We give Arm & Hammer Cat Litters a rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.
Introduction
Cat litter is an essential item on any cat owner’s shopping list, and most of us have heard of Arm & Hammer, a brand that’s been on shelves for over 170 years. All Arm & Hammer cat litters use its famous baking soda within their formulation. This helps destroy those unpleasant kitty litter odors and keep your home smelling fresher for longer.
Arm & Hammer cat litters are a great choice for absolutely any cat owner! While their formulations are mostly clay based, they do offer natural litter alternatives, which are still backed by their baking soda power!
Arm & Hammer is a great choice if you’re looking for a reliable cat litter brand that works well for most cats and provides plenty of different products, so us humans can choose the one that suits our homes and cats the best.
At a Glance: The Best Arm and Hammer Cat Litter
Image
Product
Details
Best Overall
Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Multi-Cat Scented Clay Cat Litter
Who Makes Arm & Hammer Cat Litter and Where Is It Produced?
Arm & Hammer cat litter is one of the best-known cat litter brands. Arm & Hammer products have been produced since 1846, when its baking soda first hit the market. It’s now owned by the parent company, Church & Dwight. Arm & Hammer cat litter is made in the U.S.A., using ingredients from both the U.S.A. and abroad.
Which Types of Pets Is Arm & Hammer Cat Litter Best Suited For?
Arm & Hammer cat litters are suitable for most cats. Whether you have multiple cats and need a hardworking cat litter that’s going to eliminate odors quickly or have just one cat and are looking for a long-lasting scented cat litter, you’ll find an option to suit you and your cat.
Which Types of Pets Might Do Better With a Different Brand?
Most Arm & Hammers cat litters are clay-based. Sometimes, these can cause respiratory problems for both cats and humans, due to the fact that clay can be dusty. For that reason, some cats (and their owners!) prefer a dust-free, biodegradable litter, like the World’s Best Unscented Clumping Corn Cat Litter.
It’s worth noting that Arm & Hammer does now offer a natural corn-based litter that’s free from clay.
Image Credit: gaikova, shutterstock
Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)
While different types of Arm & Hammer cat litter will contain a blend of different ingredients, most of them will contain at least a few of the same ingredients. Let’s take a look at those now.
Clay
The clay used in clumping cat litter, such as the majority of Arm & Hammers cat litter products, is called bentonite clay or sodium bentonite. Clay cat litters are one of the first types of cat litter available, and they’re still popular today.
Bentonite clay forms clumps when it gets wet, making it easier to scoop out your cat’s urine. This makes cleaning your cat’s litter tray quick and removes the need to empty the entire litter tray. You can just top up the remaining litter with fresh litter as and when you need to.
Clay cat litter is effective, but it’s not the most environmentally friendly material.
Baking Soda Crystals
Of course, it wouldn’t be Arm & Hammer cat litter without the addition of baking soda crystals! These help deodorize nasty smells and release a fresh fragrance when they come into contact with moisture.
Moisture-Activated Micro-granules
Arm & Hammer cat litters often contain micro-granules that are activated by moisture. Because these are proprietary, they won’t list exactly what they contain, but we can assume that they’re used to lock in odors.
Corn
One of Arm & Hammer’s natural cat litter uses corn instead of bentonite clay. As well as being a lightweight alternative to clay, the natural corn fibers are environmentally friendly.
Bentonite clay is not environmentally friendly
If you’re trying to reduce your impact on the environment, then it’s important to know that clay cat litters aren’t the most environmentally friendly option out there. Bentonite clay has to be strip or surface mined, and this industrial process tends to have a negative effect on the surrounding environment.
Bentonite clay also contains silica dust, which is one of the reasons that it can cause respiratory issues. Silica dust is listed as a carcinogen on California’s Proposition 65.
Some cat owners are concerned about the fact that silica dust may cause digestive problems if it’s ingested in large amounts, which could happen if your cat gets litter stuck on them and then grooms it off. So far, there’s nothing to suggest that this is a major issue, but it’s worth bearing in mind.
A Quick Look at Arm & Hammer Cat Litters
Pros
Forms easy-to-remove clumps
Baking soda provides effective odor elimination
Low dust
Low tracking
Cons
Low dust but not 100% dust free
Scent can be overpowering
Clumps can break apart
Recall History
We can’t find any instances of Arm & Hammer cat litter ever having to be recalled.
Reviews of the 3 Best Arm & Hammer Cat Litters
1. Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Multi-Cat Scented Clay Cat Litter — Our Favorite
As one of Arm & Hammer’s most popular cat litters, this is a great choice for multi-cat households. This litter provides up to 7 days’ worth of odor protection, thanks to the combination of baking soda and micro-granules that lock in odors. The clumping formula makes removing mess quick and easy, meaning you’ll spend less time cleaning up and more time enjoying your cats.
This is a low-dust formula, and while the box says 100% dust-free, we don’t think that any clay cat litter can be 100% free of dust, so you can expect a little dust, especially when you fill the litter box for the first time. This is low tracking, though, so you won’t need to clean up pieces of litter that your cat has tracked through the house.
Pros
Choose from three box sizes
Low dust
Softer texture than some clay litters
Cons
Heavier than some litters
Scent is strong
Clumps can break up
2. Arm & Hammer Slide Multi-Cat Scented Clay Cat Litter
If you’re sick of scrubbing stuck-on cat litter from the base of your cat’s litter tray, then the Arm & Hammer Slide cat litter is what you need! This litter uses Arm & Hammer’s EZ Clean Technology to ensure that this litter slides straight out of the tray without the need for scraping or cleaning afterward.
This clumping cat litter also forms easy-to-remove clumps for in between a full change of the litter in your cat’s tray.
Pros
Easy to clean
Low dust
Quick and easy to use
Cons
Smells strong
Need to use a large amount when changing litter tray
Not completely dust free
3. Arm & Hammer Naturals Scented Clumping Corn Cat Litter
While most of Arm & Hammer cat litters use clay, this natural-scented version uses corn as a more environmentally friendly alternative. This cat litter includes corn fibers, baking soda, mineral oil, and a plant-based clumping agent. As a plus, it’s also 50% lighter than clay litter and is said to absorb twice as much liquid!
This is low dust and doesn’t track too much either. If you prefer a litter with a strong scent, this doesn’t have as much scent as the clay-based litters. Your cat might prefer that, but you might not! It also has a pleasantly soft texture that most cats seem to like. It may track a little through your house, but not too much.
Arm & Hammer is a well-known brand that’s been providing fairly priced cat litter for generations. Their formulations are effective and pretty much do exactly what they advertise! The scented versions may be too strong for some cats, but there’s no denying that the formulations work. They all clump well, don’t track too much, and are easy to clean up.
Christian started writing for a local newspaper as a teenager, and he's been involved in the publishing industry for most of his adult life. Combining his love of writing with a passion for animals, he is currently the Director of Editorial at Pangolia and the Editor-in-Chief at Catster.
Christian lives in the Philippines with his wife, son, and four rescue cats: Trixie, Chloe, Sparky, and Chopper.