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Year Long Test & Product Giveaway: World's Best Cat Litter™

After careful consideration, from time to time I write a product reviews. If you see it here, it's because, at LEAST I think it's worth you knowing about even if I have an issue with it and, at BEST, I think it's amazing and we should all have one, two or more of whatever it is I'm reviewing. I get NO reimbursement for writing these reviews, though to write a review I am supplied with the item, as I was in this case. This review is MY OPINION, ONLY. The result you experience using this product may differ.

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Normally my reviews are based on a modest test period that's long enough to determine whether or not it's appropriate for cats. In this case, the testing period is over A YEAR in the making. In fact, I ended up switching to this litter as a result of the test. Also, my dear cat, Bob was still living during the initial testing, so he's included in some of the photos, below.

I was a die hard Sodium-bentonite-loaded-clumping-cat-litter-user. With EIGHT CATS I need their litter to clump and be good at odor control. Even if it would gum up my cat's paws and be very tough to scrape out of the litter pan, even if it left this TERRIBLE dust ALL over the place (that was difficult to clean-and even though it was declared that the product was 99% dust free), I used it. It clumped. That's what I cared about. I'd tried litter made from other materials, such as pine, wheat, newspaper and more. They all were lacking in some way. Some failed to clump, some had a nasty odor or texture and the cats wouldn't use it. The only other time I used any different litter was when I was fostering very young kittens, who are known to eat their litter. In that case I would use clay, non-clumping litter, but even then, I was sorely tempted to sneak a layer of clumping litter below the clay layer so I could still clean the litter pan with some measure of ease.

Box of Best.jpg
©2010 Robin A.F. Olson.

I decided to try World's Best Cat Litter™ after receiving a seven pound bag of their Multiple Cat Clumping Formula, along with a cute litter mat. I started my test with a BRAND NEW litter pan that I purchased, to make sure the cats were getting only the smell of the new litter. I also offered my cats, in a separate, new litter pan, the litter they were used to using-clumping “concrete” litter.

The litter, itself is a nice golden color and the granules are small. The more like sand, the better my cat will like it. It has an odd odor since it's corn, slightly sweet, but it didn't overpower me and I don't notice it other than when I refresh the litter in the pan.

The test period was supposed to be a few weeks. Instead, I ended up switching my litter to WBCL, so my observations about the product have been going on for over a year.

Blitz on the Mat.jpg
©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. You can tell this was taken awhile ago. Blitzen still looks like a baby!

World's Best Cat Litter is made from whole kernal corn grown in the United States. On their web site, they list their product benefits. Some are included, below. My comments about their benefits, follow.

Because it's made from corn, it's generally safe to just flush down the toilet, even if you have a septic tank. Now remember, septic tanks are designed to contain waste from only a certain number of people living in a home. Adding lots of flushed litter is like adding another person's waste to your septic tank (depending on how much you flush), so use common sense if you chose to do this. I do not flush my litter and I do have a septic tank.

Empty Pan.jpg
©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Um..wait until I put the litter in the pan!

World's Best lasts longer than the same amount of other litters. I found this to be the case, as well. Though we scoop the litter pans at least once a day, we don't find ourselves racing out to buy more litter as often as we did prior to using WBCL. That said, we feed a raw diet to our cats and they produce less waste overall. I also tested this on Kitten Associates foster kittens, who had to be over 8 weeks old, as is suggested on the package. The amount of waste was much greater in the kittens and I found the multi-cat begin to lose its' effectiveness between the last litter cleaning at night and the first in the morning. The odor control was not effective. That said, I had up to 6 foster cats using just one large litter pan and to continue to clump well or provide good odor control is a lot to ask of any litter. The litter DID clump well, even in a loaded pan, but the odor control failed. I would say the tipping point is when more than half of the pan is made up of waste...and that is A LOT of waste!

Bob Sniffing.jpg
©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Bob gets in his first sniff (and nibble) of the litter.

Easy to Scoop. Yes! Indeed. You don't need a chisel to scrape the bottom of the pan. The litter clumps very well and is easy to lift out of the pan. Compared to what I was accustomed to, I found it to be not as rock solid, but how strong of a clump do you need? As long as it clumps well, you can effectively clean the pan.

DUST! Everyone HATES dust! The silica based litter I used was AWFUL. There was a layer of thick dust I constantly had to battle with. It got EVERYWHERE and I worried about what it was doing to my lungs and my cat's, as well. With WBCL, I do NOT have a similar issue about dust. One litter pan is near a TV set in the foster room. The screen would be covered in dust every day with the old litter. Now, I only dust it as I'd do the rest of my house. I don't see any buildup or feel like I'm choking in a cloud of particulate when I pour the litter into the pan.

Issues, weirdness, wondering...

I'd heard this through the grapevine that cats EAT WBCL. It's true. Some of my cats nibbled at it. I do believe some of them ate it when I wasn't looking. Two cats got sick. One with helicobactor pylori and the other with a mysterious infection. I CANNOT SAY FOR CERTAIN if it was from eating the litter, but I do have x-rays that show the litter inside one of the cat's digestive tract. There was NO other explanation of those granules appearing on x-ray. The cats only eat canned grain-free food. If your cat eats the litter, you have to stop using it.

Bob Sniffing CU.jpg
©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Smells like corn!

At the time, we weren't certain about the litter involvement. One cat does not use that litter any more (just to be safe) and the other does. There has not been a repeat of any illness that could be associated wtih eating the litter. I also feel that if you were to scoop a bit of dirty litter into the WBCL when you first start to use it, you may not have this issue. You're clearly telling your cat what the litter is for, so hopefully your cat won't be tempted to nibble.

A few moths ago, WBCL came out with a Lavender scented litter using 100% all natural oil in a very small amounts. My guess is that adding the scent, keeps the cats from eating it. Their stated reason for it is because owners want a scented litter. I find this a bit odd since most owners should not want ANY scent in their litter. Cats have refined sense of smell and can become litterbox averse over the smallest change. I did a short test using the scented and one cat used it without a problem, but I did not care for the smell.

Sniffing Fools.jpg
©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Bob and Blitzen were immediately interested in the new litter.

Another weirdness-It's been over a year since I started using WBCL and in the past few months I've noticed my cats urinating on the BAG. At first I thought it was due to some sort of territorial marking, so I moved the bags into an area away from the cats. A few days ago, I discovered my foster cats were doing the SAME THING and they're in a room by themselves so this can't be a behavioral issue. I'm not sure why they peed (a lot) on the opened bags. I asked a representative from WBCL about it and no one else has mentioned this as being an issue. They are looking into it, but so far, my cats are either freaks or something is going on with the bags.

The Pros and Cons-

I like World's Best Cat Litter MUCH BETTER than silica based clumping, newspaper, wheat or pine litters. It's more expensive if you compare it based on cost per pound versus other litters, but it DOES last longer. The scent of the corn litter is a bit odd. I think in a small space sometimes it makes me sneeze quite a bit, but...I will still use it because I did NOT have an issue with it being dusty-far from it. It clumps well and now that the cats aren't eating it, I can trust using it. I DO NOT care for the 17 pound sized bag and I don't have the strength to handle the 34 pound sized bag. It's NOT easy (at all) to open the bag and once open it's difficult to manage. I liked the box style litter that other brands use. It's a much easier to handle. I hope WBCL rethinks their packaging for bags over 7 pounds in weight. My cats easily made the transition to using the new litter and preferred it over their old clumping litter by FAR and I would rather they have corn on their paws and in their lungs, than chemically enhanced clay.

Even with some mild concerns, I'll still keep using World's Best Cat Litter and suggest others give it a try.

wbcl bags copy.jpg

If you'd like to Win a 7 pound bag of World's Best Cat Litter™, I'm doing a Giveway to FOUR LUCKY FOLKS. Simply post a comment in this blog post and include in the title: “I WANT THE BEST FOR MY CATS”. In the comment section, add your name and e-mail address.

If you would prefer to e-mail me your entry, you can contact me at info@coveredincathair.com Put “I WANT THE BEST FOR MY CATS” in the subject line, your name and email address in the body of the message. DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS OCTOBER 15, 2011 AT 5PM EASTERN STANDARD TIME. Winners will be notified via e-mail. Open to residents of the United States of America, only.

Comments

I want the best for my cats.
Barbara Sampson
barsamp@sbcglobal.net

We are very interested in trying a sample of this liter!

The dust from our present litter is covering the house! With six boxes, cleaned twice a day, there's a LOT of dust. I have often wondered how inhaling this will affect all of us. Being a former elementary school teacher, I learned not to "smell" what I was working on, but have noticed that when I nuzzle my kitties they sometimes smell like the litter. It is really hard to find "unscented" at reasonable rates!

We sure hope we are a winner!

Keep up the good work, Robin!

I need your email address, everyone who enters!

Laura Kurek juniorgrobanfan@yahoo.com

I have 4 cats & 4 foster kittens right now! I have a friend that uses this litter exclusively for an asthmatic cat--she swears by it. I hope to try it!

I've been using the Arm & Hammer Essentials which sounds similar. Since I have 7 fur-babies, I would love to try WBCL to compare.

I want the best for my cats

I love this cat litter. I haven't had any problems with them peeing on the bag. One of my boys does like to sleep on the empty bag. He will drag where he wants it and lays on it. We call it his majic carpet.
pam

Thanks for the review! I'm also looking for something less dusty and more natural for my three picky furbabies, and haven't had luck with the wheat, paper, or pine litters. I think I'll give this one a try.

Oh, and I WANT THE BEST FOR MY CATS! :) My name is Jenny, and my email address is jbhertel{AT}gmail{DOT}com

I misread the entry info, and my first post is not following the directions, so here's another try. Sorry about that!

Jenny, jbhertel{AT}gmail{DOT}com

I have handicapped cats and they tend to fall in the litterbox so I would like to try this litter so that it makes it safe when they clean themselves. Thanks

Blitzen is beautiful, I have to say that because he looks like one of my bad boys. Living in Fl there is
a constant ant problem, this litter brought in bugs in the spring. I would try it again in the Winter to
see if there was a difference. Thanks, me & my 2 live crew of bad boys.

Though the smell for me is very weird we have used and love the litter, thanks for the chance to win a bag!

I've been mixing Fresh Step with Sweat Scoop in order to reduce the amount of dust yet keep the scoopability. The results have been less than perfect. Thanks for reviewing a brand I've considered using for my 2 sweethearts. It's good to have a real recommendation.

PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS. I HAVE NO WAY OF CONTACTING YOU IF YOU WIN!!!

When I comment it requires my email but says it is kept private. I thought that meant YOU (Robin) could see it ... did you need it posted publicly?

I can see it! Thank you!

This sounds great, and I'd love to give it a try. The comment field asks for an email address. Do you need it posted in the body of the comment as well?

Thanks!

I've tried this litter several times for my kitties and they just don't use it. Maybe I should try again, as it's been awhile. We use Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat, which is odor-free and very low on dust (though not zero). I have ten cats and 9 litterboxes (two are double-wides) so litter is a big issue (and expense) around here.

Pat Ruppert - throttlegirl@cox.net
Would love to give this litter a try, as I also use the clumping kind , which is just a dust nightmare!

Pat Ruppert - throttlegirl@cox.net
Would love to give this litter a try. Hate the dust issues with the clumping litter I've been using.

I'd love to give WBCL a try with my 6 guys! Blessings ...
Dorothy Pugh
dlpugh@aol.com

darkkarma42@hotmail.com, Stephanie Silva

I currently use ExquisiCat's pine and corn litter, but I'd love to give the World's Best a try! The ExquisiCat is still pretty dusty, though it's much better than clay!

And in case you can't see my email address, it's amy at wm dot edu. :)

My husband is very sensitive to perfumes and every litter we tried was impossible for him to handle. Plus, my older girl was developing some health problems and I thought it was best to try something other than clay-based litters. I've been using WBCL for years! My kitties won't use the multiple cat formula for some strange reason, so I get the original. I've used it with kittens, adults, and oldsters with great success. When you're finished with the litter and have cleaned out the waste, you can pour it on your lawn with no side effects! It's very environmentally friendly.

Please don't consider me for the giveaway since I'm already a big fan of WBCL, but just wanted to share my experience.

I would love to try this cat litter, as I have heard many good things about it~
Molly Carson

I'd love to try this!

Sounds good!

I WANT THE BEST FOR MY CATS!

=^..^=

WBCL is wonderful for our multiple foster homes especially when hopeful new moms and dads come to visit our rescued kitties!

i've wanted to try this and just never have.

herpaintedsmile @ live.com

My babies Mimi & Caroline would like to try this litter.

Currently using Good Mews, how does this compare?

I'm currently using Good Mews, how does this compare?

I love this litter---but more to the point, my cats both love it. I order it and have it delivered every 2 months. Even with the higher price and the cost of shipping--I will never stop using this litter.

Currently using Good Mews, how does it compare?

Love World's Best Cat litter - I want the best for my 3 cats! >^^

I entered a comment a moment ago but forgot to add the subject line. Like I said before--I will never stop using this litter for my 2 guys--despite the higher cost and the cost of having it shipped to my house every other month. I don't have a car so this is the only way to get it, short of lugging it home on a bus. gwhit8808@gmail.com

Haven't tried but heard it was great!

This really made me laugh:
"They are looking into it, but so far, my cats are either freaks or something is going on with the bags."

We've wanted to try WBCL for a long time, hope we win!

Because I have 6 litter boxes in my (dusty!) house, I'd LOVE to give this a try!! PLEASE!!!! (cough, cough)

The best way to handle litter that comes in bags is to store it in a pet food container. Petsmart carries some; they are upright and have a handle and can hold an entire 34lb bag. On the top, they have a pour spout and a place to allow you to scoop. Simply place the whole bag inside the container, and then cut a slit in the side and the litter will spill out into the container as you remove the remaining bag. 

If you don't think you can do this by yourself, I'm Sure an associate at the pet store you use will be happy to do it for you. 

You will save SO much money if you start buying larger bags of cat litter. 

I still think Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat clumping litter is the best. My cat thinks WBCL is food.

Dust is a huge issue to deal with especially with multiple cats! We've found this type of cat litter to be a HUGE help, thank you for the article. We're huge cat lovers and have created an entire site to help find the best cat litter box and kitty litter. 

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