and replace with our unscented litter. With our Litter Robot and 4 cats, we accept there will be some sticking and appreciate the convenience.
Thanks for your input, Adrienne! I agree with you.
It is good for not sticking to the machine, but it tracks everywhere.
Hello Laura, I use the ramp and it really contains most of the litter. I simply remove the ramp and put the spilled cat litter back inside the Globe. I will soon make a video how to do it, it’s really simple.
Have you tried the fresh step clean paws unscented? I’m trying to limit tracking with two long haired cats that like to bolt out of the litter robot.
Hello Laura, I’ve tried the cat litters mentioned on my review. I will keep trying new ones.
Has anyone tried Boxie Cat? I just got the litter robot and love it but want a litter that has less harmful chemicals/more natural. Thanks!
How does the fresh step simply unscented compare to the ultra unscented? Have you tried the latter?
Hello C.D. I have not tried the ultra unscented but I will buy that one next and make a video of it. Thanks for the suggestion.
I’ve tried most of these including the Fresh Step and the Dr Elsey. Personally I far prefer the Litter Box brand. It seems to clump the best and track the least. Tracking is very important to me to keep the area clean. In addition I don’t want all the additives in my litter that some of these have. I don’t know if they are bad for the cat or not but I think it’s better to ere on the side of safety not buy litter that has them.
I like the Litter Box cat litter too! Thanks for your comment.
I’m going to the Fresh Step Gain/Febreze that you are recommending. The issue I had with the unscented Fresh Step and also Arm and Hammer is that they aren’t creating firm clumps, so it sticks to the rubber and the drawer fills up smelly barely clumped pee litter. So I’m looking for something that creates firm clumps, has good odor control and is low tracking. I looked on the Fresh Step website and there are three versions of this litter.
— Gain Original Scented Litter with the Power of Febreze, which looks like the one you used (https://www.freshstep.com/our-litter/gain-original-scented-litter-with-the-power-of-febreze/0
— Clean Paws Original Scented Litter with the Power of Febreze, which has a smaller Fresh Step log, and a large “Clean Paws” logo, and it says it is low tracking (freshstep.com/our-litter/clean-paws-gain-original-scented-litter-with-the-power-of-febreze/)
— Advanced Gain Original Scented Litter with the Power of Febreze, which has a banner reading “Advanced” below the Fresh Step logo and says it has more odor control.(freshstep.com/our-litter/advanced-gain-original-scented-litter-with-the-power-of-febreze/)
Wanted to confirm that the one you used is the first one, and ask whether you thought the others would perform similarly.
Thanks
Hello Rix, I reviewed the first one. Thanks for your comment.
Thanks. That is the one I’m now using. The odor control is excellent. The first box I purchased also worked great in terms of hard clumping and not sticking to the rubber or the inside of the globe. However, I then purchased large size box and while the odor control is still great, and it’s generally not sticking to the rubber, it is sticking to the rubber some, and it is sticking to the the grate part of the inside of the globe almost every time — so I guess not clumping as hard. You wouldn’t think that there would be variation from box to box, but I wonder since I’m not seeing issues I didn’t have with the initial small box.
I’m curious about non-clay brands of litter. I randomly discovered Garfield cat litter by petfive. It is amazing and works great with my Litter Robot, however, it’s a little more expensive than I like and hard to come by because as of right now it’s only available on Amazon and it seems to be out of stock often. I’m looking for other similar brands that will work as well but I’d really like to know your opinion on how this litter compares to others you’ve tried with the Litter Robot. I would post a picture if I could so you could see what kind I’m talking about. It comes in two different formulas and one type tracks WAY worse than the one I’m using. The one I’m using is in the purple bag if you do decide to test it.
Wow! Thanks so much, Beth. I have been wanting to test something like that. Please, send me the link to the product so I can get it and test it. Thanks again!
Hi Lorena, I’ve tried most of the clay litters you have tested, and my experience is that they tend to get stuck in the rubber globe. The clumps are made of some sort of gooey substance that I am sure is meant to help form the clumps, but not meant for a rubber bottom. My solution: I mix clay litter with World’s Best Litter, half and half, and I avoid the gooeyness, but I get more odor and tracking. (!!)
Have you tried Pretty Litter or any other crystals litter on the Litter Robot?
Hello Patty, thanks for your comment. No, I haven’t mix cat litters so far. No, I haven’t tried Pretty Litter and neither crystals. I may test crystals on my Litter Robot soon to see and show how it works.
I was warned this week by tech at Litter-robot helping me get the Bluetooth set up. It was also jammed, and he said Arm & Hammer was too heavy and lighter litters worked best. I had to scoop some litter out to make it lighter so motor wouldn’t burn out!
Also, NEVER FLUSH CAT POOP. It’s full of nasty amoebas and bacteria that can end up in our drinking water. That Garfield stuff should be illegal. Google if you don’t believe me. Thanks for researching these, as I need to switch brands from A&H.
Hello B.K. Thanks for your comment. Regarding Arm & Hammer cat litter you are right, it’s on the heavy side as I stated on my review. With heavier cat litters you have to put much less in the Litter Robot to make it work. These types may not work well for cats that prefer deep litter beds for digging. Thanks again for your comment!
To Lorena – wow! You are my hero! I just received my Litter Robot III & was about to start doing exactly the same thing you have done, when I found your detailed review site! I, too, was willing to buy & evaluate a multitude of litter brands, then make my final decision. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this with us all! (I have a toddler who has just learned to walk, which would have made the process a bit more difficult and slow to execute to my standards had I done it on my own… but as a perfectionist [to a fault, grr!], I still would have found a way to conduct my experiment, haha!)
I’ve always used various Arm & Hammer litter types with my 2 kitties, mainly for their odor-blocking effect, & I’ve tried so many litter types and litter boxes & charcoal odor filters… even invested in an old-school automatic similar looking automatic litter scooper… possibly called the Litter Locker 2?… in 2013. It came with “washable” pellets when hooked up to my water source. 7 years later, though the machin, I am still randomly finding / vacuuming up a tiny pellet or 2 my cats tracked through the house (the pellets got sticky after a few washes!) that found their way into corners by the baseboards throughout my mostly-carpeted house, and I was rid of it in early 2014! The machine that I had was decent for its time, and I stuck with it for awhile due to the $$ investment! It had received decent reviews, & not much else was out there at the time. So, with my busy work schedule, I said, “Why not?” However, the *reusable* litter took on the strangest odor during & post-washing, which eventually forced me to donate the entire system (circa 2014) & extra litter & go back to manual boxes & scooping.
I cannot wait to try the litters that you most highly recommended with the Litter Robot and get started! (My cats are also extremely curious about the big gray sphere in my kitchen, as I have yet to set it up – I wanted to be ready with the right litter, & now I can be, all thanks to you!) I can’t say it enough! Thank you so so much. You’ve saved me, and so many others, I’m sure, so much time with your detailed analyses of how the litter works w/the Litter Locker! I am eternally grateful!! Hehe! I truly admire your dedication and great, detailed work! Keep it up!!!
Thanks SO much again,
Lindsay :)
Wow Lindsay! You are the reason I love my work and I work hard to make it worth it for cat owners like you. You made my day and made me very happy with your comment, I really appreciate it. I am so happy I can help you with my reviews. Thanks for your motivating input!
Thanks for this great comparison. I will add a nomination to the list.
I was using “Fresh Step – Ultra Unscented” happily with the robot, but they discontinued it. I found the “Simply Unscented” stuck to the sides of the robot.
The best replacement I have found is “Arm & Hammer SLIDE”.
There are two boxes for SLIDE, purple box (multi cat) and green box (odor control).
I did not care for the scent of the purple box, so I have been using the “odor control” green box. Not much dust, and sticks less than the other options I have tried so far.
Thanks Lindsay, I will try it and will add it to my list.
I have problems with my cats tracking litter everywhere! I’m at a loss do you have any suggestions? I’ve been using the tidy cats glade and it’s not dirty litter that they’re tracking out of the globe.
Hello Samantha, I use Fresh Step and LitterBox cat litter. So far the litter tracking’s been limited to the rug in front of the unit that I clean every day, but I don’t have a litter tracking issue in other places of the house. Those are the brands that I would suggest.
Hi Lorena,
My litter robot is on it’s way. I’ve read all your comments, but haven’t seen anything about Tofu Kitty Litter. Has anyone tried it? I will let you know my results when it gets here.
I will get a tofu-based cat litter soon and make a review of it. I need to investigate further if this type of cat litter is good for cats with asthma or with a sensitive respiratory system. Thanks for the suggestion!
Have you tried EverClean? It’s been my favorite for years.
Hello Carlene, I tried it in the past but I didn’t think about making a review at the time, it worked well. I will certainly include it next time. Thanks for your suggestion.
Hello. I am thinking about purchasing the Litter Robot. I was wondering can we use Purina Tidy Cats Clumping Cat Litter for it ? Or do we have to purchase their cat litter?
Hello Nichole, you can use Tidy Cats with the Litter Robot. I actually used Tidy Cats with my Litter Robot as a part of an experiment I did over a year using various brands. You can see this in my article.
I just wanted to say that this article was life changing for me with the litter I was using in the litter robot. I switched to the Fresh Step Unscented this week and it was such a huge difference from using the Dr. Elsey’s litter. No more stuff stuck on the rubber bottom! And better clumps which meant no more stinky feet. :)
Thank you so much for taking the time to do the research!
You are very welcome, I am happy I can help. I will keep reviewing more cat litters!
Hello, I have used Fresh Step simply unscented and also Tidy Cats lightweight unscented and both I’m getting a lot of messy stuff sticks to the bottom of the litter robot or the ceiling. I read most of the comments above but I can’t find what’s the conclusion. Which litter is the best to avoid having this sticky problem?
Hello Selina, in my personal experience, the Fresh Step unscented works well for me. The rotating mechanism usually releases the litter clumps and when this doesn’t happen and the bottom gets stuff stick in there I scrape the bottom and this solves the problem, but it’s not something that happens all the time, only some times. I will keep reviewing cat litters for the Litter-Robot. I am working on a new one and I will be showing it soon. Sorry I couldn’t help you more for now.
ThT is all fine and dandy but what is in the drawer how much clean litter was waisted????
Hello Kacey, you can see pictures of the waste drawer from my Litter Robot review and there’s no litter wasted, only litter clumps. Thanks for your comment.
Which litter do you find doesn’t leave clumbs of wet litter on the bottom?
Hello Michele, my favorite so far is Fresh Step. Another brand I am using right now is Boxiecat and the rubber bottom of the Litter Robot so far looks fairly clean after 3 weeks of use. You can check the picture I posted in my article. Also, the LitterBox cat litter is natural and doesn’t stick much either. Hope that helps!
Hi there ! I can across your review a second time, i saw it a few months ago when i first purchased my litter robot, i went through 9 different litters, too many to list some of which are listed here, ended up with the litter.com litter, was good for a short while but the last 2 months have been the most dusty of all the litters. More than any cheap litter. My hardwood were just covered in dust. I accidentally bought tidy cats 24/7 non clumping and it seems to be ok the last 2 days. Weird. Not sure what else to use. I live in a large studio apartment and with 2 cats, hardwood floors i must have dust free, Oder free and strong clumping. Maybe this non clumping will work, the only thing is is that sometime the wet bits stick to the top of inside of the robot when i cycles so I don’t know. I am once again at my wits end. The dust tracking drives me crazy. I vacuum and swifter multiple time a day. Maybe there is something else you have tried … I’ve wasted so much money over the last 9 months.
Hello Paige, I understand your long journey through trying different cat litters. That’s the main reason why I created this article to help people so they don’t have to do the same. I keep experimenting with new brands and so far the ones described in this article are the ones I have tested. The last I used was crystal litter and it worked fantastic regarding not sticking to the bottom but the problem was the dust. Most of the time I use Fresh Steps cat litter with no major issues. As a note, I use the Litter-Robot with the ramp accessory and I also use a mat at the end of the ramp. This helps a lot to contain some of the litter. I suggest you get the ramp if you haven’t and get an extra-large rug to contain most of the cat litter. Rugs remove the excess litter from the cat’s paws so the particles of litter won’t end up on the floor excessively. Regarding cat litter, I suggest you try the Boxiecat and see how it works. Thanks for your comment and I hope you can find a good solution.
Thank you so much for doing this! I’ll try out your first recommendation next as I don’t like scented litter that much either and it’s better price than litter robot litter. My cat is a pooper so he uses a whole bag really fast and at 25$ a bag it can get expensive. So yeah I’ll definitely check your recommendation to find one that’s more affordable.
Hi Gabby, I am happy I can help with my reviews. I will keep testing new brands. Thanks for your comment!
Thank you Lorena for all your dedicated work with the comparisons. You’ve done the hard work for us and as a disabled person, I can’t tell you how much I (we) appreciate you. This is the first time I’m having to choose a new litter, since finishing up what I had left from before I got the Litter-Robot. I think, based on everything I’ve read so far, that I will try A&H Slide for my one 13lb. cat. I’m very happy that she automatically turns around. Again, very grateful to you as well. I’ll keep reading and let you know how the Slide works. Take care, Cathy.
Wow! thanks so much for your nice comment. People like you are the ones that give me the motivation to keep working hard to create useful content. You really made my day. Hugs!
Ever Clean Unscented Litter has been my goto for years! Chewy has a pack that comes with four 10lb bags and they are perfect for filling the robot!
After I got my litter robot, I was so happy to see that the litter works well. My only issue is sometimes there ends up being a brick of a clump that can’t fit down the opening to the drawer. I’ve experimented with the time frame before it cycles but nothing has helped. I have the LR3 and unfortunately I didn’t get the one with the app which I do regret.
Hi Victoria, I am happy you like Ever Clean as well. I didn’t get the idea of the issue you encounter though. Do you mean clumps of litter sticking to the rubber?
I have a warning: under no circumstances use the Costco litter brand “Qualicat”. You end up. With a layer of sludge that stops the rubber from popping out during the clean cycle and makes the thorough cleaning a nightmare.
Thanks for your recommendation Kathleen, it really helps our readers.
Hello Lorena, I have used Fresh Step for many years. Wonderful family members purchased a Wisker Litter Robot to help me keep up with 3 cats. We stared out using the same Fresh Step litter and continue to use it. My youngest cat immediately used the litter robot with great success but the other 2 will not and now it’s a crisis. I put one litter box back with the same litter but someone is using to urinate on the carpet.
I am looking for recommendations on a different litter, product or mechanism to solve this issue. I adopted my sinner child from the local shelter. She was very traumatized, probably due to grooming her long hair, so I absolutely don’t want to return her or re home her. Plus she is very loved!
Any suggestions to solve this problem would be appreciated.
Hi Rochelle, as you can see in my article I have tested numerous cat litters and so far the best is Ever Clean, so I recommend you try that. Regarding the Litter Robot itself, how long have you had the Litter Robot? Some cats don’t adopt the unit immediately, but they do it in the end. The rate of a cat using the Litter Robot is over 90%. Usually, cats adopt the unit within the first 2 days. That’s why I would like to know how long you have had the device, if it’s less than 2 weeks you need to encourage your other 2 cats to use it with different tricks. Use catnip or their favorite treats. It requires a lot of patience but it works.
so just notice no matter what litter.my cats have to consume it lacking the powder left behind on their paws.. which one is non toxic…??? that won’t cause them kidney disease when older
Hi cass, cats have used cat litter for decades. With a good diet, enough water, and exercise they can live a long life.