Finding the best cat litter scoop at times can be difficult, there are so many to choose from. Everybody who owns a cat knows that cleaning the litter box is often harder than it needs to be due to bad litter scoops.

However, there are better litter scoops to choose from if you know what to look for. There are metal or high-quality plastic scoops that can let you sift and scoop without trouble and without making a bigger mess, all without being too heavy or too expensive.

Are you interested in finding the best cat litter available for your cat?

Top Picks

What Is A Cat Litter Scoop?

Cat litter scoops are used to scoop out waste and clumps of litter that collects urine after your cat takes care of its business. These scoops are invaluable tools since they prevent you from having to change out your cat’s litter every few days.

Instead, you can use a scoop to retrieve and throw away the more toxic parts of a litter batch and just replace enough to fill the box once more. Using scoops saves you time and money as you won’t be buying litter as frequently.

You might be interested in a top entry cat litter box. They come with free litter scoops!

Cat litter scoops are shaped like small shovels with shallow or deep cups. All of them will have holes or slots cut out of their bottom to allow grainy litter to fall through, only trapping clumped litter that’s turned hard from urine or feces.

How To Choose A Cat Litter Scoop

Let’s take a look at some of the best features to keep an eye out for when selecting a litter scoop.

Quality And Effectiveness

Cat litter scoops come in varying quality. You can find really cheap versions almost anywhere, but these will tend to break or stain easily, requiring you to purchase a new one shortly after.

Instead, try to find cat litter scoops that are made from high-quality materials or that show good design forethought. For instance, you want scoops that can handle clumps of cat litter as well as feces, not just one or the other.

Pro Tip: You can invest in a good cat litter mat to avoid litter tracking throughout the home!

Easy Care

Some litter scoops are easy to clean and store, while others have odd shapes or are made from materials that make them hard to clean effectively.

It’s important that you get a scoop that can be cleaned effectively, as litter boxes are a common host for germs, scoops that are unwashed can spread that bacteria everywhere if they’re allowed to remain dirty.

Easy To Use

Scoops come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The optimal design of a scoop will depend on your cat’s litter box. Really deep boxes will benefit from a scoop that has a long enough handle to reach deep into the litter, where cats like to bury their poop.

Some scoops have non-stick surfaces that prevent feces and clumped litter from sticking to them; this is something to watch for since scraping off feces or litter from the scoop is never desirable.

Scoops that have handles that are easy to grip and which aren’t too heavy are other great features that contribute to overall ease-of-use.

Size

Longer is usually better when it comes to litter scoops, although depending on the size of your cat’s litter box there may be a size that’s too large.

You’ll also want to find a scoop that has a wider shovel than narrower; this isn’t a gardening tool, and a wider shovel means you can sift through more litter in less time, shortening the overall length of this daily chore.

Wide shovels are also great because there’s less chance of undesirable material falling out as you sift.

Metal Or Plastic Scoops

The main difference when it comes to metal or plastic scoops is durability or lifespan. You see, plastic scoops are often cheaper than the metal alternative, although you might find that they degrade or start to bend over time.

There are definitely high-quality plastic scoops on the market that are worth your time but beware of plastic scoops that flex and flick as you scoop and strain. This may unintentionally scatter litter all over your home or apartment.

Pro Tip: Use an odor control cat litter to reduce those nasty smells.

Metal scoops are usually more expensive than plastic ones, although they usually last longer. They’re often made from stainless steel or aluminum, and most have rubber handles that add to your comfort while you use the scoop.

These can last for years on end and are great for scooping heavy amounts of litter at a time. You won’t see bending or breaking with these tools at all.

Whether you choose plastic or metal, be sure to get something that’s high-quality, otherwise, you’ll be replacing a scoop every few months. It’s better to spend a little more money upfront, buy cheap buy twice is the common phrase.  

When it comes to washing, both metal and plastic scoops can be washed by hand with plenty of soap and water.

The Best Cat Litter Scoops

Dura Scoop Jumbo Cat Litter Scoop

This is a fantastic scoop made entirely of high-grade ADC-12 aluminum except for the molded rubber coating that makes the handle comfortable and easy to grip. This scoop is very large, with slots cut out from its bottom both in the center and along the sides to allow for quick sifting of large amounts of litter.

You might find that the space between the slots is a little too large, requiring you to sift multiple times. Its sides are rounded and enclosed to prevent litter flicking as you sift.

Since it’s metal, you can scrape off any sticky pieces without worrying about scattering debris over the area. It’s also designed with ergonomic balance in mind; as you hold it, you’ll find that it feels lighter than you might expect. The aluminum is corrosion resistant, preventing it from rusting even after years of use.

IPRIMIO Cat Litter Scooper with Deep Shovel

This scooper takes some of the lessons of cooking implements and brings them to cat litter. It’s made from aluminum and is coated in a non-stick material like the kind you find on a lot of cooking pans.

This makes sticky cat feces easier to deposit in the trash and less likely to stick or smear over the shovel. This scoop is built with a wide front edge that excels at clearing corners and getting litter at the bottom of the box.

The scoop is ergonomically-designed to help alleviate its relatively heavyweight. The slots at the bottom are very frequent and are a little wide so you may need to sift multiple times to accurately get small pieces of tainted litter.

This scoop comes with a hanger that can rest on the wall near your cat litter box, keeping it off the ground and away from places where it can spread germs.

CO-Z Solid Aluminum Alloy Cat Litter Scoop

The CO-Z scoop is made from an aluminum alloy that boasts anti-corrosion and anti-rust properties. Because of this, it’s also waterproof, making it a great tool for shoveling out litter that’s been urinated on.

It’s surprisingly lightweight for its size and has an ergonomic grip that’s covered in reinforced rubber.

It has a wide front edge that’s great for getting into the corners of a litter box and its shovel is appropriately deep, lessening the trips you need to make from bag to box as you remove feces and litter.

The slots at the bottom aren’t too big, either, so you’ll be able to remove most litter easily without having to repeat scoops.

SunGrow Non-Stick Cat Litter Sifter Scoop

This rather lightweight scoop is made from corrosion and stain-resistant steel, making it easy to clean. A rubber coating on the handle keeps it comfortable to use despite its hard base material.

The shovel is wide enough for sifting large amounts of litter at once. The scoop’s shovel also has enclosed sides that minimize the chance of litter being scattered as you sift.

The slots at the bottom of this shovel are a little wide and spaced apart close together, meaning that you may need to repeat scoops sometimes. Its rounded edges also make it a little tough to get right into the corners of litter boxes.

Chibuy Metal Cat Litter Scoop

This scoop has teeth on its edge that are designed to make scraping away smeared feces on the bottom or sides of a litter box easier than normal.

The entire scoop is made of corrosion-resistant aluminum and a polish coating to keep it looking new and clean after years of use. A rubber handle protects your fingers as you scoop.

The teeth can accidentally smear feces if you’re not careful. In addition, this scoop’s edges are not ideal for getting into the corners of a litter box as they’re curved. The slots at the bottom of this scoop are also quite wide.

Best Cat Litter Scoop Winner

Overall, we think the best scoop is the IPRIMIO Cat Litter Scooper with Deep Shovel.

This has virtually all of the pros that the other scoops do with only one minor flaw: its slots might be a little too big for small litter pieces.

However, the hanger, the non-stick material that coats its surface, and its ergonomic handle combine to make a long-lasting litter scoop that can be used for years while effectively cleaning your cat’s box every single time.

Runner Up

Right behind the IPRIMIO is the CO-Z Solid Aluminum Alloy Cat Litter Scoop because of its excellent edges that are great for scraping the bottom of a litter box or cleaning out its corners.

It’s also made from anti-rust aluminum that’s lightweight, to boot. The slots at the bottom of this scoop are really good and have a low chance of letting anything tainted escape.

Pro Tip: If you have to scrape stuff off the wall of a litter box, always wash the scoop afterwards with hot water and soap. Do not put it in the dishwasher!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Should I choose metal or plastic for my scoop? This depends on your preference. All of the ones we looked at are metal because these scoops tend to last longer and are easier to clean.

Metal is also better at scraping away smeared feces or carrying heavier loads of litter. However, there are some high-quality plastic scoops out there that are just as good, and which are a little cheaper.

2. How big should the slots at the bottom of the shovel be? You typically don’t want to have slots or “meshes” that are more than 5 millimeters across. Anything larger than this will let pieces of bad litter fall through too consistently.

On the other hand, anything much smaller than that might trap good litter and waste it when you deposit the scoop’s contents into a trash bag after sifting.

3. Are teeth on a scoop a good thing? They can be, although you need to take care not to smear feces that you’re trying to remove.

Teeth can also get caught in feces, requiring you to scrape the material off on something else like the litter box wall. Generally, we prefer to avoid teeth, but they might work for some folks.

Last update on 2023-10-04 at 02:15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API