Friday, November 27, 2009

Disclaimers and Disclosures

This blog is written and edited by the staff of The Family Vet. The contents are meant to be informative, entertaining, and educational. They may be used to supplement information received from your family veterinarian. The details contained in the blog posts are NOT meant to diagnose nor treat illnesses absent of a valid current veterinary-client-patient relationship (VCPR). Always seek your family veterinarian's opinion before using advice mentioned in this blog.

This blog does not accept any form of advertising, sponsorship, or paid insertions. Unless otherwise noted, reviews are done on products we purchased ourselves; not given, donated, nor borrowed from the products' companies.

The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. We will only recommend products or services that we believe, based on our expertise and experience, are worthy of such endorsement. Results from products and services reviewed by us are our opinions only; your results may vary. No guarantee is implied with our reviews.

This blog may contain content which might present a conflict of interest. Reviews may be done on products and services that we offer to clients and the public from our clinic. Advances in veterinary medicine often lead to differing standard of care among veterinary practices. Certain contents may be influenced by our background, experience, and belief in what is considered quality care for our clients and patients.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Giving Thanks

We are thankful that, in these difficult economic times, we are able to maintain a small veterinary clinic with the quality care and services we strive to provide for our patients and clients.

We are thankful to have loyal clients, not only from our nearby Long Beach community, but also from Santa Monica to Palm Springs, and as far south as Huntington Beach. Your frequent commutes to visit us speak volumes of the belief you have in us to care for your companions as we would our own. We are humbled and honored by this trust and will continue to do our best to keep it.

We are thankful for technology that enabled us to expand our family on the web. Our exchanges with colleagues and the pet community worldwide have enriched our lives, professionally and personally.

We are thankful for the clients who support us locally; they make it possible for us to stay in business. We are grateful that they understand the higher price of certain products are reflections of the higher costs associated with maintaining a veterinary clinic. We are thankful for their understanding that they cannot compare the services we provide to those offered by retail stores or online businesses.

We are thankful for colleagues, locally and on the web, who provide support and services that are complementary to our practice. Without the referral facilities and specialists, we would not be able to provide the optimal care we strive for our clients and patients.

We are thankful for the kind souls that are our patients. It never cease to amaze us the silent trust reflected by their acceptance of our handling and treatments. The surprise is not that they are uncooperative. No, the surprise is that they are cooperative and trust us to do no harm. And it is that trust that we work tirelessly to never betray.

We are thankful for the patients who are no longer with us. Each and everyone of them taught us lessons that can never be taught in schools. The bonds between them and their human companions, in life and in death, re-affirm the reasons why we are in this profession. Their time with us may be short, but the impact they left behind is everlasting.

We are thankful that our supportive families are understanding when we work long hours. We are thankful that they are not disappointed when those long hours do not translate to more monetary gain. And we are even more thankful that they accept that what we gain from our work can never be measured in dollars.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at The Family Vet.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Clumping Cat Litter Conclusions

Edit 11/27/2009: This comparison was done for our own use as we searched for a different cat litter. All products were purchased by us and no compensation was received for this review. Please see our Disclaimers and Disclosures for details.

About five months ago, we set out to find a different cat litter for our cats. This is for our own personal cats. At the clinic, we still use regular non-clumping clay litter (or Yesterday's News if needed for paw injuries) that are disposed as needed throughout the day. Even though wasteful, disposing litters and trays is an efficient way for us to minimize contamination and re-infection in feline patients at our small clinic.

Such concerns do not apply to our cats. Prior to this litter comparison, we used clay clumping litter (Exquisicat) in large litter pans - one per cat. Five of the cats are together in the back office, separated from the rest of the clinic. The pans were scooped and wiped daily. Lots of work but we managed --- until some of the cats decided to be "side-pee-ers." The areas around the pans would be soaked with urine as they stood in the pan and urinated over the edge. Cleaning the urine daily added at least another 30 minutes to the morning routine. "Free" time that we did not have before the real clinic work starts. (Image: cleaned litter pans laid out to dry)

We replaced the five large litter pans with three extra large covered litter containers (customized from plastic storage containers). That took care of the side-peeing. However, the amount of clay clumping litter needed for these large containers made them very heavy for moving around during clean-ups. Moreover, the dust clouds that follow each scooping were affecting the cats' respiratory health. Hence, our search for another clumping litter.

We tried Arm & Hammer Essentials, Feline Pine Clumping, Swheat Scoop Multi-Cat and World's Best Cat Litter (WBCL) Multi-Cat. You can review the details in the previous posts. Arm & Hammer Essentials and Feline Pine Clumping were dropped from the trial after 2 weeks due to the perfume (Essentials), dust, and only fair clumping quality. Swheat Scoop and WBCL were the final contenders. Both had low near-zero dust and good clumping quality. WBCL had a slight edge over Swheat Scoop in the clumping category but was more expensive. Swheat Scoop was more pleasant smelling --- wheat, reminiscent of baking in a kitchen, compared to the clean but barn-like corn smell of WBCL.

We could not decide between WBCL and Swheat Scoop. Hence, over the past several months, we used both litters for the five office cats and the two clinic cats. The following observations were made:
  1. Cats seemed to prefer Swheat Scoop over WBCL. The box with Swheat Scoop had more "treasures." We wonder if the location and container size had something to do with this preference. We have to wait until the next complete litter change if we want to test that idea. Based on the adequate usage in the WBCL box though, we suspect the preference, if any, is minimal.
  2. Swheat Scoop had less litter trapped in the litter box mat (bath mat by the box entrance).
  3. Both WBCL and Swheat Scoop can be tasty to cats (and dogs). The cats ate the litter only on the first day and did not have any subsequent problems. A reader commented that her dog got ill after over-indulging in WBCL. So you may have to be careful during the transition if your dogs are known to raid the litter box.
  4. WBCL clumped better than Swheat Scoop.
  5. WBCL seemed to last longer and needed to be refilled less often than Swheat Scoop.
Does WBCL actually last longer? Maybe Swheat Scoop needed to be refilled more often because cats preferred and used that box over WBCL?
We did a simple test and found that WBCL used less litter to clump the same volume of water (urine) compared to Swheat Scoop. With less litter removed with the urine clumps, WBCL required less refills and lasted longer. Click on image to enlarge.

WBCL's efficient clumping quality makes it more economical (cost-effective) compared to Swheat Scoop. This put WBCL over Swheat Scoop for the win with our cats.

We did not start this post with the background information on our cats to be long-winded. We wanted to give you an idea how WBCL may be the ideal clumping litter for us. We wanted a clumping litter with the following qualities:
  • not too heavy when used in extra large litter boxes
  • low dust
  • good clumping
  • excellent odor control
  • cost-effective
We have not researched past the claims made by the companies, but an environmentally friendly product is an added bonus.

Your requirements may be different than ours. But World's Best Cat Litter did live up to its name and turned out to be the best litter for our cats.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Pet Boarding Guidelines

There's no place like home.
This is also true for our pets. However, there may be times when you have to leave your dogs and cats in the care of another. These guidelines are geared more towards pet boarding facilities (kennel, pet hotel, etc.) but can also be modified for pet sitters (i.e. professional pet sitters).

Finding a Boarding Facility
There are “finders” websites where you can plug in your city to see a list of available boarding facilities and their ratings. We tried a couple of these sites but found them incomplete. Some of these sites are paid listings --- facilities pay a fee to be listed and marketed --- or businesses have to sign up to be listed. If you prefer online research, you may be better off with the review sites such as yelp.com.

By far, the best way to begin is to ask for referrals from friends and family who have previously boarded their pets. Ask your family veterinarian for recommendations or for a list of local facilities. The Family Vet does not routinely provide general boarding services, but we do keep a list of several boarding facilities that are frequented by our clients and patients. Due to laws and etiquette of referrals, we are unable to make a broad recommendation of one facility over another. We do pass on both positive and negative feedback that each facility may have received from our clients.

The Interview
Regardless of how you select the boarding facility, try to visit the place before the boarding appointment. Most places will give you a tour as long as you schedule it ahead of time.

Does the facility look and smell clean? Are the staff helpful and good with the pets present during your tour?

General considerations
  1. What are the vaccine requirements? Boarding facilities are allowed to set their own requirements irrespective of veterinarian recommendation. Find out the specific required vaccines as well as the vaccine intervals, i.e. within 6 months, within 1 year, within 3 years. Contact your family veterinarian with the information to see if your pets’ vaccine status meets the requirement. Discuss any discrepancies and update if recommended. Note that if your pet is past due on vaccines, have them updated at least 2 weeks before boarding. Not only for an effective immune response but also because some pets may have reactions to the vaccines --- they may be mild reactions but still better dealt with at home then at a boarding facility.
  2. Recent veterinary exam requirement? Some facilities require an exam within 6 months and/or a fecal test to check for parasites.
  3. Can you bring your own pet’s food? Continuing with the pet’s normal diet while boarding may comfort pets and minimize risks of GI upset (diarrhea and vomiting). If you bring food, make sure it’s enough for the whole stay. Pre-package meal portions in bags or plastic containers if needed.
  4. How often are pets fed? Knowing the facility routine helps you decide if you need to request special services. For example, one of your pets may gorge if fed too much at one time – not a good thing if the staff only feeds her once or even twice a day. You may have to request her to be fed 3 times a day. Also check to see if there’s an additional fee for such services.
  5. Are there in-house treats? This is important to know if your pets have food allergies.
  6. Can you bring toys and blankets? Some places prefer to use their own bedding or may have a limit on the number of toys or home items. Label these items if possible, i.e. permanent marker.
  7. If your pets need medication, find out if the facility is staffed for treatment. Be specific. Some facilities may not have staff trained to apply eye or ear medication.
  8. How are medical emergencies handled?
  9. How are other emergencies handled, i.e. earthquakes, fires? You want a facility with a prepared safety & emergency protocol.
  10. Flea control? Even if the facility does not require it, make sure your pets are current on flea control.
  11. Pet identification is always important but especially so when they are away from home. If your pets do not have a microchip, and you rely on a collar and tag, check to see if the collar will be left on your pet at the boarding facility. Some facilities remove dog collars as a safety measure (getting caught in runs, choking). In those situations, most facilities will use a temporary paper ID collar, but it is still a good idea to check so you can have a back-up plan (microchip or break-away collar).

If you have cats,
  1. Is the cat area quiet and away from barking dogs?
  2. Are the cats boarded in cages (usually about 3’x3’x3’), larger cat condos (about 6’ tall), or small rooms? Boarding fees will vary with the accommodation. From our experience, not all cats prefer larger cages or rooms. Some nervous cats prefer a smaller area.
  3. Are the cats exercised, i.e. let out in a room during the day? Again, some cats prefer to be left alone.
  4. If your cat is picky when it comes to the litter box, find out how that is handled at the facility. Include in the information sheet details that may help the staff, i.e. prefers low jumbo litter pan due to arthritis. This information comes in handy when your cat still has not urinated in the small disposable litter tray or high litter box.

For dogs:
  1. Are dogs ever kept together in the same cage or run?
  2. How large are the cages or runs?
  3. How often and for how long are they walked?
  4. Any off-leash activities? Play groups?

Home Sweet Home
Upon picking up your pets from boarding, be sure to ask the staff for a status report --- a brief verbal report if there are no written discharge notes.
  1. Were there any problems during the stay? Eating? Normal urination and bowel movement? Any vomiting? Do not be alarmed if your pets had soft stool or diarrhea the first few days of boarding as stress can lead to gastro-intestinal upset. However, it would be good to know if the stool has returned to normal at discharge time so you know what to expect.
  2. Note any issues that may need to be followed up with your family veterinarian: lameness noted on walks, head-shaking, scratching, etc...
  3. If your pets had medications, check to see when they were last given.
  4. Pick up items that were brought in for the visit: medications, blankets, toys, food, etc...

Checklist:
[ ] Vaccine certificates
[ ] Food and treats, if needed
[ ] Medications and any extras needed to give them (Pill Pockets, syringes). Keep the medication in the original prescription vial so staff can easily identify it.
[ ] Blankets, beds, and toys if needed
[ ] Contact information, travel destination, hotel numbers, alternative contacts (friends and family) who can make decisions on your behalf in the event of an emergency.
[ ] Call to confirm boarding appointment (includes pick up times), especially during busy holiday seasons.

Leaving your pets in someone else’s care can be stressful for you and your companions. Planning ahead for your pet’s stay at the boarding facility will minimize the stress and ensure a safe stay for your pets --- and an almost worry-free trip for you.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

C.E.T. Oral Hygiene Chews For Dogs

Edit 11/27/2009: All products were purchased by us and no compensation was received for this post. Please see our Disclaimers and Disclosures for details.

About a month ago, I ordered some C.E.T. Oral Hygiene Chews to try out on Elaine, my Pit Mix. I have only given her 1 to 2 chews a week so did not expect any significant changes. Thus, I was quite pleasantly surprised to see the marked improvement yesterday when I brushed her teeth. I decided to do a quick post on this instead of the planned cat litter conclusion.

Some quick background ---
As with my cats, Elaine is my sounding board for pet products and services. I try to do with her what we recommend to our clients. So Elaine gets her teeth brushed by me two to four times a week; on busy weeks, we only manage twice a week. Abashedly, those two times are often on Monday and Tuesday when we are closed and I have more time. Not ideally spread out but that's another post for another day. She last had her teeth cleaned under general anesthesia a couple of years ago. With everything happening this past year, I did not have her dentistry done. The dental tartar accumulated; I plan to have her teeth taken care of soon. In the meantime, I was looking at what else I can do to help her dental health.

I can try brushing her teeth more often, like daily. But I have to be realistic --- knowing what needs to be done and actually doing it are two different beasts. I already give her dental chews on days I don't brush her, usually 1-2 chews a week. Even though the chews are labeled for once a day, I don't recommend giving them that often. I am always concerned that some dogs, Elaine included, will swallow large chunks of rawhide. I figure 2-3 days between chews will allow time for the rawhide chunks to be broken down and digested instead of collecting in her stomach and causing problems (i.e. intestinal obstruction). Again, most dogs are probably fine eating the chews everyday. I just don't want to chance it with Elaine. Besides, I also brush her teeth which is way better than giving her the chews.

Anyway, the dental chews we were using for at least the past 5 years are the Enzadent Oral Care Chews. The product worked well and had great feedback from clients. The chews helped with tartar build-up more than the regular non-enzymatic rawhide chews. About a couple years ago, we noticed some of the Enzadent chews were getting thinner, flat, not as robust. We chalked it up to quality control but gradually, all the large chews are not so large anymore. What used to be about 2 - 2.5 mm thick became 1-1.5 mm. There may be more chews in each bag (same net weight) but the thinner chews did not seem to do as good a job, did not last as long. Elaine would quickly gobble it up, bypassing any chewing benefit.

C.E.T. Oral Hygiene Chews were the "original" chews we used to carry before we switched to Enzadent. At that time, both products were comparable in effectiveness (at least to me) but Enzadent was cheaper. Enzadent is still slightly cheaper, but we will go back to C.E.T. chews if they yield better results.

First impression, C.E.T. Oral Hygiene Chews beat Enzadent on appearance. C.E.T. chews were about 2 mm thick. The large chews look large whereas the Enzadent large chews sometimes resemble the small ones.
Elaine loves the thicker C.E.T. chews; they provide about 30-45 minutes of chewing pleasure. I give her one chew 1 to 2 times a week.

Did they help?Amazingly, yes. I can see the marked improvement after only 3 weeks. I continued with her (minimum) twice a week brushing and weekly chews --- same diet; the only change was switching from the Enzadent to C.E.T. chews. Photo A is blurry and at a different angle but it is representative of what Elaine's upper fourth premolars looked like. Her incisors and canines are fine; her problem teeth are those large upper premolars. Notice in Photo B how that tartar was scraped off from her chewing on the dental chews. My brushing remove the plaque, but I do not scrape the tartar off manually -- that was from the dental chews.

We will be stocking the C.E.T. large chews. I have not seen them at the local pet stores but your local veterinarians may have them. They are also available online. The Enzadent small chews are still fine for us since the smaller dogs do not require that thicker chews that most large dogs need. So for now, we will keep the small Enzadent chews.

This post was more about the benefits of a good dental chew in addition to frequent brushing. Visit the links below for more information on general dental care ---
* Home Dental Care and one from VeterinaryPartner.com
* Dental Health Facts
* FAQs with a veterinary dentist
* Good images of periodontal disease

Please note, Elaine still needs her dentistry. The brushing and chews are the next best things but do not replace full dental cleaning and oral exam under general anesthesia.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Clay Clumping Litter - ExquisiCat

Edit 11/27/2009: This comparison was done for our own use as we searched for a different cat litter. All products were purchased by us and no compensation was received for this review. Please see our Disclaimers and Disclosures for details.

Of course, as part of our clumping cat litter comparison, we also looked at regular clay clumping litter. We used ExquisiCat from Petsmart due to cost and convenience.A 40-pound container of ExquisiCat Clumping Litter is about $12-$13, making it the cheapest of all the clumping litter tested. The clay clumping litter also out-performs the others in the clumping category. But its infamous dust clouds (and potential effect on pets' respiratory system as well as our own) are major drawbacks. Plus, unless fragrance or chemical was added to the litter, it has poor odor neutralizing ability.

One of the reason we moved from the clay clumping litter was the weight. When we transitioned to larger litter containers, it was very difficult to tilt the heavy container to scoop. Plus the dust clouds when we scoop or fill the containers sent all of us (cats and humans) into coughing fits. There are "dust-free" clay litter but it still is very heavy compared to the other clumping litter.

In the four months that we've used Swheat Scoop and WBCL, we realize that we restocked those litter a lot less than when we used ExquisiCat Clumping Litter. Perhaps, those perfect hard urine clumps use a lot more clay litter than the non-clay litter, so the clay litter needs more frequent refills. I am sure ExquisiCat still comes out cheapest on a per pound basis.

ExquisiCat pluses: excellent hard clumps, cheap, easily available.
ExquisiCat minuses: very dusty, potential health/respiratory issues, too heavy, poor odor neutralizing / control, not biodegradable, non-renewable.

We've kept our clumping cat litter comparison focused on the following categories: dust, cost, clumping power, and odor control. Although not considered in this comparison, the following issues are worth mentioning --- and perhaps will be subjects of later reports:
* Clumping vs. non-clumping (to give you an idea of the debate)
* Silica gel litter (crystals)
* Health concerns with clay clumping litter (to be safe, don't use for kittens less than 3 months old)
* Is organic clumping litter really more environmentally friendly than clay litter? It would seem so on the surface and based on the marketing of the organic litter. But we couldn't help but wonder about the (de)forests and cropland needed for these natural resources. Then you have to compare that to the effect of strip mining that is used to produce clay litter. What are the environmental effects of the different processing / manufacturing procedures? Who's to say that if organic litter becomes popular and outsells clay litter, companies won't end up exploiting / destroying these "renewable resources" to meet the demand? And everytime I scoop the corn- wheat- litter, I can't help but wonder if those corn and wheat would be better off as a food source instead of litter for our cats' toilet :)

That's about it for the different clumping cat litter in our comparison. Our next and final post on this comparison will go over why the perfect cat litter for us may not necessarily be the one for you and your cat(s), and vice versa.

Arm & Hammer Essentials and Feline Pine Clumping

Edit 11/27/2009: This comparison was done for our own use as we searched for a different cat litter. All products were purchased by us and no compensation was received for this review. Please see our Disclaimers and Disclosures for details.

This is a continuation of the clumping cat litter comparison, focusing on Arm & Hammer Essentials and Feline Pine Clumping.

Arm & Hammer Essentials Natural Clumping Cat Litter is "formulated with a proprietary blend of 100% natural corn fibers that combine with ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda to effectively absorb urine and eliminate odors instantly." Target has 10.5-pound bags for $12.29 each. Of all the clumping litter tested, Essentials had the least dust when poured. Unfortunately, that was about the only advantage it had over the others. Its clumpability was only fair; the clumps fall apart when scooped. It has an overpowering fragrance ---- almost perfumy so it seems to mask litter box odor more than controlling it. We could only find the small bags, no 34-40# bags, so on a per pound cost, it was more expensive than WBCL and Swheat Scoop.

Essentials pluses: minimal dust, biodegradable and renewable resources
Essentials minuses: overpowering fragrant, fair-poor clumpability, expensive (no large bags)

Feline Pine Clumping Cat Litter is made from renewable Southern Yellow Pine and Natural Guar. Feline Pine Original was the first "alternative" cat litter I used (and liked) when I first got out of veterinary school. I really wanted to like Feline Pine Clumping but had to abandon it early in the trial when it falls short on the 3 main categories: "dust", clumpability, and economy of size.

True, there was no clay dust, but there was sawdust-like particles when poured from the box. Plus, its lightweight made it prone to blowing around when we filled the box. This may not be a problem with a traditional litter box, but we use giant litter boxes and converted Rubbermaid storage containers (more on litter box size later) --- almost felt like working in a sawmill.

Of all the clumping litter tested, Feline Pine Clumping scored the lowest. The litter absorbs the urine but did not form a very firm scoopable clump.

The largest box of Feline Pine Clumping is 10.1-pound, about $13.99, making it the most expensive per pound of clumping litter in our comparison.

Feline Pine Clumping pluses: very pleasant pine smell, renewable resources, biodegradable, chemical-free, light weight, educational site without being overwhelming, Pine Perks and rebates.
Feline Pine Clumping minuses: more dusty than the other non-clay clumping litter, too lightweight, poor clumping, not available in larger volume, more expensive on a per pound basis.

Then there was the traditional clay clumping litter....

Swheat Scoop & World's Best Cat Litter

Edit 11/27/2009: This comparison was done for our own use as we searched for a different cat litter. All products were purchased by us and no compensation was received for this review. Please see our Disclaimers and Disclosures for details.

This is one of several posts on clumping cat litter comparison. The comparison is divided into sections for a more blog-friendly format. A later post will tie everything together with our conclusions / selection.

Over the past 4 months, we've used the following clumping cat litters for our seven cats:

Swheat Scoop, Arm & Hammer Essentials, Feline Pine Clumping, and ExquisiCat Clumping
World's Best Cat Litter was a late entrant (mainly due to cost)
and not pictured above.

Arm & Hammer Essentials was purchased from Target. The other litters were all purchased from the local Petsmart.


Swheat Scoop is made from naturally processed wheat. Go to the link for more information. We initially got the original formula (in photo above) but switched to the multi-cat formula for the comparison trial. The multi-cat formula is more expensive at about $32 for 40-pounds (Original Swheat Scoop is $25 for 40-pounds; clumping clay ExquisiCat is about $13 for 40-pounds) but appears to clump better than the original and better odor control.

Clay-free does not mean dust-free. The fine powdery cloud when we poured the Swheat Scoop is not as bad as the clay dust (and did not worsen allergies in our cats compared to the clay litter).

Swheat Scoop has a pleasant wheat smell --- not overpowering. It does a good job of odor control. But note, we scoop the boxes everyday so did not test if the odor control is due to removal of wastes or some property of Swheat Scoop.

Natural wheat starches transform the litter into solid clumps when wet (urine). The starches sometimes can make a sticky dough ball in box corners but can still be easily scooped and cleaned. Make sure you have enough litter in your box (3 inches deep) or you will end up with a doughy litter mess.

Swheat Scoop pluses: good clumpability, minimal dust, pleasant smell, good odor control, biodegradable, renewable resources, weighs less than clumping clay litter.

Swheat Scoop minuses: costs more up front compared to regular clumping clay litter, makes doughy mess if litter depth is too shallow (though this applies to most clumping litter), availability (the multi-cat large 40-pounder is not always in stock at the local pet store).

World's Best Cat Litter (WBCL) is made from whole-kernel corn --- it is milled so the actual litter is a ground coarser than the regular clumping clay litter, not actual whole kernels! The website has a lot of information, it's actually overwhelming. We did not include WBCL in the initial selection because of its price tag of $34.99 for a 34-pounds bag. As it turns out, WBCL did live up to its name.

As with the Swheat Scoop, there is a multi-cat formula which we used for the trial. WBCL has a fine powder cloud when poured. After scooping the boxes, my forearm is covered with a fine dust (as with Swheat Scoop) but I (my breathing) did not notice this "dust cloud" while scooping so maybe the dust does not get in the air as much as the clay dust. This powdery layer is not unexpected considering the processing needed to get the fine texture.

WBCL forms excellent clumps, second only to the clumping clay litter in our comparison. Exellent odor control. However, WBCL has a corn smell that is not as pleasant as the wheat from Swheat Scoop. WBCL corn smell reminds me of the cow barns at feeding time --- not bad but not exactly pleasant.

WBCL lasts longer in the litter box than the others in our trial; we did not have to refill the box with fresh litter as often. My theory is that WBCL uses less litter to form the clumps; hence, each urine clump removes less litter from the box. It also kept the litter box cleaner since the urine clumps before it collects at the bottom.

WBCL pluses: excellent clumpability and odor control, biodegradable, renewable resources, lasts longer, septic-safe (though we don't recommend flushing it), weighs less than clumping clay litter, minimal dust.

WBCL minuses: costs more up front compared to regular clumping clay litter, availability often limited to the major pet stores.


Next Up: Arm & Hammer Essentials and Feline Pine Clumping Litter