I used to use only clumping clay litter, and was never that happy with it. It's terribly dusty, and I found it smelled even when it was fairly fresh.
When my anemic kitty started eating it, I tried some alternatives. Now, my favorite as far as price and ease of use is: a rubbermaid container, not huge, but with deeper sides than a regular cat box. I buy a large bag of pine or cedar shavings, and a bag of Yesterday's News litter. I fill the bottom of the container with a thick layer of shavings, probably 6 inches, then a couple inches of yesterday's news on top. Then all I do is scoop the poop, and the pee soaks through down into the shavings. It smells great, and I just dump the whole thing when the shavings become quite wet. The layer of Yesterday's News gives them something to scratch around in, and keeps the pee smell from coming up from the shavings. Another litter I like is called Elegant Cat. It's shaped like Yesterday's News, but its made out of dried alfalfa or grass. This stuff clumps enough that I can scoop the pee as well, but I'm not sure how far this litter is distributed. It's made close to where I live. Cassandra
