Fresh Step Clean Paws Cat Litter Review
Last Updated by Brandon F. on May 18, 2020
Fresh Step has recently come out with an update to their already impressive lineup of cat litters. They call these new litters their “Clean Paws” Series. And as the name suggests, this litter is specially designed to be extremely low tracking. This helps to keep cat litter off of your cat’s paws and inside the litter box where it belongs!
There are currently two types of Clean Paws to choose from: Clean Paws Multi-Cat and Clean Paws Triple Action. Both have some unique traits that make them better for certain households. However, we will discuss both types of cat litter in this review since there is quite a bit of overlap between them as well.
Fresh Step Clean Paws Multi-Cat Cat Litter Review
10.8, 12.6, 18, and 22.5-pound boxes
Clay composition
Intermediate Priced
Pros: Strong clumping, Less tracking, Lower dust levels
Cons: Clumps are larger, Perfume smell may be a turn off for some cats
Clumping Ability Scent Messiness Value Overall Rating
The first of the Clean Paws cat litter we will discuss is the Multi-Cat recipe. This cat litter, as the name suggests, is designed for multi-cat households. It comes with a special blend of larger particles that help to stay inside the litter box while still utilizing the proven Febreze formula that we have seen in other multi-cat Fresh Step litters. Fresh Step claims that this is their lowest dust formula. It comes in 10.8, 12.6, 18, and 22.5-pound boxes, is made of clay, and is typically in the intermediate price range.
Who This Cat Litter is Intended For
This cat litter is great for multi-cat households that have problems with litter tracking. This can be due to a litter box that is simply too busy or because of cats that are particularly “feetsy” when it comes to burying their waste. It can also be helpful for cats with long hair that are notorious for carrying litter granules out of the box with them.
Clumping Ability –
The first concern that we had when trying this litter out was the large granules. In past experiences, cat litter with too big of granules can struggle to properly clump. It would leave big gaps where cat waste is exposed, causing the clumps to not only fall apart prematurely but also stink. There was also the issue with larger granules creating enormous clumps that are more laborious to remove and that also use up way too much litter.
We are happy to report that this issue is, for the most part, avoided. Fresh Step’s ClumpLock Technology shines through, and the clumps that are formed stay hard for at least a couple of days. This makes them easy to identify and remove with normal litter box maintenance. That being said, the clumps are a bit on the larger side. This is simply the price you pay for using larger litter granules.
In multi-cat litter boxes, having strong clumps is vital. And any product that we see with the “multi-cat” label on it better have extremely strong clumping ability. That is certainly the case here.
Scent –
This is a scented litter so if you are your cat is sensitive to perfumes then you may want to tread carefully here. It isn’t that the smell is bad necessarily: it is the same Febreze scent that you have smelled on other Fresh Step cat litters. But it is certainly a present and welcome addition to help combat the challenging odor conditions of most multi-cat litter boxes.
As for handling cat waste odor, Fresh Step Clean Paws Multi-Cat does a solid job as well. The Febreze Technology combined with the powerful clumping locks in odors. Fresh Step promises up to 10 days of odor control. While we don’t encourage cat owners to go 10 days without cleaning out their litter box, it is reassuring to know that it can handle that.
In our personal experience, we would recommend trying to clean it out at least once every 5 days (particularly if you have multiple cats using the same litter box). But if you have a single cat, then feel free to push this up to the 10-day mark if necessary.
Messiness – 
The entire basis for the Clean Paws cat litters is that they are designed to minimize tracking. Rather than go with a heavier litter like other companies have done, Fresh Step has instead decided to use a similar litter material but make the granules larger. This results in heavier granules that are tougher to knock around.
After testing it, we can see improvements in reducing tracking. However, there were still some cases where we saw granules being kicked out of the litter box. One of our cats in particular likes to dig deep when in their litter box and the only litters that we have found that don’t track are extremely heavy crystal cat litters.
Another one of our cats with longer hair is notorious for having granules latch on to it. This issue didn’t occur with this cat litter which was a welcome surprise. The granules are not only larger, but they are also missing some of the jagged edges that we are used to certain clay litters having. These sharp edges love to latch on to cat fur.
Dust levels were extremely low. This was one of the best clay litters that we have tested when it came to dust levels.
Finally, cleanup is very simple. The clumps stay hard and are also quite large, making them easy to identify and remove.
Value – 
As is typical of most Fresh Step Cat Litters, their prices tend to fall in the low to middle intermediate range. This is a good price considering the impressive clumping, great odor control, and reduced tracking of this litter.
Overall Rating –
We were overall quite impressed with Fresh Step Clean Paws Multi-Cat Cat Litter across the board. Being a multi-cat litter, it is important to have powerful odor-fighting agents in place. And the Febreze Odor Technology that is in place has proven time and time again to do just that. The clumps, while on the larger side, stayed relatively hard for multiple days and were easy to remove.
The dust levels and tracking are kept in check, and unless you have a very active cat in the litter box, you should see the number of granules being tracked out reduced. Considering the decent price, this is a strong candidate for a multi-cat household looking to try a new cat litter.
Fresh Step Clean Paws Triple Action Cat Litter Review
18 and 22.5-pound boxes
Clay composition
Intermediate Priced
Pros: Good clumping, Effective odor-fighting, Low dust levels
Cons: Not as good for multi-cat homes, Clumps are quite large
Clumping Ability Scent Messiness Value Overall Rating
Fresh Step Clean Paws Triple Action is the second product in the new Clean Paws series. It utilizes the same approach of having larger granules but is also combined with the popular Triple Action recipe that you have likely seen in other Fresh Step products. The results are what this company believes is the perfect candidate for those who want to minimize tracking while delivering a powerful 1-2-3 punch to all sources of cat odor. This product is available in 18 and 22.5-pound boxes and typically can be found in the intermediate price range.
Who This Cat Litter is Intended For
This cat litter is designed for cats with, particularly pesky odor challenges. This is very common with cats who have urine that always reeks of ammonia or cats on a high-protein diet whose solid waste can be particularly troublesome to deal with. It is also for owners who have cats that like to kick their litter around a lot and/or have long-haired cats that are notorious for tracking litter granules outside of the litter box.
Clumping Ability –
The clay used in Fresh Step Clean Paws Triple Action cat litter is quite good and seems to soak up moisture and harden in short order. This is particularly true for high moisture content cat waste. Some people have commented that the clumps may be TOO good and result in rock-hard clumps that can even form onto the sides of the litter box.
The main benefit of the clean paws cat litter is that the granules are larger to not track as much. These larger granules mean that the clumps will be larger as well. Also, they tend to use up more litter while forming than most products with smaller granules. This means that you may find yourself going through a box quicker than you might like.
We didn’t see much of a difference in clumping ability between the Triple Action product and the Multi-Cat product. We suspect that they utilize extremely similar, if not identical, types of clay.
Scent –
The main benefit of the Triple Action is that it comes with a special formula that blocks and eliminates odors from three different sources: urine, fecal, and bacteria growth. The real differentiator here is the ability to stop odors from bacteria. Most litters can handle the first two, but anti-microbial agents have to be added to give a litter this special ability.
This bumps up the odor-fighting performance up a notch and makes this product quite potent. This cat litter is great for cats who tend to have stink waste, particularly when it comes to ammonia. The great triple odor-fighting ability combined with the strong and hard clumps results in an effective method of stopping odor in its tracks.
It is worth noting that you won’t get the Febreze perfume scent here. And seeing how this litter isn’t as optimized for multi-cat litter boxes, you may find that its effectiveness is reduced when multiple cats try to use the box at once. So to fully take advantage of its great odor stopping performance, try to have a litter box for each one of your cats if you want to use this.
Messiness –
We noticed a reduced level of both tracking and dust. While the dust isn’t non-existent (which is the case for just about any clay-based cat litter) it is definitely on the lower end of the spectrum. And the larger granules result in heavier granules that are much more difficult to kick out of the box or be carried out on the hair of a long-haired cat.
As for removing clumps, the clumps stay hard for a few days and since they are on the larger side, they are easy to identify and remove. You may have some minor buildup on the sides of the litter box, particularly if your cat tends to go on the litter box walls, but it isn’t a huge issue.
Value –
Similar to other Fresh Step products, this clay litter will fall into the intermediate price tier. There are certainly cheaper litters out there (particularly clay) but most will not have the more advanced odor-fighting features that you will find here. Clumping is good but there are other clumping cat litters at lower price points that can clump equally well. What you are paying the small surcharge for here is the impressive ability to stop odor in its tracks from three different approaches.
Overall Rating –
Fresh Step Clean Paws Triple Action Cat Litter is the second piece of the relatively new Clean Paws Cat Litter lineup. It focuses on reducing tracking and dust while keeping the great odor control you will find in other Triple Action products. We have no major complaints here. That being said, if you do have a multi-cat household, you may find that the odor control ability declines faster than you might like. But for single-cat households for homes with a litter box for each cat, this product is a great buy.