The 3 Best Cat Litters of 2025

Top pick

This cat litter forms sturdy clumps and contains odors, and it’s one of the more affordable options. But the bag is awkward to pour from, and clumps may stick to the bottom of the litter box.

Dr. Elsey’s Ultra Unscented, a Wirecutter pick since 2017, still does an outstanding job of trapping odors and forming tough clumps. It’s also significantly cheaper than many other cat litters we tested. But when it comes to dust, Dr. Elsey’s falls short, and the packaging makes this litter a struggle to pour.

It provides long-lasting odor control. Our testers all said that with regular scooping, Dr. Elsey’s Ultra Unscented kept odors at bay for a full 14 days. This litter claims to control odors “naturally without perfumes or deodorants.” But Dr. Elsey’s doesn’t list the ingredients, so we don’t know what, if anything, it uses as a deodorizer. We reached out to the company for comment, but it did not respond.

Its clumps are firm. In our shake tests, Dr. Elsey’s Ultra broke into smaller clumps, but they held up better than most of the competition’s clumps. On occasion, wet clumps stuck to the bottom and sides of the pan, but less so than with other brands. “They never crumble into oblivion,” said Wirecutter senior staff writer Kimber Streams, whose cat has been using Dr. Elsey’s litter for nine years.

Tracking is less visible. Since fewer large-grained particles escape the litter box than smaller-grained particles do, litters with large granules appear to track less. In our testing, Dr. Elsey’s large- and medium-size particles have produced less-visible tracking than we’ve seen with some of the finer-grained competition.

The price is right. This litter’s low cost helped secure its position as our top pick—Dr. Elsey’s Ultra averages 53¢ per pound. You’ll buy a lot of litter over your pet’s lifetime, and that adds up. As Kimber said, “I’m not paying a lot for fancy poop rocks.”

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Our most recent testing showed Dr. Elsey’s Ultra to be just mediocre at dust control, despite its claims of being “99% dust-free.” Dozens of other litters boast a similar claim, and it makes our lungs hurt to imagine what these brands think a dustier product looks like.

Whether we poured quickly or slowly, Dr. Elsey’s Ultra kicked up a noticeable cloud, though the bulk of it settled fast. Dust was still present during scooping, but it was much less noticeable. If you’re patient enough to pour this litter at a very slow rate and just above the bottom of the box (we weren’t), you might minimize the dust, but you won’t eliminate it.

Though this litter can sometimes be found in boxes, most retailers offer it in a 20- or 40-pound plastic bag. This bag can’t be resealed without a clip, and it’s not as easy to stow away as a cardboard box or plastic jug. Cat caretakers with back pain or reduced upper-body strength may have difficulty pouring Dr. Elsey’s Ultra into a pan. We recommend transferring the litter into an easy-pour container or using a large kibble scooper, which you can store inside the bag.