Published May 2, 2019
The Tidy Cats brand is a leading innovator in cat litter. Not only do they offer a wide variety of clumping and non-clumping formulas, but they also have a lightweight line of litters as well as a line of alternative products made from natural and recycled materials.
What sets this brand apart is the wide variety of options as well as the extremely affordable price. For under $0.50 per pound, you can receive the hard-clumping benefits of multi-cat litter and excellent odor control. If you’re looking for an affordable brand of high-quality litter, Tidy Cats is definitely one to consider.
Ratings
- Variety of Products – 5/5
- Price Per Pound – 5/5
- Multi-Cat Formulas – 5/5
- Clumping Ability – 3/5
- Long-Lasting Odor Control – 4/5
- Natural/Alternative Options – 3/5
Overall Score: 4.25/5
How We Tested:
- We purchased 3 of the best cat litters Tidy Cats has to offer
- We spent a few weeks testing the cat litters on several cats
- We did not receive these product in exchange for a favorable review, they were purchased with our own money
Brand Overview
The history of Tidy Cats began back in the 1940s when cat litter was originally discovered by accident. An entrepreneurial man named Edward Lowe began selling oil-absorbing clay as Kitty Litter, and the product immediately took off. Lowe brought his product to pet stores, and cat shows across the country and, by the 1950s had turned it into a solid business.
His products were so successful that he created his own brand in 1964 and named it Tidy Cats. It didn’t take long for Lowe to become the largest producer of kitty litter and he sold the company in 1990 when it was grossing over $165 million in annual sales.
Today, the Tidy Cats brand continues to reign supreme in the cat litter industry. With the invention of clumping cat litter in 1984, a whole new category of products came into development. Tidy Cats continues to be an innovator in the industry, finding new ways to solve old problems. For example, they launched the Tidy Cats Lightweight Cat Litter line which delivers the same hard-clumping action and odor-fighting protection at a fraction of the weight of normal clay cat litter.
Products Included in This Review |
||||
| Name | Materials | Clumping? | Life Stage | Additional Features |
| Tidy Cats Scoop Instant Action Immediate Odor Control | Clay | Yes | All | Multi-Cat Formula, Odor Control, Clumping, Unscented |
| Tidy Cats Scoop 24/7 Performance Continuous Odor Control Cat Litter | Clay | Yes | All | Multi-Cat Formula, Odor Control, Clumping, Unscented |
| Tidy Cats Scoop Glade Tough Odor Solutions Clumping Litter | Clay | Yes | All | Multi-Cat Formula, Odor Control, Clumping, Scented |
What Kinds of Litter Does the Brand Offer?
Tidy Cats currently sells five different categories of cat litter as well as their own all-in-one odor-fighting cat litter box system, Tidy Cats Breeze.
The Tidy Cats Lightweight Litter line includes seven different formulas offering different benefits from instant action and 24/7 performance to formulas scented with the power of Glade freshness.
The Tidy Cats Clumping Litter line includes five different formulas including both scented and unscented options and a 4-in-1 strength recipe.
The Tidy Cats Alternative Litter line includes four eco-friendly formulas made with alternative ingredients such as recycled newspaper and absorbent wood shavings. The Tidy Cats Non-Clumping Litter line is a line of clay litters that offer excellent odor control without clumping.
Finally, the Tidy Cats Unscented Cat Litter line includes four formulas – one lightweight, one unscented clumping litter, and two alternative litters made from recycled newspaper.
The three formulas we’re reviewing here are clumping formulas designed for quick and easy cleanup.
Top 3 Cat Litters Reviewed
| Product Name | Type | Price | Overall Rating |
| Tidy Cats Scoop Instant Action Immediate Odor Control | Clumping | $0.73 per lb | 4/5 |
| Tidy Cats Scoop 24/7 Performance Continuous Odor Control | Clumping | $0.32 per lb | 4/5 |
| Tidy Cats Scoop Glade Tough Odor Solutions Clumping Litter | Clumping | $0.57 per lb | 3.75/5 |
#1 Tidy Cats Scoop Instant Action Immediate Odor Control Formula
It doesn’t take long for litter box odors to spread throughout the house. That’s why this Tidy Cats Scoop Instant Action Immediate Odor Control Formula is so great. It is a natural clay litter made with a unique deodorizing system to lock in and neutralize odors from the start. This litter protects against urine, ammonia, and feces odors for all-over odor control, even in multi-cat households. Not only does this litter keep the litter box smelling fresh for your sake, but it makes for a more pleasant experience for your cats as well.
This Tidy Cats Scoop Instant Action Immediate Odor Control Formula features the TidyLock system to lock away odors on contact for long-lasting freshness.
It forms quick clumps for easy clean-up and is 99.9% dust-free, so both you and your cat can breathe easy. We found the litter to have a light, chemical scent that wasn’t overpowering and the litter itself had a slightly sandy texture.
While it did form hard clumps around feces, liquid clumps didn’t harden right away which led to some crumbling during scooping. We also found that liquid penetrated the litter very quickly, sometimes leady to sticky glue on the bottom of the box.
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
| Category | Rating |
| Price | 5/5 |
| Clumping Action | 3/5 |
| Odor Control | 4/5 |
| Dust/Mess | 5/5 |
| Scent | 4/5 |
| Easy to Scoop | 3/5 |
| Overall Rating | 4/5 |
Pros
- Forms hard clumps around feces, controls odor well
- Virtually no dust with low-to-moderate tracking
- Extremely affordable price, excellent value for the quality
Cons
- Urine clumps tend to crumble, may stick to the litter box
- Odor control is less effective for urine than feces odors
- Slight chemical scent but not overpowering
This litter comes in 14- and 20-pound jugs as well as a 35-pound pail and a 40-pound box. Because the litter is made from clay ingredients, it is fairly heavy, even in the smallest container.
#2 Tidy Cats Scoop 24/7 Performance Formula
This Tidy Cats Scoop 24/7 Performance Formula delivers round-the-clock odor control to keep your home smelling fresh, no matter how many cats you have. This formula features TidyLock protection against ammonia, urine, and feces odors and it is highly absorbent to keep your cat comfortable. This formula forms tight clumps for easy cleanup and is virtually dust-free which makes it low-mess as well.
We found this Tidy Cats Scoop 24/7 Performance Formula to deliver on promises about being dust-free, highly absorbent, and excellent for odor control.
The problem is that the litter is so absorbent that liquid sometimes soaks through to the bottom of the box before clumping. The resulting urine clumps tend to crumble, leaving behind small pieces as you scoop.
The litter itself has a slight chemical odor that isn’t overpowering, but some cats may not like it.
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
| Category | Rating |
| Price | 5/5 |
| Clumping Action | 3/5 |
| Odor Control | 4/5 |
| Dust/Mess | 5/5 |
| Scent | 4/5 |
| Easy to Scoop | 3/5 |
| Overall Rating | 4/5 |
Pros
- Delivers round-the-clock odor protection with TidyLock
- Highly absorbent and forms hard clumps around feces
- Virtually dust-free and low-mess for easy cleanup
Cons
- Slight chemical scent but not overpowering
- Urine clumps tend to crumble, may stick to the litter box
- Liquid may soak through to the bottom before clumping
This litter comes in 14- and 20-pound jugs, a 27- and 35-pound pail, and 40-pound boxes and bags. Because the litter is made from clay ingredients, it is fairly heavy, even in the smallest container.
#3 Tidy Cats Scoop Glade Tough Odor Solutions Formula
Some cat owners want to go a step further than simply locking in urine and feces odor – they want to cover it up entirely. This Tidy Cats Scoop Glade Tough Odor Solutions Formula makes that possible with the addition of a fresh Glade scent.
This litter still features Tidy Cats’ TidyLock technology to lock in odors from ammonia, urine, and feces, but the addition of Glade Tough Odor Solutions technology extends the fresh scent beyond the litter box.
We found this product to be very similar to the other two clumping formulas we tested, the difference being, of course, the Glade scent. The scent is certainly noticeable both inside the litter box and in the immediately surrounding area, but we didn’t find it to be overpowering.
The litter absorbed liquid and odors well but had the same issues with urine clumps breaking apart too easily and leaving bits behind after scooping the litter box. We also found wet litter stuck to the bottom of the box.
| Category | Rating |
| Price | 5/5 |
| Clumping Action | 3/5 |
| Odor Control | 4/5 |
| Dust/Mess | 5/5 |
| Scent | 3/5 |
| Easy to Scoop | 3/5 |
| Overall Rating | 3.75/5 |
Pros
- Glad Tough Odors Solution technology keeps the box and room smelling fresh
- Locks away odors from urine, ammonia, and feces very quickly
- Very low dust and low tracking for less mess
Cons
- Urine clumps tend to crumble, may stick to the litter box
- Slight chemical scent but not overpowering
This litter comes in 14- and 20-pound jugs as well as a 35-pound pail. Because the litter is made from clay ingredients, it is fairly heavy, even in the smallest container.
What Do Customers Think of Tidy Cats Litter?
Tidy Cats is one of the most established names in cat litter, being one of the first commercial cat litter brands to hit the market. Not only does Tidy Cats have a long history, but they offer a wide variety of products so every cat owner can find the perfect cat litter for their household. Generally speaking, customers are very happy with Tidy Cats products.
This being said, every customer’s experience is unique, and there are both good and bad reviews for the brand online. Keep reading to see a positive and negative customer review for each of the three cat litter formulas featured above:
Positive Reviews
“I used to use Tidy Cats all the time but strayed away due to what to do with the multiple buckets I was accumulating. After trying several different litters, I ordered Tidy Cats Scoop Instant Action Immediate Odor Control. Wow! Low, low dust, super hard clumping. All the other litters turned to un-scoopable mush in the bottom of the litter box and were nowhere near dust-free.” – CatMom, reviewing Tidy Cats Scoop Instant Action Immediate Odor Control
“I always used to buy the Tidy Cats with Glade because I thought it was the best one, but when I ran out, and I noticed the store I usually go to ran out, I decided to grab a jug of this one. My goodness, it’s been in front of me all along. I have 5 cats, and nothing has ever worked without me needing to change the litter boxes in two days because of how many cats I have. With this I only need to change the litter once a week. Very satisfied with it and it also has a nice scent.”– CatLady, reviewing Tidy Cats Scoop 24/7 Performance Continuous Odor Control Cat Litter
“I’ve tried a lot of brands of litter, everything from wheat to pine to this, and this is the only one that keeps the smell down and I have four kitties. I have four very big litter boxes and I fill them pretty full, compared to how I’ve seen some pet owners do it. It smells when they first go but quickly removes it. My house does not smell like a cat house despite having four. I clean the boxes daily but have had to go as long as three days without cleaning and it still doesn’t smell.”– Kathleen, reviewing Tidy Cats Scoop Glade Tough Odor Solutions Clumping Litter
Negative Reviews
“First, I thought this was unscented, but it has a very noticeable odor, not necessarily pleasant. It is working in my regular litter pans but doesn’t work so good in the Litter Robot, I think because it clumps okay but the clumps don’t seem to hold together or they stick to the sides and don’t make it into the waste drawer. For some reason, I use a lot more in the Litter Robot than when I use Scoop Away.”– Catlover, reviewing Tidy Cats Scoop Instant Action Immediate Odor Control
“I am still trying to find a cat litter to replace the Cat’s Pride I used to use that was apparently discontinued. I thought I would take a chance on this one, but it has not worked out. The smell is really off-putting to me and it ends up all over the floor with the cats tracking it out of the box more than any other litter I’ve tried before. The only good thing is that it clumped okay.”– MarkysMom, reviewing Tidy Cats Scoop 24/7 Performance Continuous Odor Control Cat Litter
“The smell is good but not worth it. You can’t see the stains on most cats since they usually have short or dark hair. We can’t detect it in our tabby mix cat but on my white Persian it’s obvious. He has blue stain on his little paws since using this stuff. Cats obviously lick their paws to clean and I hate the idea of him having to lick that. And he has blue paws… no thank you.”– Maggie, reviewing Tidy Cats Scoop Glade Tough Odor Solutions Clumping Litter
How Much Does Tidy Cats Litter Cost?
Tidy Cats is easily one of the most affordable brands of cat litter on the market.
The three formulas we’ve reviewed cost no more than $0.50/pound when you purchase the largest size container.
Purchasing smaller containers may increase the price per pound, but it is still a very affordable brand, no matter which formula you choose.
Overall, Is Tidy Cats Litter a Good Choice?
We are happy to report that Tidy Cat’s litter is an affordable and high-quality brand. We only tested three of their clumping formulas, so we can’t speak to the non-clumping or lightweight formulas, but we liked what we saw, for the most part. The TidyLock system does, indeed, protect against ammonia, urine, and feces odor, even in multi-cat households.
One thing to be mindful of with this brand is that while it forms hard clumps around feces, the clumping action isn’t quite so strong with urine. Liquid seeps quickly through the litter and may form a sticky mess on the bottom of the litter box. Urine clumps also tend to crumble more easily than the feces clumps, which can make scooping the litter box clean a challenge.
Tidy Cats offers a wide range of different products, so it’s easy to find a formula that works for both you and your cat. Just be mindful of using scented formulas with kittens and older cats, and you should pay attention to added ingredients like fragrances.
Where Is Tidy Cats Litter Sold?
Tidy Cats litter is a very easy brand to find because it is sold both online and in pet stores. You can find it for sale from online retailers like Chewy and Amazon as well as big box stores like Walmart and Target as well as local and national pet stores such as PetSmart and Petco.
