The 5 Best Dust Free Cat Litters
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The best dust-free cat litter won’t make you cough at scooping time or aggravate your cat’s asthma. It’s also a reliable product that neutralizes odors, makes easy-to-scoop clumps, and has a cat-friendly texture.
We highly recommend looking at the comparison table we have below where we highlighted the features of each product. You’ll also find more detailed information about each product later in the article.
Compare Best Dust Free Cat Litters
|
Overall Best
1. Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Respiratory Relief Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter |
Best Silica Gel Litter
3. Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Crystal Silica Unscented Non-Clumping Cat Litter |
Best Biodegradable
4. Pioneer Pet SmartCat Unscented Clumping Grass Cat Litter |
||
|
Type
Clumping Clay |
Type
Zeolite Pellets |
Type
Silica Gel |
Type
Clumping Grass |
Type
Recycled Newspaper |
|
Made In
United States |
Made In
United States |
Made In
United States |
Made In
United States |
Made In
United States |
|
Key Strengths
Has a reputation for helping to relieve asthma |
Key Strengths
Eliminates the need to scoop out the litter box |
Key Strengths
Formulated to relieve stress and respiratory issues |
Key Strengths
Forms excellent clumps |
Key Strengths
A dust-free litter that’s safe for kittens |
Based on these criteria, we recommend Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Respiratory Relief clumping clay litter as the overall best dust-free cat litter. Hypoallergenic clay, no irritating fragrances, and what Dr. Elsey’s calls stress-relieving essences work together to keep your—and your cat’s—lungs happy.
How Do You Find The Best Dust-Free Cat Litter?
In the world of cat litter, low dust production is often promised and seldom provided. Almost every cat litter is marketed as low-dust. You’ll see 99.6% dust-free litter, 99% dust-free litter, virtually dust-free litter, and low-dust litter.
Finding the best dust-free cat litter requires knowledge of the industry and the types of products available.
- Clay litter, for example, is almost always dusty. It’s clay. It can’t help itself. And besides being inherently dusty, the dust from clay litter is particularly noxious. It contains silica particles, which are dangerous when inhaled. If you want a dust-free clay litter, it’s usually a good idea to look for products with heavy, dense granules. Lightweight litter is usually dustier than traditional clay litter.
- Silica or crystal litter can be dusty or dust-free, depending on which product you buy. And in case you’re wondering, silica gel litter doesn’t produce silica dust. It’s made from anhydrous silica gel and doesn’t have the crystalline particles that can cause respiratory damage.
- Paper litter is one of the only types of cat litter that isn’t going to produce dust, regardless of which product you buy. Recycled newspaper just doesn’t produce dust.
- Other types of litter vary from product to product. Some biodegradable—often called natural—litter produces dust that’s just as potentially-harmful as clay litter. Wheat and corn litter, for instance, release grain dust known for causing respiratory disease. Some are dust bombs and others seem not to produce any dust at all.
Regardless Of What Type Of Litter You Choose, The Best Dust-free Litter Should Take Other Aspects Of Respiratory Health Into Consideration.
Some respiratory issues are linked to allergies. The types of litter most often marketed as dust-free are often made from common allergens—pine, corn, and wheat. You won’t find any of these common allergens on the following list of top products.
Sensitive people and cats may also be irritated by added fragrances or deodorizers, so none of the products on our list contain synthetic scents or additives that might irritate you or your cat.
Our Top Picks For The Best Dust Free Cat Litters
Overall Best
1.
Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Respiratory Relief Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter
Product Info
- Type: Clumping Clay
- Made In: United States
- Key Strengths: Has a reputation for helping to relieve asthma
Pros
- A virtually dust-free litter with a reputation for success
- Free of irritating fragrances and allergens
- Contains herbal essences to reduce stress
- Clumps well and provides good odor control
Cons
- Comes in a box, which can make pouring awkward
Though it’s almost impossible to find a good dust-free clay product, clumping clay litter doesn’t have to be out of the question for the dust-averse. Case in point: this litter from Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat. It has all of the things we love about clay cat litter, like great clumping ability, good odor control, and a cat-friendly texture.
It also manages to cut dust content down to 0.1%, making it one of the lowest-dust clay products on the market. In addition to low dust, the litter differentiates itself from other clay products with the inclusion of “herbal essences”. According to Dr. Esley’s these essences help to reduce stress, which can contribute to respiratory issues.
The litter doesn’t contain any irritating ingredients. No plant proteins that could affect allergic cats, no perfumes, and no deodorants.
It’s hard to believe that a clumping clay litter could be good for respiratory health, but it appears that this one is. The litter gets beaming customer reviews, with users saying things like “my cat has asthma and he has totally stopped having attacks since using this product” and “I do not see any dust when I scoop. My husband who suffers from asthma, use to cough and choke when new litter was poured into the box, but not with this litter.”
It also manages to cut dust content down to 0.1%, making it one of the lowest-dust clay products on the market. In addition to low dust, the litter differentiates itself from other clay products with the inclusion of “herbal essences”. According to Dr. Esley’s these essences help to reduce stress, which can contribute to respiratory issues.
The litter doesn’t contain any irritating ingredients. No plant proteins that could affect allergic cats, no perfumes, and no deodorants.
It’s hard to believe that a clumping clay litter could be good for respiratory health, but it appears that this one is. The litter gets beaming customer reviews, with users saying things like “my cat has asthma and he has totally stopped having attacks since using this product” and “I do not see any dust when I scoop. My husband who suffers from asthma, use to cough and choke when new litter was poured into the box, but not with this litter.”
Best For People Who Hate Scooping
2.
Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Pads
Product Info
- Type: Zeolite Pellets
- Made In: United States
- Key Strengths: Eliminates the need to scoop out the litter box
Pros
- Great odor control
- The Breeze system allows you to skip scooping without sacrificing odor control
- Virtually dust-free
Cons
- Expensive
- Some cats don’t like the feeling of pellet-style litter under their paws
You’ll have to purchase a full litter box system to use them, but Tidy Cats’ Breeze pellets are an outstanding low-dust alternative to both traditional clay litter and other pellet-style products. The pellets are made from mordenite zeolite, a mineral with natural odor neutralizing properties. It’s 99.9% dust-free.
Another benefit of the Breeze system is that it eliminates the need to scoop. By allowing solids to remain on the deodorizing, dehydrating pellets and liquids to drop onto an absorbent pad, the Breeze system changes the way that you clean the litter box.
The Breeze pellets seem to perform well, but they’re expensive. Some reviewers suggest using pine pellets instead or even washing them before reuse.
Another benefit of the Breeze system is that it eliminates the need to scoop. By allowing solids to remain on the deodorizing, dehydrating pellets and liquids to drop onto an absorbent pad, the Breeze system changes the way that you clean the litter box.
The Breeze pellets seem to perform well, but they’re expensive. Some reviewers suggest using pine pellets instead or even washing them before reuse.
Best Silica Gel Litter
3.
Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Crystal Silica Unscented Non-Clumping Cat Litter
Product Info
- Type: Silica Gel
- Made In: United States
- Key Strengths: Formulated to relieve stress and respiratory issues
Pros
- Very low dust and minimal tracking
- Some people say that it works well for people and cats with respiratory issues
- Effective odor control
- Like all silica gel litter, the product allows you to scoop less
Cons
- Some cats don’t like the way silica gel crystals feel under their paws
- Doesn’t get consistently positive reviews
Like the idea of the first litter on this list but prefer the low-maintenance convenience and feathery weight of silica gel litter? This product might be a good option for you. Dr. Elsey’s has created a silica gel litter that is virtually dust-free and, like the clay litter in our number one spot, uses “stress-reducing herbal essences” that purportedly help to control respiratory problems.
It doesn’t get as consistent reviews as our top pick, with some reviewers saying it’s the dust-free solution for asthmatic humans and cats alike and others reporting the opposite—that it’s dusty and tracks a lot.
It doesn’t get as consistent reviews as our top pick, with some reviewers saying it’s the dust-free solution for asthmatic humans and cats alike and others reporting the opposite—that it’s dusty and tracks a lot.
Best Biodegradable
4.
Pioneer Pet SmartCat Unscented Clumping Grass Cat Litter
Product Info
- Type: Clumping Grass
- Made In: United States
- Key Strengths: Forms excellent clumps
Pros
- Cats love the fine, soft texture of the litter
- Great odor control
- Natural clumping ability
- Free from any artificial ingredients and fragrances
Cons
- A relatively expensive cat litter
- Some cats are allergic to grass
Looking for a good biodegradable litter that doesn’t create a lot of dust? This litter from Pioneer pet is made from 100% US-farmed grass seeds. These lightweight seeds have a fine texture that cats love, but unlike fine-grained lightweight clay litter, don’t create a lot of dust.
Its performance is on par with clumping clay litter without the dust. It creates firm, cohesive clumps that are easy to scoop. The litter appears to control odor well but isn’t outstanding in this department. You’ll have to clean the litter box frequently to make sure the odor doesn’t build up.
The litter is free of any fragrances or additives that could irritate your sensitive cat.
Its performance is on par with clumping clay litter without the dust. It creates firm, cohesive clumps that are easy to scoop. The litter appears to control odor well but isn’t outstanding in this department. You’ll have to clean the litter box frequently to make sure the odor doesn’t build up.
The litter is free of any fragrances or additives that could irritate your sensitive cat.
Best For Kittens
5.
Yesterday's News Purina Cat Litter
Product Info
- Type: Recycled Newspaper
- Made In: United States
- Key Strengths: A dust-free litter that’s safe for kittens
Pros
- Free of irritating dyes or fragrances
- Highly absorbent
- A dust-free product
- Non-clumping, making it safe for young kittens
Cons
- Doesn’t offer the best odor control
- Doesn’t clump, which shortens the life of the litter
Looking for a dust-free litter for your kitten? Consider this product from Yesterday’s News. Young kittens need non-clumping litter to keep them safe. This litter is a top pick for rambunctious kittens and any cat in need of a non-clumping, safe litter with a gentle touch.
And it’s dust-free.
Though the litter is made from recycled newspaper, it doesn’t have any irritating inks. The pellets are processed to remove anything potentially harmful.
The litter is absorbent and cats seem to like it, but where odor control is concerned, it’s not a top performer. As a non-clumping litter with mediocre odor control, this litter wouldn’t normally be one of our top recommendations.
And it’s dust-free.
Though the litter is made from recycled newspaper, it doesn’t have any irritating inks. The pellets are processed to remove anything potentially harmful.
The litter is absorbent and cats seem to like it, but where odor control is concerned, it’s not a top performer. As a non-clumping litter with mediocre odor control, this litter wouldn’t normally be one of our top recommendations.
Lora
I've been using silica and it also creates a small amount of dust when my cat begins burying. But it good soaks smell so for us it's the best choice
Terry
Good Day Mallory: Regarding the photo of the grey cat in the litter box. Question: Why do you use this photo? Comment: This box is too small even for a kitten. The cat is much bigger than the box and stands outside. The use of this photo makes no sense. Otherwise your layout is OK. I wish you good fortune from Ontario, Canada.
Mallory Crusta
Hi Terry, the photo you're referring to was not intended to be a recommendation or representative of an ideal litter situation. That said, I agree that it wasn't the ideal choice and will change the featured image. Thanks for your input!