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Review Summary
We give Dr. Elsey’s Cat Litter a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.
Dr. Elsey’s Cat Litter provides cat owners with various litters that target specific problems that you might have with your cat and their litter. It is a highly affordable brand that also happens to be relatively high quality, giving cat owners excellent solutions to specific issues centered around the litter box.
Dr. Bruce Elsey was the founder of the Dr. Elsey company. He was a feline-only veterinarian for more than 35 years, working with cats and cat owners to make their lives better. He noticed that there were quite a few similarities with the problems that cat owners were facing. The products that he has since produced are meant to make things easier for cats and their owners, mitigating common issues that you might face with your furry friend.
Our review of Dr. Elsey’s Cat Litter includes Cat Attract Litter reviews and Precious Cat Litter reviews, the two main series that this company produces. We discuss what it is and isn’t suitable for and what kind of pet owner will have the most interest in this brand. If any of your problems with your cat center around the litter box, expect to appreciate this brand.
At a Glance: The Best of Dr. Elsey’s Cat Litter Formulas
| Image | Product | Details | ||
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Our Favorite
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Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Ultra Unscented Clumping Clay |
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CHECK PRICE |
Best Training Litter
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Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Attract Unscented Clumping Clay |
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CHECK PRICE |
Best for a Budget
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Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Respiratory Relief Unscented Clumping Clay |
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CHECK PRICE |
| Best Smell |
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Dr. Elsey’s Precious Ultra Scented Clumping Clay |
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CHECK PRICE |
| Best for Kittens |
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Dr. Elsey’s Kitten Attract Clumping Clay |
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CHECK PRICE |
Dr. Elsey’s Cat Litter Reviewed
Dr. Elsey’s Cat Litter covers a range of problem areas regarding getting your cat to use their litter box or related health issues that your cat might be experiencing. First, let us dig deeper into the company and the kinds of cat owners that will get the most from their products.
Who Makes Dr. Elsey’s Cat Litter & Where Is It Produced?
Dr. Elsey’s Cat Litter started being produced outside of Dr. Elsey’s All-Cat Veterinary Clinic in 1978 in the Denver Metro area. For years, Dr. Elsey and his wife, Kathy, kept their cat litter production close to home. They have outsourced some of the production to Wyoming facilities, but otherwise, they mostly stayed in the Midwest region and shipped all their products out from there.
From the litter to the food, every product in this brand was first created, produced, and tested by Dr. Elsey to improve the lives of cats in homes. All the litters are meant to help eliminate specific issues. Some litters address cats and humans with respiratory issues, which help attract cats and kittens to the litter box to stop them from getting rehomed, and are suitable for cats with sensitive paws.
Not only does Dr. Elsey’s work hard to better cats’ lives in the home, but it also states that it stands for “pets, not profit.” That is why it is so good at giving back to charities all over the country. Each year, over 1.4 million cats in the U.S. don’t find homes. To help support shelters that are overwhelmed with cats, Dr. Elsey’s provides shelter kits that include food and other toys and trinkets.
It also provides them with thousands of pallets of free litter. Due to Kathy Elsey’s diagnosis of multiple myeloma, the couple has also started a fund for cancer called Dr. Elsey’s Fund to Cure Cancer to support the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.
Which Types of Cats Is Dr. Elsey’s Cat Litter Best Suited For?
This company’s products are best suited for all kinds of cats. It specifically tailors its litter to help solve various problems that cats and humans might have with the litter box. To do this, Dr. Elsey’s uses premium clay materials. The clay ensures that the litter will form hard clumps around any urine or feces, locking in odors that deter humans and felines from the box.
The clay particles’ texture and size also feel more natural on your cat’s paws. They don’t get stuck in your cat’s toes either, which would then get tracked around the home. This makes the litter box easier to clean and keeps it from stinking, without using chemical perfumes and deodorants to mask the smell.
Which Types of Cats Might Do Better With a Different Brand?
There are no reasons we can think of that your cat might need to use a different brand. The purpose of these litter formulas is to solve problems. More often than not, you will need to switch to Dr. Elsey’s instead of switching off of it. Just keep in mind that it does have a variety of product options. Try to test a couple of them to find the one that best solves your cat litter issues.
Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good & Bad)
Litter is generally relatively straightforward, especially from brands that pride themselves on their straightforward ingredients list.
All of Dr. Elsey’s Clumping Clay Cat Litters are made from sodium bentonite. This compound is a form of clay. Its chemical properties allow it to clump well. There are cheaper varieties of bentonite that end up breaking apart instead of clumping. That allows a release of foul odors and makes it dustier each time your cat climbs inside.
Clay vs. Pellets & Crystal Variants
There are all kinds of litter varieties out there. The main kinds are produced with clay (or various kinds of bentonite), pellets, silica, or crystal varieties.
Clay is by far the most common because cats tend to prefer the texture of clay on their feet more than anything else. Crystals and pellets don’t clump as well, are often made with more chemicals, and tend to get caught in a cat’s paws and tracked around the house more easily. That is why Dr. Elsey’s chose sodium bentonite for its litter.
Solving the Problem of Odor
Litter boxes will always have problems with odor. It is akin to having an open and un-flushable toilet bowl in some cases. Fortunately, scientists have done a great deal of work to mitigate the amount of odor that comes out of a litter box.
The downside to most of these formulas is that they reduce the terrible odors by masking them with perfumes and deodorants. There can be chemicals in the litter mix that can mess with a cat’s breathing and this is often one of the reasons that they don’t like using their litter box.
Instead, Dr. Elsey’s uses an ultra-clumping method with the sodium bentonite in the clay. It locks in odors without having to use irritating perfumes.
The Dust-Free Answer
Another problem commonly associated with litter boxes is the dust that gets thrown up when your cat goes in and digs around trying to make the perfect spot. The clumping capacity of the clay is supposed to mitigate this in the litter. Most owners say that Dr. Elsey’s does, but there are a few people who are still unsatisfied with the amount of dust that it does produce.
Formula Change in Late 2020
There was an apparent change to the formula that created quite a stir in the cat community. Unfortunately, it was not a change for the better and has created more issues with dust production and tracking, and the litter no longer clumps as well as it did.
The formula change doesn’t seem to have happened throughout all the litter. Although not reported by the company itself, there is evidence of a change in most of their popular varieties.
A Quick Look at Dr. Elsey’s Cat Litter
- It doesn’t hold cat odor or use chemical perfumes.
- The litter is hypoallergenic.
- Its clumping capacity mitigates the dust that the litter produces.
- A recent formula change has created a bit of a stir around the viability of the product.
Recall History
There is no history of recall that we could find for Dr. Elsey’s Cat Litter.
Reviews of the 3 Best Dr. Elsey’s Cat Litter Formulas
Although almost all the products from Dr. Elsey are high-quality and quite effective, there are three that are the most popular and consistently receive the highest reviews.
If your cat needs an extra push to convince them to use cat litter, the Attract cat litter is likely a suitable choice. If you need a straightforward answer to your clumping and dust problems, then the Ultra Unscented option will be the best for you. Read on to get detailed reviews of the three best options for Dr. Elsey’s Cat Litter.
1. Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Ultra Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter
Dr. Elsey’s Precious Ultra Unscented formula is easily the brand’s most popular litter product. It offers a good mix of all the characteristics that it wants to associate with the brand. It has excellent odor control, and its clumping action is superior to almost any other cat litter brand. It is worth noting that this litter is one of those reportedly included in the formula change recently, although we are unsure as to the extent of the change.
According to the company, this litter is 99.9% dust-free, making it an excellent choice for people who need a hypoallergenic solution to their cat litter woes. The granules are heavy, with a medium-grain clay material. This makes it non-tracking. The only issue is that when the granules get wet, they do clump together hard. If your cat steps in the wet granules, it sticks like glue to their feet and can be like concrete to get off.
- Designed to be low-dust
- Hypoallergenic
- Non-tracking
- Sticks like concrete to the sides of the box and paws
2. Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Attract Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter
The Precious Cat Attract formula is an incredibly popular product option. Added to the all-natural clay that makes up most of the formula is a natural herb attractant. It comes in minuscule particle size and texture to attract your cat to the litter box and keep them happy to use it.
The litter box also comes with a handy booklet. Included inside are solutions to the most common litter box problems, created by Dr. Elsey and associated scientists with extensive experience with cats. This cat litter has excellent odor control, but keep in mind that it does have a slight scent created by the herb, not by a chemical or perfume.
Unfortunately, this litter can cake to the sides of the box and the paws of the cat.
- Natural herb attractant
- Booklet for litter box problems
- High-clumping capacity
- Cakes to the side of the litter box
3. Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Respiratory Relief Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter
Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Respiratory Relief Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter is among the top three product options available from the company due to its hypoallergenic nature. It might produce a slight scent, although it is barely noticeable to most users. It is made to produce even less dust than usual to keep it as gentle on your lungs as possible.
The price of this cat litter is one of the driving reasons that we appreciate this product. Not only is it extra sensitive and made to accommodate multiple cats using it at once, but it also does so at a budget-friendly price. It is affordable and safer than many other options.
Although the focus on respiratory health can help those of us with sensitivities to dust, it also reduces the stress on your cat’s lungs. This litter can play an essential part in controlling feline respiratory disease.
- Hypoallergenic
- High-clumping capacity
- Odor control while still unscented
- Some reports of stickiness when wet in that it sticks to the sides of the box
What Other Users Are Saying
It is always useful to get the opinion of other people who have used the product that you are interested in buying. Since Dr. Elsey’s started to produce this product on a national level, there have been thousands of people providing reviews.
- Chewy Customer: “The only dust is when you first pour it into the litterbox. After that, truly no dust. The clumping is extraordinary, very solid clumping and easy to take out of the litter box. I wipe down the walls after with baby wipes to keep it nice looking and smelling. My cat seems much happier with this brand than the one we have used for a few years now (with the word Best in the name), not going back to that one. This one is the best.”
- All About Cats: “ Elsey’s cat litter is an excellent choice. Not only is it highly affordable, but the hard-clumping action makes it ideal for multi-cat households.”
- Amazon: As pet owners, we always double-check with Amazon reviews from buyers before we buy something. You can read these by clicking here.
Conclusion
If you have spent too much time and money looking for a litter that does not produce much dust, clumps well, and even encourages your cat to use their litter box, Dr. Elsey’s could be the best option for you. Not only does the company believe in supporting and bettering the lives of cats and their owners, but it also gives money back to shelters and even has a cancer support fund.
Other than the possible changes to their formula, this cat litter ticks all our boxes and will likely do the same for you.
See Also:
Featured Image Credit: Chewy/ yamamedal, Shutterstock
2 Responses
I am getting a lot of dust from this liter. It is all over my basement and steps. Why when you say dust free?
I’m sorry to hear about your experience with this litter. We would suggest contacting Dr. Elsey’s directly for assistance.