Our 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.
After six years of testing and sifting 23 cat litters, we’ve learned that every litter has trade-offs. But no cat litter has outperformed Dr. Elsey’s Ultra Unscented’s combination of excellent odor control and scoopability at an affordable price.
This litter forms tight, solid clumps, which hold together better during scooping than those of most other litters we tested. The average-size granules are easy on cats’ sensitive paws, so kitties are more likely to accept this litter. In terms of dust, Dr. Elsey’s falls into the middle of the pack: It produced less dust when it was poured than half of the brands we tested, and dust clouds are minimal during scooping.
However, it’s a hassle to carry and pour litter from this litter’s large, awkward plastic bag. And, as with most of the litters we tested, with Dr. Elsey’s some clumps may stick to the bottom of a dirty pan.
Also great
This litter is great at controlling odors, and it produces less dust than most other clay litters we tested. But its clumps are weaker than those of our top pick.
If minimizing dust and tracking is more important to you than clumping, we recommend Arm & Hammer Super Scoop Clumping Litter. The larger granules reduce the spread of stray litter crumbs outside the box, and they help rein in dust. When we were pouring, this litter produced a smaller dust cloud than most of the clay litters we tested. And when we were vigorously digging and scooping, the dust was barely noticeable.
Arm & Hammer Super Scoop controls odors well and comes in a cardboard box, which is easier to carry and pour from than a plastic bag. But its clumps don’t hold together as well as those of Dr. Elsey’s Ultra. The Super Scoop clumps broke and crumpled into smaller pieces. That means they can slip through the slats of most litter scoopers, leaving more soiled litter behind in the pan.
Also great
This corn-based litter clumps well and produces minimal dust, but it doesn’t control odors as well as clay litters.
Clay-alternative cat litter is rising in popularity, and many Wirecutter readers asked us to look into a best-selling brand, World’s Best. We found that World’s Best Cat Litter Multiple Cat Unscented—made of whole kernel corn grown in the US—does a great job of clumping and produces minimal dust, but it doesn’t control odor as well as clay litter does. And, like Dr. Elsey’s Ultra, this litter comes in a plastic, non-resealable bag, which makes storing and pouring a challenge. We plan to test more non-clay litters in the future, but we think World’s Best is a good option in this category, and it performs well with regular scooping.
Our pick
This large and easy-to-hold scoop makes a gross chore as pleasant as possible.
Out of eight scoops we tested, the DurAnimals DuraScoop Original Cat Litter Scoop was the least nasty after scooping several heavy loads. There was minimal pee and litter crust on the edge, and no litter bits were stuck in the slats.
Because of the scoop’s generous size and sturdy construction, it’s easy to rake through the litter box quickly and catch most clumps.
If you want to clear out more of the soiled bits that sometimes fall back into the pan, we recommend a scoop with narrower slats, like our also-great scoop, the iPrimio Cat Litter Sifter.
Also great
With its slender shape and narrow slats, this versatile, nonstick scoop digs into corners and lifts litter effectively. The slats can clog, but we found they were easy to clear out.
The iPrimio Non-Stick Litter Scooper caught dirty bits of litter in its narrow slats that other scoops missed. Slightly smaller than our DuraScoop pick, the iPrimio can get into tight corners while still combing through a larger box with ease.
