Types of Cat Litter and What to Check

Q: What type of cat litter do cats prefer?

Cornell says most, but not all, cats prefer unscented, fine-textured litter. Some cats seem to prefer a coarser litter, according to the adoption guide. The pages we read do not say which litter material is best.

Q: Is scented litter a bad choice?

Cornell's house soiling page says many cats object to foul odors and advises using a non-scented litter. The pages we read do not cover scented brands, so this post does not say how any scented litter performs.

Q: Do cats prefer coarse litter?

Cornell's adoption guide says some cats prefer finer litter while others seem to enjoy a coarser litter. The guide does not say what share of cats prefer coarse litter.

Q: Where should the litter box go?

Cornell says the box should be placed in quiet, less-trafficked areas and should not be frequently moved. Keep food and water dishes away from it, as the choosing page advises.

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Short answer: Cornell’s pages describe cat litter by two traits, texture and scent. Most cats prefer unscented, fine-textured litter, though Cornell says “most, but not all.” The pages we read do not sort litter by material, such as clay, silica, pine or paper, so this guide does not either.

The person typing “types of cat litter” wants to know which kind of litter to buy and what to check before they choose. This guide covers what the Cornell Feline Health Center pages we read on 2026-10-19 say about texture, scent, box count and cleaning, and what they leave out. No product is named here.

Quick answer

Cornell’s choosing page says: “Most, but not all, cats prefer unscented, fine-textured litter.”
Cornell’s adoption guide says “Some cats prefer finer litter while others seem to enjoy a coarser litter.”
Cornell’s house soiling page says “Many cats object to foul odors, so clean the box regularly and use a non-scented litter.”
The sources we read do not say which litter material is best, and they do not classify litter by material.

Litter traits that Cornell describes

Cornell does not give a list of litter types. It describes litter by the traits that affect a cat. The table below sets out each trait, what the Cornell pages say about it, and what they leave out. Cells that a page does not address say “not stated.”

Trait	What Cornell says	What Cornell does not say
Texture: fine	“Most, but not all, cats prefer unscented, fine-textured litter.”	Depth of the litter, or brand names
Texture: coarse	“Some cats prefer finer litter while others seem to enjoy a coarser litter.”	Which cats prefer coarse litter
Scent: unscented	“Most, but not all, cats prefer unscented” litter.	How long a scent lasts
Scent: scented	“Many cats object to foul odors, so clean the box regularly and use a non-scented litter.”	Whether scented litter is ever accepted
Material (clay, silica, pine, paper)	not stated	not stated
Clumping or non-clumping	not stated	not stated

Why texture and scent matter to the cat

Cornell’s adoption guide says cats “can develop preferences for where they eliminate and for the material they eliminate in.” It adds that “they will usually dig in the material before and after elimination to bury their waste.” That is the reason texture is worth checking: the cat digs in the litter every time it uses the box, so it is in contact with the litter all the time.

Scent matters too. The same guide says “scent strongly influences where cats eliminate.” Cornell’s house soiling page links odor to cleaning: “Many cats object to foul odors, so clean the box regularly.” The pages do not say how much a litter’s scent contributes to odor in a home, so treat scent as one factor among several.

What else Cornell says about the litter box

Litter is one part of the setup. Cornell’s choosing page says “most cats prefer simple boxes without hoods” and that you should “provide as many boxes as you have cats, plus one.” The house soiling page says that “most cats prefer an uncovered box that lets odors escape and allows a 360-degree view of their surroundings,” and that “covers hold odors in.”

The adoption guide says the box should be “placed in quiet, less-trafficked areas and shouldn’t be frequently moved,” and that “litterboxes should be cleaned at least once a day.” The choosing page adds that food and water dishes should be “kept far away from the litter box to avoid contamination.”

How we chose

On 2026-10-19 we read three Cornell Feline Health Center pages: the choosing and caring guide for new cats, the adoption guide (a PDF), and the house soiling page. We chose these because they discuss litter and the litter box directly. We did not read any retail listing for this post, and we did not use prices, ratings, reviews or badges for any purpose. The post does not rank any product.

What we could not verify

The sources we read do not classify litter by material. This post does not describe clay, silica, pine or paper litter.
The sources do not say whether clumping or non-clumping litter suits most cats.
The sources do not give a depth for the litter layer, and they do not say which brand is best.
The sources do not say how much a scented litter affects odor in any particular home.
The pages do not say how often a particular litter needs changing. They say to clean the box at least once a day.

Buying checklist

Choose unscented litter as the starting point. Cornell says most, but not all, cats prefer it.
Watch how your cat digs in the litter before and after using the box. Cornell says cats dig in the material before and after elimination, so the way the cat handles the litter tells you something about it.
Count your cats and add one. Cornell says to provide as many boxes as you have cats, plus one.
Place the box in a quiet, less-trafficked spot and keep it there. Cornell says the box should not be frequently moved.
Set a daily clean. Cornell’s adoption guide says litter boxes should be cleaned at least once a day.

Mistakes to avoid

Assuming scented litter is the better choice. Cornell says most cats prefer unscented litter, and that many cats object to foul odors.
Buying one box for several cats. Cornell says the number of boxes should equal the number of cats plus one.
Letting the box go unscooped. Cornell says it should be cleaned at least once a day.
Putting food and water beside the box. Cornell says those dishes should be kept far away from it.
Moving the box often. Cornell says it should not be frequently moved.

FAQ

What type of cat litter do cats prefer?

Cornell says “most, but not all, cats prefer unscented, fine-textured litter.” Some cats seem to prefer a coarser litter, according to the adoption guide. The pages we read do not say which litter material is best.

Is scented litter a bad choice?

Cornell’s house soiling page says “many cats object to foul odors” and advises using “a non-scented litter.” The pages we read do not cover scented brands, so this post does not say how any scented litter performs.

Do cats prefer coarse litter?

Cornell’s adoption guide says “some cats prefer finer litter while others seem to enjoy a coarser litter.” The guide does not say what share of cats prefer coarse litter.

How many litter boxes should I have?

Cornell says to “provide as many boxes as you have cats, plus one.” That means two boxes for one cat and three boxes for two cats.

How often should I clean the box?

Cornell’s adoption guide says “litterboxes should be cleaned at least once a day.” The sources do not give a different schedule for any type of litter.

Where should the litter box go?

Cornell says the box should be “placed in quiet, less-trafficked areas and shouldn’t be frequently moved.” Keep food and water dishes away from it, as the choosing page advises.

Bottom line

Start with unscented, fine-textured litter, since Cornell says most cats prefer it, and keep one more box than you have cats. Clean the box at least once a day. The pages we read do not rank litter materials, so check the material on the package and the cat’s behavior before you decide it suits your home.

For the rest of the litter area and the room around it, see our guides to litter boxes for small apartments, self-cleaning litter boxes and the Litter-Robot 4 review. For food and water, see automatic cat feeders and water fountains. For the rest of the room, see cat trees for small apartments, scratching posts for heavy scratchers and window perches.

Sources

Cornell Feline Health Center, Choosing and caring for your new cat: https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/choosing-and-caring-your-new-cat (opened 2026-10-19). Cited for the unscented and fine-textured litter sentence, the box count, the box design sentence and the separate food and water dishes.
Cornell Feline Health Center, What to expect when adopting a feline friend (PDF): https://www.vet.cornell.edu/sites/default/files/What%20to%20expect%20when%20adopting%20a%20feline%20friends%20-%20Accessible.pdf (opened 2026-10-19). Cited for the texture-preference sentence, the digging sentence, the scent sentence, the box placement sentence and the daily cleaning sentence.
Cornell Feline Health Center, Feline behavior problems: house soiling: https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-behavior-problems-house-soiling (opened 2026-10-19). Cited for the odor and non-scented litter sentence, and for the uncovered-box sentence.

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