World's Best Cat Litter

Any brand bold enough to call itself the best had better have something awesome going on, right? So when I had a chance to buy some cat supplies from MrChewy so I included a 34 pound bag of the cat litter. I figured, if I was going to try it, I might as well go big. One thing I have to say, is that a bag that big sure is inconvenient. Pouring it into the litter box was a hassle and there was no way to easily open the bag or spout or what-have-you. It’ll certainly be easier as the bag empties. Who knows when that will be, though. According to the bag,  it should last us just over a month with four cats while that time increases to 72-days if you have only one cat.

It’s super easy to tell that this is made from whole-kernel corn. It smells like it. In fact, it reminded me of the times I’ve spent on a farm, feeding corn-based feed to the animals. It’s a strong scent that not everyone will like and it does not fade with time. There’s a scented version available, if you prefer. I was worried that the cats might not like the litter so I kept one box with the old, clay-based litter. It also looks differently from clay-based. The particles are a little larger and they’re definitely lighter. They seem slightly.. fluffier, in comparison. Because it’s not clay-based, there’s no clouds of dust for people or kitties to inhale, which is nice.

When I went to scoop out the litter boxes the next day, it looked at though the one with the World’s Best Cat Litter was empty. I couldn’t smell anything other than the corn scent, either.  I was afraid the cats hadn’t used it. However, as it turns out, the fluffy particles are so good at clumping that it’s actually hard to see that the litter box has been used. However, when I began scooping, I realized the cats had been using it. Everything was perfectly clumped; however, the slightly bigger particles meant it took a little bit longer to sift through to separate the used litter. Nothing stuff to the litter box itself, though. I was getting sick of scraping muck from the bottom of the pan. Subsequent scoopings did prove that this litter eventually will stick to the litter box. Perhaps not as much as the litter I had been using but it will eventually stick.

What really surprised me, though, was hot the litter box looked after I finished. It looked clean, brand new. You couldn’t tell I hadn’t just filled it. Something in me is extremely pleased with that. It’s not just aesthetic, either. What it means is that there are no tiny clumps escaping the scooper and landing back into the litter box for the cats to walk on. I feel like their paws will be much cleaner with World’s Best Cat Litter. Of course, it didn’t remain perfect indefinitely but it always looks much cleaner after I scoop out the box.

After using this for a couple weeks, I do have a complaint. Like others have noted, the litter begins to smell a little sour after a while — like food gone bad. This, I do not love. In fact, it could use a little more power in terms of blocking smells in general. I think I’ll be buying a box of baking power to sprinkle in with the cat litter. Secondly, it’s so light that the tracks wind up tracking more of it, I think. There’s a rug by the laundry room door that catches most of it but I have to sweet the floor more frequently.

The smell issue really bothers me now; although, I can live with the sweeping. While World’s Best Cat Litter out-performs the others in some ways, it’s not the best.

ShedMonster Deshedding Tool

The ShedMonster is kind of similar to a very famous brush; however, it’s newer and there doesn’t seem to be very much information about it. Unfortunately, the website is a little scant in that department, as tends to be the case with “As Seen On TV” items. What the website does show is a video of how frustrating pet hair can be and how this tool can miraculously remove boatloads of fur from your cat or dog to save your life. The claim is that it will reduce shedding up to 90%.

So how did it fair in real life?

There are apparently two different brushes: one for short coats and one for medium to long coats. I’m not sure which I received; I didn’t know this at the time so I didn’t look. I would hazard that I received the long coat one because it just seems too long and bulky to work well for our cats, none of whom have really long hair. Goliath probably has the longest and his is really a medium. Thus, it doesn’t seem like the brush is really getting into their undercoats and while it does remove some fur, it doesn’t remove a substantial amount. As I brush with the ShedMonster it feels as though it’s just gliding over the surface of their fur. I have a regular brush type that seems to get into the fur better.

It could also be that this de-shedding tool is simply more effective at longer fur. The on-site video shows some pretty fluffy critters getting brushed and the brushing is pretty aggressive at that. Our cats fur just isn’t coarse or long enough to warrant that type of combing to be honest. However, if you’re working with a thicker coat and feel like you need to be a little more firm, the ShedMonster is designed not to irritate the skin. It’s easy to see how this works because, instead of straight bristles, the ShedMonster curves under in a way that simply glides across the skin. Not only does it not hurt but all the cats seem to really like being brushed.

The videos also feature some crazy piles of fur after brushing. I’m inclined to believe that some of it is staged. I can tell you that I’ve never brushed off more fur than I’ve removed by hand when petting the animals and I think that, ultimately, that’s why I’m not thrilled with the ShedMonster. It doesn’t seem to do a better job than my hand and so it’s kind of useless. Plus, the fur just collects in the curve of the blades and you have to remove it by hand. I’d really prefer to see some sort of holding container that I could empty after a few uses. The competitor’s product does have a method of removing fur from the brush.

I don’t feel like my shedding problems are solved after using this product. In fact, I am even more curious about the competition now. Probably not a good sign..

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It was not too long ago that a certain someone was dealing with my in her home and asked me, in jest, to supply her with my cats. After all, Goliath does love to chase his toy mice so it should stand to reason that he would be a good mouser, right?

While I have been lucky enough to avoid rodent infestations in my adult life, so I have not had to test my cat-and-mouse theory, I can say that I’d probably opt for some other method of pest removal. A few popular names come to mind but, typically, these involve having to dispose of a dead body and I would worry that the chemicals and poisons would hurt my oh-so-curious kitties.

Needless to say, I’d readily consider Victor, a company that offers rodent control products that are both pet and child-friendly. Their unique, electronic traps (they plug into your electrical outlets similar to air fresheners) use sonic waves to dispel mice and rodents making them both more humane and less icky than traditional traps. Humans and non-mouse animals are not affected by the sound at all.

With a life of five to seven years, these traps are definitely more economical, too, especially if you live in an area that is susceptible to mice infestation. Currently, you can purchase the ictor® Protect Your Space Combo Kit, which includes (1) Victor® Sonic PestChaser® Heavy Duty Sonic, (2) Victor® Sonic Mini PestChaser® Ultrasonic Rodent Repellent, and (2) Victor® Electronic Mouse Trap for just $99 with free shipping.

That’s one easy way to repel a lot of mice!

So does it work?

I have no idea. =/

I first got it and sprayed areas where Goliath likes to scrathc (the couch, the carpet by the bathroom). He stayed away for days. I was super excited.

He has since made his way back to those spots, though. Depending on how tired I am, I spray him with the squirt bottle (of water) or, if I remember, I spray another couple mists of No Scratch on the area… But sometimes he goes right back. So, apparently, it doesn’t really phase him when it’s wet. Maybe it works better when it’s dry, I don’t know.

According to the bottle, it’s the herbal “essentials” that deter cats from scratching on fabric surfaces. These essentials include garlic and clove oil as well as soidium lauryl sulfate. You’re supposed to apply daily for a few days, “then as needed.” So, I assume as needed means, “when your cat starts scratching again.” Thus far, as needed has been more frequently than I’d really like. Maybe Goliath is a veggie lover?

Like any product, you should test on a small area of the surface to check for staining.

So, the jury’s still out on No Scratch. I’ve probably used about half of the 16 fl ounce bottle in a 2 months or so. =/ And while it doesn’t work as nicely as I’d like, I do think it works better than nothing at all so I am hesitant to say anything bad. If your cat has a scratching issue and you have issue with declawing, it doesn’t hurt to try this product from Pet Organics. I got mine from PetSmart but Amazon also sells it for under $10.

We first took Phantom to Leon Valley Vet because he had been taken there before and it wasn’t too far from us. His first exam was a little rough on everyone involved but he was still a little crazy back then. (A little?!). His latest exam went much smoother and the staff have always done well when it comes to trying to calm him and they’re patient with his curious ways.

I’ve also had to purchase medicine (both times, for fleas) for my cats. The first time was while Ryan was deployed and they actually completed the transaction over the phone and mailed me the medicine because I was without a car. This has left a lasting impression on me.

Most recently, our cats developed fleas so we headed to Leon Valley Vet where they gave us some topical medicine and we were on our way. The medicine has worked well and I honestly cannot complain about any of the prices. I tend to call around to price things out and Leon Valley Vet has always been right around average. Even so, I don’t mind paying a little extra if they’re going to go so far as to mail me something!

As customers, we have rarely had to wait. Leon Valley Vet isn’t usually busy. Perhaps because it’s a smaller animal hospital (tiny building which is easy to miss!). Regardless, I appreciate this and the fact that the staff have always been polite.

To wrap this up, I’d like to say that the orange cat who seems to live at the place is a nice touch, as well.

If that’s not enough, the cats always get riled up when I make the bed. They chase each other over, under and around the sheets and I always have to move them out of the way. When I’m ready to go to sleep, they chase each other over the bed (and me). I tell myself I love them, though.

If I had a timeshare in some Vegas vacations, though, I wouldn’t have to deal with all this. (I’m sure the cats would make up for it somehow). ]]> http://reviewsbycole.com/2009/05/bedtime/feed/ 0 http://reviewsbycole.com/2009/05/youll-never-guess/ http://reviewsbycole.com/2009/05/youll-never-guess/#comments Sat, 16 May 2009 06:51:00 +0000 Cole http://d1360885.u46.nozonenet.com/wp/?p=225 what silly thing I did. I totally broke down and bought a ShamWow because, seriously, it has to be better then dealing with a testosterone-fueled cat than paper towels. We’ll see, I guess.