The main Dr. Elsey's differences are simple: Ultra is the baseline pick, Cat Attract is for behavior problems, Clean Tracks is the tracking-focused variant, and Touch of Outdoors is the scent-first option.
| Formula | Scent | Attractant | Tracking focus | Dust expectations | Best use case | Who should skip it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Elsey's Ultra Review-backed here | Unscented | No attractant | Baseline medium-grain clay behavior | Very low dust in our published review | Default pick for most homes that want low dust and hard clumps | You need a behavioral/training formula or specifically want a lower-tracking variant focus |
| Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract Review-backed here | Light earthy herbal scent | Yes, behavioral attractant blend | Similar everyday tracking to Ultra | Very low dust in our published review | Cats avoiding the box, kittens learning, or retraining after issues | Your cat already uses the box normally and you just want the best value |
| Dr. Elsey's Clean Tracks Variant overview only | Typically unscented or low-scent positioning | No attractant | Positioned around reducing litter outside the box | Likely similar clay-family expectations, but not yet scored here | Homes where paw carryout and floor mess are the main complaint | You need a tested behavior formula or want only reviewed score-backed comparisons |
| Dr. Elsey's Touch of Outdoors Variant overview only | Outdoor-inspired added fragrance | No behavioral attractant | Not the primary positioning | Clay-family expectations, but not yet scored here | People who specifically want a scented Dr. Elsey's option | You are fragrance-sensitive or want the cleanest unscented Dr. Elsey's formula |
Ultra is the benchmark formula in this family. It is the easiest version to recommend when someone wants low dust, hard clumps, and no extra theme layered on top.
If your cat already uses the box reliably, Ultra is usually the best starting point because you are not paying extra for attractants or choosing fragrance you may not need.
Cat Attract is the version you buy for a behavior problem, not just a cleanliness problem. The herbal attractant is the real reason to pay the premium.
If your floors are clean but your cat is peeing beside the box, Cat Attract solves a different problem than Clean Tracks or Touch of Outdoors.
Clean Tracks appears aimed at owners who are tired of gritty floors and litter beyond the mat. That makes it the most directly comparable choice if your issue is carryout, not cat behavior.
Because we have not published a hands-on review for it yet, treat it as the tracking specialist in the lineup rather than a scored winner over Ultra.
Touch of Outdoors is the outlier because the main difference is scent direction. That matters a lot for fragrance-sensitive homes and much less for buyers who just want the cleanest low-dust clay.
If you are comparing formulas for performance first, it usually makes more sense to look at Ultra or Clean Tracks before choosing a scent-led variant.
Start with Ultra if you want the safest broad recommendation.
Upgrade to Cat Attract when the buying reason is behavioral: kittens, box avoidance, post-UTI retraining, or a cat that suddenly prefers the floor. If you are switching from another brand to get there, the Cornell Feline Health Center recommends doing it gradually, mixing small amounts of the new litter into the old rather than swapping the box all at once.
Switch your attention to Clean Tracks when your main complaint is litter outside the box. Choose Touch of Outdoors only when scent preference is a real buying factor and you know your home tolerates fragranced litter well.
Choose Ultra if you want the standard low-dust, hard-clumping formula. Choose Cat Attract if your cat avoids the litter box or needs help re-learning it. Choose Clean Tracks if tracking outside the box is your biggest frustration. Choose Touch of Outdoors only if you specifically want a scented outdoor-style variant and are comfortable with that tradeoff.
Cat Attract adds a proprietary herbal attractant and is aimed at litter-box avoidance or training issues. Ultra is the simpler baseline formula and the better value if your cat already uses the box reliably.
Clean Tracks is positioned by the brand as the lower-tracking option. We have not published a hands-on scored review for it yet, so treat that as variant positioning rather than a verified lab-tested performance claim on this site.
Yes. Touch of Outdoors is the more scent-forward variant in this group. If you want Dr. Elsey's performance without added fragrance, Ultra is the safer starting point.
Choose between them on texture, clumping, dust and price. Then, if the room still tells you where the box is, Purrify is activated carbon you mix into whichever bag you chose. It is what we use in our own homes.
Read our Purrify guide to picking a litter for odor control.
This guide combines our published Dr. Elsey's Ultra and Cat Attract reviews with brand-level variant positioning for Clean Tracks and Touch of Outdoors. We label clearly which differences are review-backed and which are still untested on this site.