Can Unscented Cat Litter Contain Baking Soda and Other Odor-Control Ingredients?
Yes—unscented cat litter can contain baking soda and other odor-control ingredients without containing added fragrance. If you want odor control without perfume, check the formula for odor-control ingredients and an explicit no-added-fragrance description. Baking soda in the ingredient list does not, by itself, mean the litter is scented.
Why odor-control ingredients do not have to be fragrances
Added fragrance gives litter an intentional scent, such as lavender. Odor-control ingredients serve a different purpose: they help manage unwanted smells rather than add a pleasant smell. A formula can therefore include ingredients for odor control while leaving out perfume.
Baking soda is an example of an ingredient used for odor control. Its presence tells you something about the formula, but it does not establish whether that formula also contains fragrance. The same distinction matters when you see a phrase such as “deodorizing ingredients”: odor control and added scent are separate questions. Unscented does not mean additive-free, and the label alone does not establish that every ingredient is fragrance-free.
To see how absorption, waste removal, and deodorizing ingredients play different roles, read how unscented cat litter can control urine and poop odors without masking them with fragrance.
For a concrete example, Meowant Premium 5-in-1 Mixed Cat Litter is an unscented blend containing baking soda, sepiolite, and deodorizing beads, alongside tofu litter and bentonite clay. This blend illustrates why an unscented litter can still contain several ingredients intended for odor control.
It is an option if you want an unscented litter that includes odor-control additives. If you specifically want litter without baking soda or deodorizing beads, this formula does not meet that preference.
