Corn and moisture are not a good combination; deadly aflatoxin mold can be the result. While many pet owners avoid corn ingredients in their pet foods because of the concern of aflatoxin, do we now have a new concern with corn cat litters? One pet owner says a definite yes; the death of her pet raises suspicion to aflatoxin poisoning from Worlds Best Cat Litter; a corn based cat litter.
In late 2005, many pet owners learned a new word to be worried about; aflatoxin. Diamond Pet Foods contaminated with the deadly mold aflatoxin was recalled; at least 100 dogs were killed. http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ArchiveRecalls/2005/ucm111929.htm In October 2009, Wysong Pet Foods recalled numerous brands of pet food due to aflatoxin contamination. https://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/wysong-dog-food-recall.html Because of these recalls and the true concern of aflatoxins, many pet owners avoid at all costs corn ingredient in pet foods and pet treats.
But what about corn cat litters?
I hate to admit this, but it’s something I never thought about prior to receiving an alarming email from a pet owner. “Is it possible that a corn-based cat litter could contain aflatoxins once it has come into contact with a moisture-rich environment (i.e. litter box). My 3 cats began vomiting and one developed hepatic lipidosis resulting in the insertion of a food tube but then developed hind leg paralysis; another developed kidney disease; and the third is now ok once the litter was replaced with clay. Unfortunately, the one with hepatic lipidosis was euthanized because her prognosis was so poor (miss her terribly).”
My first thoughts…of course it could be possible. With further information, it seems clear it is VERY possible.
From Cornell University Department of Animal Science “the commodities with the highest risk of aflatoxin contamination are corn, peanuts and cottonseed. Pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination of peanuts and corn is favored by high temperatures, prolonged drought conditions, and high insect activity; while post-harvest production of aflatoxins on corn and peanuts is favored by warm temperatures and high humidity.”
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/aflatoxin/aflatoxin.html
With corn ingredient pet food and cat litter, pet owners first need to trust that the corn was accurately tested prior to pet food or cat litter manufacturing. Testing accuracy is difficult. Consider a ton of grain. Only one small sample of each ton is tested for toxins. While that one small sample might test clean, it is possible another section within the ton of corn IS infected. Again, testing accuracy is difficult.
Next, a pet owner has the concern if the corn ingredient pet food and/or corn cat litter was subject to warm temperature and high humidity after production of the product. This would include warehousing conditions of the product long after it left the manufacturer. With corn cat litter, this could happen right in your litter box. Covered litter boxes with added warm urine.
The livestock industry tells farmers that “uninfected corn at 18% moisture can only be safely stored for just over a month at 70 degrees F”. Broken kernels of corn are three to four times more susceptible to mold growth than intact kernels. http://nationalhogfarmer.com/nutrition/0101-mold-infected-corn/
Even clumping corn cat litter and the absolute cleanest litter box – remnants of moisture remain in the box. Are they growing deadly mycotoxins that could be inhaled and consumed by cats visiting the litter box? If so, what is the risk to cats?
“Mycotoxins can show carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic, teratogenic or immunotoxic effects. Mycotoxin exposure in the workplace may occur through inhalation and skin contact, e.g. during occupational handling of organic matter such as livestock feed, food products, or waste. Various studies suggest that both acute and chronic effects can occur, depending at least on the exposure level. The magnitude of the potential health risks associated with a respiratory or dermal intake of mycotoxins has largely remained unclear to date.” Published 2/26/2009
http://www.springerlink.com/content/g84651382h40326p/
This is Zelda.
Zelda had to be euthanized because of liver failure and numerous other complications. Zelda’s Mom – JH – is needless to say heartbroken. JH wanted other pet owners to be alerted to the possibility of risk with corn cat litters. Below are some of her comments.
“The illnesses of my cats have occurred within such a short period of time (within 4 weeks of switching to Worlds Best Cat Litter in late December 2009). Soon after euthanizing my Zelda and seeing the decline of my two remaining cats, my husband and I were really puzzled and convinced that they had come into contact with something toxic The only change that had been made was the litter; so we quickly switched back to the clay, and neither has vomited since.”
“After relaying my concerns about the litter to her primary vet, she said that the presence of aflatoxin would be her main concern, but could not definitively say that was the cause. I’m still waiting for comments from the specialists who included an internist, oncologist, and cardiologist. I think that the simple fact there is suspicion and probable cause is enough to warn others.”
Dr. Berryessa from Georgia Veterinary Specialsts (who treated Zelda) stated that “aflatoxin is definitely associated with corn but could not conclusively say that this caused Zelda’s liver failure; she was cremated and an autopsy was not performed. He further stated that if this litter is ingested, it could aggravate a cat who has kidney disease because it could contribute to dehydration.”
The cat litter company, Worlds Best Cat Litter, told JH the lot number was tested clean of aflatoxins. JH told the company her “concern was not with the product in the bag, but rather what happened to it once it is used as litter and comes into contact with moisture.”
While Worlds Best Cat Litter did respond to JH’s concerns with the litter, an email from their ‘Research Department’ is very suspicious (and down right stupid in my book). Please take a close look at the sections I bolded…
“We use corn and other ingredients, which meet the standards for pet foods. There are no possibilities of contamination and toxicity issue when the product is in the bag and fresh out the bag. We use a high temperature and pressure process to produce the product and make the product meeting feed/pet foods standards in terms of microorganisms. The product was made in winter (Nov. 29th, 2009) and won’t have any mold or fungi issues in normal conditions unless it has been subjected to high temperature and high humidity or moisture in the litter box.”
‘There are no possibilities of contamination and toxicity issue when the product is in the bag and fresh out the bag. The product won’t have any mold or fungi issues unless it has been subjected to moisture in the litter box.’
Does Worlds Best Cat Litter understand what cat litter is used for?
I have to wonder if Worlds Best Cat Litter ever bothered to test their products for toxins when it was used as a litter. I wonder if anyone ever gave the slightest thought to moisture in the litter box. If anyone ever gave the slightest thought of the pets that would be using this litter.
Dr. Cathy will be adding her concerns in a follow up article soon.
My sincere thanks to JH for allowing me to share her heartbreaking story with readers; her wish as is mine is that by sharing this heartbreak, other lives can be saved. I hope your other babies fully recover; I hope your broken heart will heal soon. Zelda will not be forgotten.
Add corn cat litter to your list of cautions for your pets, any corn litter.
Peter
January 5, 2013 at 12:26 am
I use this litter and am concerned. I switched because my cat has seasonal allergy flareups and I wondered if litter could be one of his triggers. It wasnt’ (I switched to SweetScoop, a wheat-based litter), but I stuck with the “natural” litter because I wanted to pursue a cleaner lifestyle for him. SweetScoop is a good product, but does not clump well. World’s best varies a great deal: sometimes it clumps very well… other times, very poorly. I reject the manufacturer’s claims of absolute quality control because the effectiveness of the product varies from bag to bag. So what to do? I don’t want to switch back to “chemical laden” litter… the best defense, it seems to me, is to clean the box immediately or at least, ASAP, at the very least, twice a day. Too many people think cleaning the unfortunate animal’s box once a week is sufficient.
Peter
April 20, 2014 at 7:53 am
Aflatoxins are poisons secreted by molds to defend themselves against predators. Those predators would be insects (“storage mites”) but not the cat himself. I can understand the issue of mold formation, given the wet and warm environment of the litter box. But I don’t see a lot of opportunity for infestation by mites… they didn’t come with the product…
So you’d think that the molds that might form in the litter box wouldn’t necessarily trigger that defense and the risk to the cat would be minimal (assuming he doesn’t eat the litter). So you’d then think… that the litter would be “safe,” and surely “safer” than so many commercial litters which are developed with chemical additives.
I HAVE, however, experienced infestation of (“grain” or “pantry”) moths… they come into the house with food (often fruit) we think of as “fresh” from the grocery store. A more common source is birdfood, which is often infested in the bag, when you buy it (regardless of cost, not necessarily only in “cheap” bird food). Cheap dry pet foods can come infested. But they can get infested once you open the vaccum sealed bags and keep them in your hoime, or, transfer them to new storage containers. The moths breed in the tiny-est of cracks between cabinets, etc., but they DO seek food sources in the house: oatmeal, rice, and then, you find them in the litter box. The corn must be an attractive food source, whereas clay would not be.
I clean the litter box so often… as much as a means to extend the life of the litter as concern for the cats. I also wash out the boxes twice or at the very least, once a week, even if I am not “changing” over the litter that day. Most plastic litter boxes are porous, and do need disinfecting more than we think.
TJF
May 14, 2014 at 11:27 pm
Good point, Peter, on the whole ‘disinfecting’ thing. I didn’t think about that, given I use double black garbage bags as liners, but occasionally a claw will put a hole thru the bag and although it doesn’t APPEAR any urine or anything has hit the plastic box, I think I need to disinfect them and wash them out more anyway. Yeesh. Its always something. And its getting harder and harder to trust what we are feeding, using in the litter box, etc. etc. But I guess, if you think about it, we as humans are becoming more and more distrusting of what WE are eating too ( i.e. GMOs)
Nikki
March 15, 2016 at 10:45 am
So true. I have been searching for healthy food and litter for my cats but each one that has a positive also has a negative.
I’ve used Worlds Best litter for years and it works great but then I heard about the health risks. I have tried slowly introducing other litters but either they don’t work at all or the cats don’t like it. I’m stuck.
My 2 cats have kidney disease and my other had to be put to sleep due to kidney cancer. I don’t know what to do.
Information (degrees in sciences, nutrition, holistic nutrition and chemistry of arts and more)
August 6, 2018 at 5:41 pm
Just remember cats do not have the metabolic system to deal with most chemicals including natural oils (not that the synthetic are advised for anyone). Disinfect with Hydrogen Peroxide – Kills most all things.
Paula394
October 2, 2020 at 9:36 am
I fidgety with Dawn and BEACH
Crosswind
September 2, 2014 at 1:25 am
I too scoop our litter daily & clean with alcohol or vinegar & water often. But, you mentioned we don’t have to worry about our cats eating the litter. NOT True~~ every time our cats Bath after using litter box, their paws are covered with litter DUST that they have to LICK off. THIS concerns me.
My cat has asthma now, diagnosed suddenly 2 yrs ago that made her susceptible to bacterial infection that turned into Pneumonia. She needed a 2nd round of Antibiotics, but she gets her Inhaler daily now. We used Feline Pine & WBs for 13 yrs we’ve had the cats. Our vet said to STOP Using the feline pine because any Pine scent left in the wood chips can cause respiratory damage to cats. Lots of studies on it say Pine damages a cat’s lungs. Yikes. It might have even caused my cat’s respiratory. I preferred the natural aroma of Pine in the house, BUT not at the expense of killing my cat. I would like to switch my cat to something other than World’s Best, but not sure what. We tried Dr Elsey’s but it was SO DUSTY, it even bothered MY asthma. My cat sneezed & coughed more when we used it.
Information (degrees in sciences, nutrition, holistic nutrition and chemistry of arts and more)
August 6, 2018 at 5:45 pm
Wow! Cats can not deal (metabolize) many chemicals including even natural oils. (nor do they do well with dried food – our Tabby cats are from ancient desert cats – like a camel their systems are designed to store water and dry cat foods tax that system).
I had reduced my search to the pine litters. Thanks for posting. NOW what!!! lol.
As a child (we had cats over a lifetime and they lived a long time) we just shredded paper and put into a box and tossed each day. This was before kitty litter was invented!
May have to return to that laborious but safe process. LOL
Information (degrees in sciences, nutrition, holistic nutrition and chemistry of arts and more)
August 6, 2018 at 5:39 pm
Your correct Peter. One never knows the source of molds and fungi (which in their own right in nature are a vital component to the balance of life, but that’s another “story”).
I was done in by mold/fungus and other toxins. Almost dead and when I could “walk and talk again” noted that the paint on the bedside wall of my NYC apartment bubbled – so in a semi vegetative state – I poked it. (they would just paint over in a 120 year old building and did not do outside wall upkeep – pointing and sealing the building from rain – so it would seep into the cement walls and into the apartment – UGH but who would have “thunk it”.) Black mold and in my bathroom as well – I had been sleeping and bathing in it for decades!
TJF
September 2, 2014 at 2:50 pm
I am also finding that, after using WB for the past couple years, the scooping factor definitely varies from bag to bag.
TJF
September 2, 2014 at 6:55 pm
I agree with the (at least ) twice a day cleaning….my cat vet told me that the boxes have to be scooped at LEAST twice a day if not more, but for most people before and after work will be manageable.
I get the feeling, since I have been following his ‘scooping directions,’ that all the odor control sprays and intense odor control litter being advertised everywhere, wouldn’t be needed if people cleaned their boxes like he has me doing now.
I understand that its just not practical if you work full time, cook and clean and have three kids…but thru his training of me, I am learning that a lot of the litter box problems can be stopped if the boxes were cleaned once in a while.
But this whole toxic litter corn/ wheat respiratory issue…..I have yet to solve it. I think I will follow the advice of some people posting here, though and switch off of the pine WB and go back to the plain or multiple-cat WB….at least I can eliminate one problematic item: pine.
What a dilemma.
ann zurcher
November 11, 2014 at 1:25 pm
check out Yesterday’s News. recycled newspaper litter
Dianne Thornton
November 12, 2014 at 12:02 am
I use Yesterday’s News unscented (regular texture) and it is a great product! My cat’s allergy vet recommended it and I am glad we went with it!
Gloria
May 9, 2015 at 11:00 pm
How do you scoop it? I’ve used it for cats after surgery and you almost have to change the whole box after the litter has been used – can’t scoop it because. Maybe you have a good trick you would share? 🙂
crosswind
April 29, 2017 at 12:35 am
We use Yesterday’s News Litter. I scoop DAILY only the SOILED litter from #1, which turns SOFT and then the #2 droppings too. Then, weekly you can change the whole box. This saves you $ on throwing away litter so often. Also, it reduces the odor by not leaving any soiled litter in there to smell. I clean the sides & top of my cat’s litter pan with alcohol to freshen it up too.
Laura
June 29, 2018 at 4:10 pm
06/28/2018 My cat hated the texture of YN plasticy sliding against the box so noisy & not good at all to see what should be removed.
Information (degrees in sciences, nutrition, holistic nutrition and chemistry of arts and more)
August 6, 2018 at 5:52 pm
I solved that problem, and although my current bathroom is very small, I keep the litter box in there. When I use the facilities, I clean the box. I am housebound now, so it’s all day long. When I worked and was not home all day, early am, and upon returning from late shifts. It is important for many reasons.
I used to rescue (many types of animals, pre vet and other degrees) but Bettas when I lived in NYC. Nightmare for poor fish.
My question was to those who would not house them properly (in at least 5 gallon, heavily planted filtered tanks – they derive from large water systems but the filth builds up)
Imagine you are in a small room (bathroom) and your toilet did NOT flush. How long would it take for you to get sick at most, gag from the noxious and toxic odors and substances and worse have no place to go but might get punished for going to a cleaner place (as with a piano teacher I once went to who rarely changed his cat’s boxes)
Bonnie
July 27, 2018 at 2:07 pm
For many years Swheat Scoop was only wheat. On the package now you will see “Noble Ion Technology” which involves spraying the wheat with unknown proprietary substances or chemicals. The company refuses to disclose the ingredients using proprietary as the reason. The cats can inhale the dust and WILL ingest the product as they groom their fur. I have wood furniture near the litter box and it did need to be dusted from the litter on the side the box is located. They state billions of positive ions are infused onto the wheat. The internet has much info on the harm of positive ions. See from Dr. OZ “How do positive Ions affect health”. As a pet parent I want to know the substances my cat will be exposed to. Companies will change a product if enough customer requests are given to them. Please call the company asking them to make the wheat only product again
Information (degrees in sciences, nutrition, holistic nutrition and chemistry of arts and more)
August 6, 2018 at 5:55 pm
Thanks for posting great information.
Nicole
March 11, 2013 at 11:19 am
You should list the walnut cat litters as a caution as well. We just started using the Blue Buffalo walnut scoopable cat litter and it gets moldy. We took the lid of off the litter box, clean it every day, sometimes more often, and it still gets moldy. I have been experiencing allergic reactions with my sinuses because of this. I switched from Tidy Cat, because it’s chemicals gave me sinus issues, and not this stuff has mold, which I am allergic to. Great.
Crosswind
September 2, 2014 at 1:27 am
I’m glad someone gave feedback on this litter. I am allergic to 5 types of Mold & being treated for Mold Illness myself due to genes that don’t allow me to detox mold. Good to know. Mold would be bad for my asthma cat too. Nuts are often on the Avoid Mold Diet list.
TJF
September 2, 2014 at 2:46 pm
Can I ask the people posting re: the corn litters…..how often do you guys throw the whole pan of litter out and start over again with totally fresh litter?
I have two cats, use the WB Pine or WB red bag for multiple cat households….I scoop twice a day ( two large litter boxes, two large cats ) but find I have to dump the whole thing about every 10-14 days in any event. And start with fresh litter. Which is very expensive.
I used to just use a garbage can liner to line the bottom and used unclumpable, unscented gravel from the grocery store ( very cheap ) and dump the whole thing every two or three days. But my cat vet told me that I had to use scoopable, which is was VERY allergic to. I literally got sick using it after a week or two. WB is the only clumping litter that I, ( with a face mask ) can use at all.
Now I am hearing that the corn based litters are dangerous….and although I keep the boxes very clean, the message from WB ( paraphrase ) “…..unless it gets WET…” LOL…..WHAT? I am very concerned. And I live in South Florida, so, yeah, although the AC is on deep-freeze all the time, this could really be a problem. 🙁
Crosswind
September 2, 2014 at 4:13 pm
about that same for us… about once a week. Yes, pricey i agre. Wish we could change. I have 3 cats adn they ALL like to DIG, so i need at least 1-2 boxes with diggable liter. I am experimenting with Yesterday’s News liter and trying 2 boxes of it with One Worlds Best to see if that helps my cat’s breathing and IF more than one cats uses it….lol. But, you have to remove the Soiled DAILY because there is no odor control. One of my cats is gluten intolerant, so i cannot use Sweat scoop or PINE, since she also has asthma. My vets said to avoid the pine, since it causes Respiratory inflammation & damage in Studies with cats & lab rats. Glad to hear other people are dealing with this as much as me. Wish it were easier! 🙂
Laura
June 29, 2018 at 4:13 pm
I have asthma and pine almost kills me!
Cyd
November 12, 2014 at 12:50 am
Hi !,
What reason did your Vet give you for not using gravel
Shelley
December 22, 2017 at 7:30 pm
Clay cat litters are made with Fuller’s earth or kaolin (as in Kaopectate.) When ingested, as they are invariably, they can cause constipation and blockage. I am not the original person posting that comment but that is why my vet told me to stop using it.
John Lewis
December 23, 2017 at 10:17 am
Hi Shelley. When I first read about the aflatoxin problem and its possible connection with corn based litters, I was quite concerned. This was quite some time ago.
I have been using World’s Best Cat Litter for 14+ years. My cats have not, so far as I am aware, had any adverse effects from the litter.
I had done my homework on aflatoxins when The Truth About Pet Foods.com first published about it.
You should verify what I suggest by doing your own studies.
My own research was both on the Net and by making selected phone calls, particularly to World’s Best.
Aflatoxin mold comes from peculiar conditions that have to do with attacks by insect infestations on the corn when the humidity and warmth are high. This toxin is produced as a defense by the mold growing on the corn. It is produced only as a defense against attack by these insects which breed in these conditions.
World’s Best litter (and probably others) make sure that no toxins are in the litter at the time of production.
As far as killing off the mold/fungus, if the toxins were already produced, the high heat baking process for sterilization that they use would not, I would think, have anything to do with removing the toxins already produced.
But I believe that there is some quality control, given that the toxins can be detected, when the litter is being manufactured.
As far as the litter producing toxins after the bag has been opened, there is no likelihood of swarms of insects being around in your place, so I’d be not so worried about that.
As far as other types of litter go, there are many problems with most of them.
Clay stays on the paws and when ingested causes all kinds of problems.
Other litters have been treated with toxic substances by the manufacturers.
…I’ve satisfied myself that what I’m using is the safest for my cats.
Finally, don’t let your fears get to you. Be rigorous in your own research and make a determination based on your own situation. Know your cats’ own preferences. Switching to other litters has problems in and of itself, since cats do not like changes that way. If you have had the corn based litter a long time for your pets, it might be something to consider what a change would do, i.e., there might be a problem of refusing to void because they don’t have their usual scents in the litter.
Okay. I’ve said enough. I hope you do well and that you find a good solution.
Information (degrees in sciences, nutrition, holistic nutrition and chemistry of arts and more)
August 6, 2018 at 6:00 pm
Vets as well as M.D.s are aligned with their associations (my mother was an R.N. with advanced degrees to assist four neurosurgeons during surgery – she informed me of this long ago.) I use only natural therapies and try to find vets that do as well (short of emergencies).
Medical and Vet schools are supported by corporations and Rx companies (who make the pet Rx as well).
https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/111101a.aspx
Bonnie
September 2, 2014 at 9:14 pm
Has anyone tried Blue Naturally Fresh Quick Clumping Cat Litter. Walnut based….I mix it with WB … cuts WB dust down, WB makes it clump better …but will it mold esp. in Fla
Shelly
May 27, 2017 at 1:21 pm
I had three cats who were only ever exposed to Scoop Away. Never had an issue. With my fourth cat (who is now 9) I decided to go with a Blue walnut litter. We’ve been using it for a few years and I never really though there was an issue with it. It stained her paws brown after using the box but that’s about it. However, we just took her to the vet because she was vomiting and no BMs (Otherwise acting fine). The X-ray showed her completely compacted with stool with some sort of foreign material interlaced throughout. After two enemas as a result of which only some of the stool passed, we realized the foreign material was the walnut litter. It was also on her paws. She is not eating it but she is licking it off of her paws. The vet is convinced this contributed if not caused the constipation. She would not have passed the stool without medical assistance. So we are switching back to a good clumping litter again.
Bonnie
July 22, 2018 at 11:20 pm
Thank you for posting your experience. I was planning to buy the walnut litter and cancelled the order. I was already concerned hearing about the mold.
Deanna
November 11, 2014 at 3:45 pm
What concerns me about the walnut litter is that it’s difficult to see blood because of the dark color. It’s important to check for signs of blood in urine and stool when scooping the litter box. With this dark litter a serious medical condition could go undetected.
Lisa
November 17, 2013 at 9:47 am
I’ve been using Tidy Cats Pure Nature for years but recently noticed that some pee clumps develop a sort of white fuzz and I’m concerned that it is a type of fungus or mold. Does anyone have any info on this? The product is made of a combo of cedar, corn, and pine.
Thanks!
Marcia Sykes
April 21, 2015 at 1:32 pm
I have been using Tidy Cat’s cedar. pine and corn clumping litter. I too have noticed occasional white mold on clumps. Also, I had to start using a mask as it is VERY dusty. In face, the dust mixes with water on floor and creates a slippery surface – far more that just water – that I took a big fall from. AND, it is very difficult to clean off of floors – it forms a hard scum several feet away from litter box. AND, one of my cats has a skin condition now. The vet thought it was a food allergy but now I wonder if the litter may be the culprit.
Its too bad because it is so much easier to lift and deal with and it lasts much longer than traditional litter – and smells much fresher.
So now I must start mixing in the old kind and get all 6 cats reacclimated to it again.
I checked out yesterday’s news and didn’t see how one could clean it easily….any thoughts anyone?
Another thought about aflo-toxins is the giant new corn elevator going into our town by Heartland. We have no local control so could not stop it. There is a lot of disturbing information on asthma and explosions but now we need to think about aflotoxins too. And I am not a scientist but after seeing how sticky the residue is from the cat litter, I hate to think of it being airbonrne and mixing with CAFO emissions which are full of crazy antibiotic resistant pathogens like the MYRSA virus etc- dear God- imagine that in your lungs.
Nancy
April 24, 2014 at 5:37 pm
I have used Fresh Step Cat Litter and also Arm & Hammer Cat Litter, and when I go to clean the litter boxes out, my face would burn and I would feel a lot of pain in my head and ear, and my lips would burn, my tongue too. Then to top it all off… My stomach and my throat would burn along with my eyes, and everything else. I had to find a litter that DID NOT CONTAIN ANY SODIUM BENTONITE (Carbon), AND ZEOLITES.
These 2 chemicals are dangerous and deadly to both animals and humans. No matter how many times per day I cleaned the litter box and also washed my face and body, I still felt like I was on fire. That is how badly it had hurt me and my 4 cats. My cats eyes would water up so much that I had to keep tissues around to wipe their little eyes and to have cold water around to dip the tissue in to wipe out the burn. My cats also got very dehydrated from using those cat litters.
The Fresh Step Cat Litter and that I used was Multi Cat with carbon and it was to kill out the smell of feces and urine. It was the clumping clay.
The Arm & Hammer Cat Litter that I used was the Natural Essentials Corn Litter.
Both had also made it hard for me to breathe as well and caused a lot of dust to settle on my entire apt furnishings. They read 99.9% Dust Free! Not even close. There was so much dust on everything in my apt. that I had to wash down and dust every single day!
Now I am down to trying out a kitty litter called Yesterday’s News which is made of Recycled Newspaper. It reads that it is 99.7% Dust Free. It is pellet form, and flushable. I don’t like it! It is very hard, and there is no possible way to scoop it out of the litter box at all with a scooper. My cats don’t even like using their litter box any more with that litter in their box. They prefer to use my bathroom floor because of the new litter! This is way too much for me to stand any longer.
There has got to be a litter out there without any Sodium Bentonite and Zeolites in it or Fragrances! I will have to keep searching for a decent litter that is not going to harm me or my kitties ever again. If there isn’t any such litter around… I am going to straight sand or sterilized potting soil!
Those other litters that I had mentioned above also made my cats vomit! So please try to find a litter that isn’t going to make you and your loving kitties sick and kill you, and them in the process.
Bonnie
May 8, 2014 at 5:00 pm
I just changed to World’s Best from Arm & Hammer due to the scent. If I can’t stand the scent how can my multi cat household. Does anyone have a suggestion on what to use when u have more 5 litter boxes in a home?
TJF
May 12, 2014 at 7:59 pm
I have two 15 pound cats and I have used the Worlds Best for the past couple years, scoop twice a day and toss all about every 10-14 days. But now I am concerned.
I live in South Florida in the sub tropics as it is, a hotbed of mold, etc. just in our everyday environment. We have the AC on deep freeze but that doesn’t seem to stop mold and tropical creepin’ crud.
WB It is the only one of the clumping litters that I am not horribly allergic to, but just in case, I wear a face mask while cleaning the box. I am that allergice, but I don’t have any issues with this litter relating to that.
I used to use the non clumping clay generic from my local grocer….and now I am thinking of just going back to that.
I used to get 20# for about 5 bucks and tossed the whole thing ever three days.
I always use a garbage bag liner and large cat boxes so I just grab the ends and pull the whole thing off the box, and toss.
This is very concerning. I liked Worlds Best, the best of all, but I agree with the poster who said that some bags clump better than others.
Just in the couple months, the last couple bags have not had the clumping ability it has normally, which I figured was a quality control issue. Still, it is the best I have found. But now I am worried, not only because of corn and moisture, but also because of where I live, which would add to the problelm.
kelly j
January 19, 2017 at 10:56 pm
I have used thag ssme litter roughly two years ago and my cat who was around 13 at the time started sneezing a lot and then sneezing fits with blood sometimes and eventually runny nose all the time and now growth is growing and starting to show and deform as of one month ago. Im going to have to put her down next week even though she otherwise seems perfectly healthy. Its so ssd her other eye is dialated complete cuz the growth is taking over the other are by her eye lower part. They (specislists) think its cancerous. But was going to be $3,000 to get a diagnosis when i went in in september ( 4months ago)
Lisa
May 15, 2014 at 1:06 am
I started using Feline Pine Clumping. It works well and there’s no worry about aflatoxin because it’s all pine and no corn.
Dallas Baines
November 19, 2015 at 2:12 am
i would not advise using pine litters for a few reasons . 1 pine oil is very toxic to cats it can cause upper respiratory infections and also can not be broken down by the liver. and 2 when pine pellets get wet they break down and turn to powder when they dry again it can become air born. If you are inhaling this pine dust it can cause upper respiratory infections in humans.
EDF
June 4, 2019 at 9:02 pm
Feline Pine is kiln dried. Apparently no oil is left after this processing.
cynthia
June 24, 2014 at 9:42 am
I wonder if one thing that may make the corn-based, flushable litter particularly susceptible to mold, fungus, and aflatoxin poisoning is that the litter box is usually kept in the bathroom where the waste can be flushed, since that aspect is one of this litter’s most attractive features. I would imagine that the heat and steam of people showering daily create exactly the hot and humid conditions that encourage spoilage and toxicity problems. We have long been pushing the litter box out into the hallway whenever someone takes a shower, just so that the litter didn’t get moist and would stay fresh longer. Now it seems there is even more critical reason to do so. I am so sorry to learn there are safety issues with this litter, since we carefully selected it after reading about all the health risks (as well as environmental pitfalls) of using the clay-based and chemical-based litters, and I have to say the newspaper-based litter worries me as well. Questions about the chemical toxicity of the ink is the first question that comes to my mind. Indeed it is ALWAYS something. I guess for now we will stick with World’s Best but be ever more careful about moisture around it.
Ceejade
November 11, 2014 at 7:56 am
thanks for that thought. I’ve been using this litter as well for the same reasons as you. If you find an alternative, please let me know.
Theresa
November 15, 2014 at 12:10 am
Have you tried Odour Buster litter? It’s a clumping clay litter that clumps really well, has no scent and extremely low dust. I switched from Dr Elsey’s Precious Cat clumping clay and I’ve recommended Odour Buster to others who love it as well.
Cathy
July 30, 2014 at 1:58 am
I switched to the World’s Best Cat litter several years ago in an effort to eliminate my oldest of my three cat’s respiratory problems. His breathing improved but after about six months he began to lose weight. I thought it was a dental issue, he had some gingivitis, so had his teeth cleaned but that didn’t help. He kept losing weight, The vet asked if he was eating house plants because he suspected a toxin, but I don’t have plants in the house and he’s an indoor cat. To make a long story short, after many trips to the vet all treatments failed. Afterward I began to wonder whether the corn based litter was made with Roundup ready corn. The glyphosate in Roundup weed killer has been found to cause kidney failure in agricultural workers in Sri Lanka and several other countries. Roundup has been banned there and is several countries for that reason. Cats wash their paws after using the litter box so consume the litter inadvertently. I liked the WBCL because it was easy to keep the boxes clean, was reasonably dust free, and controlled the odor. I was scooping daily, disinfecting weekly, then filling with fresh litter It makes me feel very sad to think my choice of product may have killed my cat. I’m now trying to find a safe litter for my other two but so far the search is not going well.
Clare Honn
March 22, 2016 at 1:02 am
Cathy, did you ever find out why he died? We just lost our kitty to an unexplained lung infection and the first sign was weight loss. I stumbled upon this post while researching lung infections and cat litters. We used World’s Best most of his life. I’m wondering if your kitty had a lung infection as well.
Bonnie
March 22, 2016 at 10:39 am
always get a culture test if you cat has a nasal/respiratory infection…..too many antibiotic bacteria being treated with useless drugs….been there….done that…
Bonnie
February 24, 2017 at 8:34 am
Has anyone tried the BioCharged Kitty Litter found on Dr. Mercola’s site. Or Dr. Elsey Smart Cat. Trying to get out of using World’s Best otherwise known as “Worst” and the walnut stuff.
Information (degrees in sciences, nutrition, holistic nutrition and chemistry of arts and more)
August 6, 2018 at 6:39 pm
Smart lady. The GMO’s cause gut bacterial changes in we humans and pets. (and DNA, RNA changes in species – you know chocolate RNA in insects
That said, you did your best, who can keep up with these complex issues. ( I have a background in the sciences and am so dismayed, having long fought against them, I just NOW “do my best”)
Sorry for your loss.
Bonnie
July 30, 2014 at 8:56 pm
Dr. Cathy will be adding her concerns in a follow up article soon.
Did Dr. Cathy do a follow up article?
Antonio
August 5, 2014 at 5:48 pm
If any of you are using Purina’s pure nature kitty litter, stop using the product because it contains corn in it’s product besides Cedar and pine recycled from construction, furniture, and window manufacturing. After reading this article I was appalled! I just had a conversation with Purina and this is my dialogue with them that I’ll share with you all.
Welcome to Purina! Please wait for a Pet Advisor to respond. We will be with you momentarily.
You are now chatting with ‘Stacey ‘.
Stacey : Hi! Welcome to Purina. How may I help you today?
you: Can you tell me Stacy if your product pure nature kitty litter which contain corn is hybrid?
Stacey : Hi there. I’d be happy to help you. Just to make sure I understand, you want to know if the corn in the Pure Nature Litter is hybrid corn?
you: that is correct
Stacey : Ok, please allow me a few moments to look into this.
you: okay
Stacey : I’m not sure if this helps at all, but here is the ingredient list for the litter: Corn Cob, Cedar, Pine, Guar Gum (natural clumping agent), Glycerin, Fragrance. I can try to find more information on the corn cob.
you: please do
you: these ingredients were listed on your website
you: are you still there?
Stacey : It is likely that our pet food contains GMO grains because genetically modified grain and grain products constitute a significant portion of the supply of grain available throughout the United States for both human and pet foods. United States grain handling and distribution practices result in a co-mingling of supply, which results in a loss of identity preservation. The FDA recognizes the safety and equivalence of products derived from United States approved varieties of genetically modified grain so there is no reason to exclude it from the general supply. In addition, the FDA does not require products containing GMO grains to bear additional labeling.
Stacey : This statement would also apply to the grain used in our litter product.
you: Well just so you know corn based causes, aflatoxins once it has come into contact with a moisture-rich environment (i.e. litter box).
Stacey : I’m sorry, I don’t understand your previous sentence.
you: You will have more people concerned about this https://truthaboutpetfood.com/caution-to-use-of-corn-based-cat-litters
Stacey : May I ask, when you say “hybrid” are you referring to GMOs?
you: The corn (gmo) causes aflatoxins which is derived from the chemicals being used for gmo corn
you: It looks like you can’t help me any further. I’ll avoid buying this product in the future.
Stacey : I will be more than happy to let our team know of your disappointment. I’d also be happy to look into this further for you.
you: From Cornell University Department of Animal Science “the commodities with the highest risk of aflatoxin contamination are corn, peanuts and cottonseed. Pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination of peanuts and corn is favored by high temperatures, prolonged drought conditions, and high insect activity; while post-harvest production of aflatoxins on corn and peanuts is favored by warm temperatures and high humidity.” http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/aflatoxin/aflatoxin.html
Stacey : Would you like to share your contact information so we can call you back with additional information?
Stacey : Also, please hold another moment or two. I’d like to provide you with some additional information.
you: No thanks Stacey, i have the info I need.
Stacey : We have ingredient specialists at each of our North American Purina pet food manufacturing facilities who are trained to sample and analyze incoming grain. These ingredient specialists are tested on a quarterly basis to ensure they remain certified on key laboratory techniques.
you: I understand that but there is an issue called profit and Purina scientist who are on Purina’s payroll will never rock the boat.
you: Thanks for your response.
Stacey : I assure you I will let our team know how upset you are regarding this.
Stacey : Would you mind sharing your email address with us? We would love to get your feedback on our products & services.
you: No thanks.
Pingback: What You Need to Know About Corn-Based Cat Litter | |
Catlady
November 11, 2014 at 12:43 am
This article is nothing but speculation with ZERO proof of anything. Very irresponsible of the author the way it was presented and ridiculous for people to lose their critical thinking skills and panic without any fact based evidence. While the owner of the kitten- that had no testing or necropsy following its death- states there were no changes except the litter, if they were feeding the same brand of dry food they could have easily opened a new bag that was contaminated with aflatoxin. I’ve been using Worlds Best Cat Litter for many, many years with multiple, multiple cats. I scoop a minimum of twice daily and change out/wash/ disinfect the litterboxes completely when they get low, usually every few weeks. ZERO problems. EVER. Sadly this article is creating another urban legend and causing panic where none is needed.
crosswind
November 22, 2014 at 8:44 pm
We have been using this litter for 3 cats for 13 yrs too (on and off with Feline Pine). We stopped Feline Pine last year, after our Vet diagnosed our Cat with Asthma, then warned us of the concerns with Pine oil being hazardous to cat’s respiratory. We have one cat that developed chronic UPI, needing an asthma inhaler daily. My 2nd one has developed allergies too. Our 3rd is okay, just sneezes during allergy season. I really do wonder the long term effects of using GMO corn. 90% of corn today is made with Roundup-Ready corn seeds 🙁 that is weed killer. No longer can you just wash off pesticides. They are grown with EVERY SEED, if it’s a GMO. Google Glyphosphate concerns in people, kids & pets (It can cause tumors and immune system issues, Infertility). ALL GRAINS are known to be high in Mold and Mycotoxins, because they are stored in Silos. I am learning this, since I’m undergoing Mold Biotoxin Illness myself. But, the problem is my cats refuse to believe any other litter is the Best, except WB, so continue to use it. they like the diggable factor and I cannot use Clay around MY asthma or my cat’s. For now, we’re stuck with World’s Best. For my own health, I always wear a face mas with ANY litter I use.
Marie
November 23, 2014 at 11:30 am
Since Cornell (see quote below) states that corn is one of the grains with the highest risk of mold aflatoxin, you might consider switching to using rabbit alfalfa pellets for your cat litter. It is low in dust, clumps well, naturally eliminates odors due to the chlorophyll, creates very little “tracking problem”, and is very cost effective.
If you scoop the box daily, and change and clean the box bi-weekly, you shouldn’t ever have a mold problem.
I’ve been using this for years after reading about it in a holistic cat magazine. And I’ve never had a problem with mold.
[Quote: From Cornell University Department of Animal Science “the commodities with the highest risk of aflatoxin contamination are corn, peanuts and cottonseed. Pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination of peanuts and corn is favored by high temperatures, prolonged drought conditions, and high insect activity; while post-harvest production of aflatoxins on corn and peanuts is favored by warm temperatures and high humidity.”
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/aflatoxin/aflatoxin.html%5D
Gloria
May 9, 2015 at 11:13 pm
I had to smile when I read – … “If you scoop the box daily, and change and clean the box bi-weekly … :), I care for 12 inside cats with multiple cat litter tubs so I am scooping many, many times a day – however, and this is when I smiled – changing the box bi-weekly would be very exhausting – a more than full time job for sure – I have 8 medium pans and one 33 gallon for the enclosure cats of 3. Shoot, I get tired just thinking about it … okay, back to my food service routine. 🙂 Thanks for the idea, though. 🙂
Brittany
November 9, 2020 at 1:58 pm
Just curious, where do you recommend buying the alfalfa pellets? Is it a specific kind used for cats? And this is completely non toxic to cats? Thanks for the insight.
Information (degrees in sciences, nutrition, holistic nutrition and chemistry of arts and more)
August 6, 2018 at 6:43 pm
All cats can not metabolize “fragrances” natural and especially man made synthetics (made from petro chemicals).
All natural oils (from plants) contain many chemicals to ward off fungi, insects and animals and some humans (Rhubarb leaves which can kill you).
Ceejade
November 11, 2014 at 7:53 am
I’ve been using this litter with zero problems since 2006. My home is pretty humid in the summer. I have 2 twelve year olds a six year old and a two year old cat. All are fine. I wonder if there was something else going on there. Recently, I’ve been using walnut based as well. I do have multiple boxes and scoop once a day. I just wonder if there is something else. Am I a bad pet parent? I don’t think this one story will make me change litters. Guess I will need to do more research. Does anyone else have this problem?
alison belknap
November 11, 2014 at 10:21 am
I love WB cat litter. It isn’t dusty (which we’ve been warned against), it isn’t pine (which we’ve been warned against), it isn’t walnut (which people are complaining about), it isn’t clay (which we’ve been warned against), it doesn’t have perfumes or dyes (which we’ve been warned against). For heaven’s sake, people. I scoop whenever I see anything in the boxes (three boxes, two large cats) and I have never seen any evidence of mold or anything yucky other than what the cats produce. Fortunately, one of my cats often does his business outside – so I catch a break there. But I just don’t see where this litter could be that evil if basic hygiene is followed. In fact, it encourages one to scoop more often since it can go straight into the toilet and is septic safe. My boxes are all in or near bathrooms, and they get scooped constantly, much to the house leopards’ delight.
PandaCat
November 11, 2014 at 10:37 am
I’ve been using this cat litter for a LONG time – probably 6-8 years, without incidence. I have a 14.7 year old cat, a 6 year old and a 5 year old.
I am not going to switch my cat litter because of a claim that can not even be confirmed as a cause of death in a few cats. I’m guessing if there is an issue, it’s because people don’t clean their litter boxes… I think that’s a HUGE problem in general anyway. I have 3 litter boxes – 2 of which are in bathrooms, another not in a bathroom – and is covered. The cats don’t use the covered litter box very often (if at all). I clean them every morning as part of my routine before work.
I love my cats more than anything – and would never put them in harms way. For all we know this could be someone from a clay litter company trying to get people to switch… If there was truly an issue, I would think we would have heard more about this by now.
joelle lynn
November 11, 2014 at 2:21 pm
I once asked World’s Best cat litter contact, if this litter was Non-GMO, they never answered. This could be a concern as well.
Cyd
November 12, 2014 at 1:05 am
Years ago I asked if the corn was Organic( didn’t think it would be, but I asked ) & was told that it was not Organic, due to the cost it would incur.
ALL of the corn in the U.S. is cross pollinated with GMO corn…Whole Foods had a video we watched several years ago , stating that this was so ..they had found this out by testing Organic corn.
I have been using WB for 6 years or so & have LOVE LOVE LOVED it & now I feel I need to find an alternative…maybe just plain old sand. My 18 year old sneezes periodically..it’s not worth the risk as far as I’m concerned .
Pat
November 11, 2014 at 4:32 pm
I have been using World’s Best Multi-cat for over 10 years, and currently have it in 11 litterboxes, with 28 cats. I started using it because it was biodegradable (clay, aka fine gravel, isn’t), it is flushable (sensibly, not too much at a time), and is safe for kittens (kittens eat litter out of curiosity, how many kittens have died because of ingesting clumbing clay litter?). I have never had one single issue with it. While I am sure that this article has some merit, what is the magnitude of “the problem” … one cat in 10 million.?
Corona virus resides in all cats (and most critters for that matter), but I bet you put the number of deaths due to FIP above above that of corn-based litter. Yet we don’t put the call out to ban all cats because they might carry the mutant corona virus, do we?
Face it folks, nothing in life is guaranteed, If you are nervous about the 1 in one 10-millionth chance, then don’t use it. I will continue to use it because it is the best litter out there!
Bonnie
July 23, 2018 at 12:01 am
WB appears safe as it is only corn. Many consumers are likely unaware of any risk. When the cat becomes sick they may never associate the illness with the litter.
Information (degrees in sciences, nutrition, holistic nutrition and chemistry of arts and more)
August 6, 2018 at 6:45 pm
Flushing litter can spread toxins to the water supply system (if any doubts this and my background included “sewage water systems” ) look it up.
Marie
November 22, 2014 at 11:32 am
I’ve been using rabbit pellets for my cats’ litter for a long time. It clumps well and the chlorophyll naturally eliminates odor. It doesn’t cause much of a “tracking problem” and I can get a 25# bag a Walmart for $7. I scoop the box daily and clean and change the litter box about every two weeks. I haven’t noticed any mold problem, but I’m wondering if others have, or if there is any information about mold growth with its use as cat litter?
crosswind
February 18, 2015 at 5:25 pm
I wonder what the pellets are made form. People who have enzyme deficiencies, causing body odor, get help taking chlorophyll. It helps absorb ammonia body odor. So, i believe you there.
Marie
February 19, 2015 at 11:28 am
The pellets are made of pressed alfalfa grass. I use the rabbit feed size alfalfa pellets which are smaller than the horse feed size alfalfa pellets. It is the best cat litter I have ever used: clumps nicely, chlorophyll naturally deodorizes odors, no dust, almost no tracking, low cost, doesn’t stick to cat paws so it won’t be ingested during self-grooming, and it’s biodegradable. Scoop the litter box daily, and clean and change the box at least once a month.
Beth
September 27, 2015 at 3:19 pm
Hi!
I know this is an older post but can you please give me the name of the rabbit pellet you use as liter?? Too many to choose from 61st Wal-Mart online. Little confusing. Thank you so much!
crosswind
February 18, 2015 at 5:22 pm
My Asthma cat was Diagnosed yesterday with Nasal Cancer invading her sinus bone & almost blocking left nostril. 🙁 No wonder she has so many issues with dusty litter. I think she had a lot allergies, causing mucus for a few yrs, but I definitely trying to replace World’s Best Cat litter now (if my cats will let me). Independent studies already have confirmed tumors in lab rats from GMO corn/soy. I don’t know if we can save her or at least extend her life, so she can breathe better. We will try with natural remedies and canna-pet & herbs. I now wonder if being prone to allergy inflammation/sensitive nasal tissue and mucus, if she didn’t get a growth from inhaling all that CORN; WB’s litter is likely GMO Corn. She still gets worse every time she walks about of Liter box room. It’s not organic & I’ve read there is NO MORE Organic Corn left / grown in the USA. I think Mexico has organic, but Monsanto is trying to Bully-force them to grow gmo too. I am tossed between switching back to PINE, but I will start with Yesterday’s News for now. too many conflicting info against Pine.
Pat
June 11, 2015 at 4:32 am
Check the site of Dr. Mercola. Under pet articles by Dr. Becker you will find info to help your kitty immune system, specially for fighting cancer.
Dr. Mathias Rath talks about the benefit of Vitamin C. For cellular nutrition.. Check his articles too. I give Lysin C to my cats (Dr. Rath brand) beside Spirulina, Turmeric (Mercola brand), brewer yeast from beats, pre and probiotics, mushrooms (Mercola brand) to improve their immune system against the risk of developing cancer caused by rabies vaccine.
Eve
March 19, 2015 at 8:06 am
I have 2 cats and 2 litter boxes. 3 months ago I switched from NAture’s Miracle to Naturally Fresh walnut. One cat refuses to use the litter boxes any more. I have read that walnuts are poisonous to dogs… could she be reacting to the walnut? World’s Best and Sweet Scoops were rejected by both cats. I am about to go back to Nature’s Miracle. Any and all suggestions are welcome!
crosswind
March 19, 2015 at 12:00 pm
I successfully & quickly transitioned all 3 of my cats on to Yesterday’s News Cat Litter. I scoop the soiled bits out daily & they all seem okay & fine with it. I transitioned over a week or two, but then with my cat having nasal cancer, i said that was IT, i removed it all & no problems at all. We have LESSSSS Dust on our ceiling fans & around the house too… WB was soooo dusty. We were breathing all the GMO corn dust too
Eve
March 19, 2015 at 1:50 pm
Thanks for your input. If Nature’s Best fails, I’ll give yesterdays News a try.
Gloria
May 9, 2015 at 11:24 pm
Well I checked out green pee (aka as “pea”) gravel – an interesting concept … http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Green-Pee-Cat-Litter-System/#more-anchor — really check it out very interesting.
I live in the desert of California and have desert landscaping that has small rocks and the feral-born don’t have a problem with those rocks so I imagine that the “green pee gravel” wouldn’t cause a lot of issue, well – eventually. lol
Kmbrly
June 23, 2015 at 11:15 am
I started using worlds best a couple months ago and suddenly my cat started vomiting daily. I concluded that the only change made to her routine was the litter, so I finally went back to her previous litter. The vomiting stopped immediately.
I am now seeing that many cat owners are running into this and it is due to mold spores developing in the corn based litter when moisture enters the equation. Hello??!!!!! Urine is moisture.
I am very upset that this product was not more thoroughly tested and is causing illness and death in some instances.
My recommendation: DO NOT USE WORLDS BEST LITTER!!! Read up on it…it even causes bug infestation. But worse, you are putting your pet in danger by using it!
Bonnie
June 26, 2015 at 8:54 am
World’s Best has a ton of dust in it…I think more in the large bag than in the small. Been using it and now they are changing to ” flushable” as if I am going to put it down the drain and take a chance that it clogs them no matter what they say. Looking for alternative….Has anyone tried the “Breeze” method with the pee pads and the pellets (either what comes with it or the newspaper pellets ) for the solid waste. Looks great for young guys but I have 10 – 16 lbs cats. Right now I use storage containers (maybe 10 ” high) but larger than what Breeze has. It gives them more space to use esp. for my indoor/outdoor cats that hate to use them and would rather go out.
Jan Kelly
July 8, 2015 at 2:15 am
I switched to Worlds Best Corn Litter 2 months ago. Two weeks later my cat started throwing up – she was always a vomiter so I wasn’t too concerned but when we moved to our new place and she started throwing up more and more I couldn’t figure it out. When she threw up 17 times I took her to the vet – they diagnosed her with pancreatitis with a blood test. They put her on meds and 10 days later an ultrasound was done showing Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the small intestine which was slightly thickened. They wanted to do a biopsy. I said NO!!! I refused to put her through that. Then I read about the corn litter and now I am switching back to clay to see if that is some of this problem. I originally switched to Corn because the Clay caused so much dust but my cat wasn’t sick. OH WOW!!! I’m flabbergasted. I didn’t use the recommended 2 inches of litter – only about 1/2 inch and also put Baking Soda in the litter because the corn litter doesn’t really mask the urine odor very well. I can’t believe this.
Bonnie
November 19, 2021 at 12:50 am
Baking soda can cause intestinal bleeding, google side effects.
Jan Kelly
July 8, 2015 at 2:25 am
I don’t have time to read all the posts so don’t know if anyone else has thought of this: cats clean themselves and after my cat is in the corn litter her paws are covered with the litter for about 4 inches up each of her paws. She really digs up the litter and covers her urine and feces for quite a while. She’s been doing it a lot with the corn litter and I think it’s because the litter doesn’t mask the odor very well. Just a thought that it isn’t just the moisture in the litter box, it’s the fact that she’s cleaning herself and eating the litter. Not a good thing I don’t imagine.
Jan Kelly
July 8, 2015 at 2:43 am
I had a discussion about the differences between Corn and Clay litter with a friend of mine who also has one cat. He uses Purina Tidy Cat Clay litter and doesn’t have dust. I was surprised because I used Tidy Cat and had a lot of dust. He used a different formula than I so maybe I’ll try what he uses. I’ll also look at Yesterdays News. Thanks to all for your input.
Bonnie
September 28, 2015 at 8:51 am
I am still using World’s Best, but now I sift as much of the dust out of the product before I bring it into the house. I cleaned 3 medium sized bags the other day and got almost 3 lbs of dust out of it before I was done. Then store it in air tight containers – ready for use. I don’t have the dust problem in the house from it since I started to do this.
Before I started to do this I would get ton of dust I on my hands and arms when I would spread it around in a clean box . (Yes it is all washed off when I am done – unlike cats who lick it off.)
If you want to try this method…get porch screening wide enough to make it like a big sifter…a clean litter box to sift it into ….a pair of gloves so you don’t cut you hands on the porch screening….a mask if you like so you don’t breath the dust in…. pour in a third of the bag at a time …and roll it around until you get as much of the dust off the litter as you can. Pour it into a air tight storage container for later use. Do a couple of bags at a time. Used this on the walnut type of litter too to get this dust off out of it. Pour the dust in a bag and throw it out. Clean out all the dust in the clean litter box again before you use it. ( This works quicker if you have 2 people holding the porch screen too – my husband helped and even he was amazed how fast this goes).
If this is 99% dust free I would hate to see what the other brands have when you sift it.
Crazy idea too…..would love some feed back on this.
Lizabeth Gold
November 10, 2015 at 1:12 pm
Hi Bonnie,
Not sure if anyone every replied to your question about Breeze System. I have had it for almost two years….started when my cats were 5 and 6. I can’t remember but I think I tried it when it was very first on the market. I CANNOT describe the happiness I have with this product. I can’t understand why anyone would every use anything else. I turned both of my sisters on to it and they both have older cats as well. They called me up CRYING because they simply couldn’t believe how awesome it is. No mess, no dust, no smell, soooooooo easy. You must give it a try. And NO, I do not work for the company. 🙂
Bonnie
December 2, 2015 at 6:32 pm
Why do you like it. What works about it and what don’t you like ?
Debbie S.
October 5, 2015 at 8:18 pm
First of all zeolites are NOT dangerous-they use it in the ag industry for animals to consume. Second bentonite is used to close wells (that is why it’s used as a clumping agent)-it hardens like cement. Third Round-Up Ready simply means that you can use Round Up to kill the weeds in the field-it doesn’t contain the chemical. Fourth corn is not only an allergen but I do believe that it could grow mold in the litter box. Last – Yesterday’s News is a good cat litter if you want something non-toxic, just don’t get the perfumed kind. The pellets will crumple when used.
Lisa Amari
October 27, 2015 at 12:37 pm
Guys, I have been a cat sitter for twenty four years. I deal with all of the litters, good and bad. I have cared for close to a thousand cats over the years, with sitting as well as rescue volunteering.
I agree with the poster re: commercial clay and the Purina “natural” litters: they are full of harmful ingredients and make cats super sick. Not ALL cats seem to be sensitive to these, but MOST, that I deal with, become sick. Some just take longer to react to these but they do become sick over time, especially with upper respiratory issues and eye issues…(FOR WHICH THE VET WILL JUST PUT THE CAT ON ANTIBIOTICS OR PREDNISONE AND NOT EVEN THINK TO ASK WHICH LITTER IS BEING USED IN THE HOME. 🙁
As far as I can tell, the FDA does NOT regulate litter companies. I find ALL Arm and Hammer to be the absolute worst, even the fragrance free one. Tidy Cat is next up for making cats really sick. Scoop Away is AWFUL too.
The walnut litter may have a side-danger in that the oil residue it leaves may be harmful to a cat’s heart, over time. Also, as the poster said, you cannot see blood or irregularities, which is bad. Also, in multiple cat households, the cats cannot see the clumps well and sometimes get turned off and will avoid the box.
World’s Best, S’Wheat, Integrity clay litter and Cat Attract are the only ones I have had consistent good luck with. I can’t IMAGINE someone not scooping the litter at least twice a day. Cats are fastidious. It is cruel to make them “walk around or on top of” their own leavings….especially in multiple cat households. I can see where mold would occur if you leave the urine for more than 12 hours…..so the answer to that is just to scoop. It is so easy to do. What is the issue with that?! I scoop at the very least fifteen times a day in my profession. What is the big deal?! S’Wheat has a sharp, spoiled-milk smell to it whenever urine sits for a while in it, anyway. You HAVE to scoop it or you will hurl from the scent.
The pine pellets seem ok too, as long as your cat will use them. Many cats won’t because it is uncomfortable on their pads. With Integrity litter, some of the batches are too dusty, so watch out for that. It and Cat Attract, if you have to go with a clay litter, are in my opinion, the very best. (ALL clay litter is bad for the environment, but sometimes it is the ONLY option for certain cats.) No litter is going to be perfect, there are some downsides to all of them.
Also, all cats are individuals, so, of course, some may have issues with corn and wheat and pine. BUT if you scoop a couple times a day and change out the litter at decent intervals you should be fine with at least one of the above natural products.
If you stay consistently aware of your cat’s appearance and body language you will be able to catch problems right away and can switch to another natural product.
The Yesterday’s News, like the pine pellets, causes discomfort to some cats, on their paws. Also, I don’t believe the company when it says the ink from the recycled papers is definitely NOT toxic. Are they using only American materials or are they getting material from China? PURINA makes that product so I would definitely research that more, if you plan to use it. And I DEFINITELY would not use any other litter made by Purina… or Arm And Hammer (ALL of them), Tidy Cat (ALL of them) and Scoop Away (ALL of them). ALL of these have caused horrid problems with cats I have known…..as has the silica litter, any brand. The silica ones are usually meant to be used just to get them over a “health hump”…..not to be used permanently. If you have to use silica I would ONLY use the one made by the Cat Attract people.
Anyway, that is my take on all of this. I can’t tell you how important the right litter is in the health of a cat. As I said, most vets don’t even THINK to ask which litter is being used and they can make the problems WORSE by just addressing the symptoms and suppressing the cat’s body’s response to the harmful ingredients. I am going to check out the green pea stuff as that sounds like a very viable option.
Joey Lynn
October 27, 2015 at 1:19 pm
Thank you so much for that detailed list. I have used World’s Best, but cannot afford it any longer, very expensive. I use the pine pellets, very messy, but my cats are using it, and it is very inexpensive. Thank you again.
Deanna
October 27, 2015 at 1:57 pm
I’m a pet sitter too. I really like the new Smart Cat grass seed litter. No dust, clumps so well, and environmentally sustainable. If a litter can come close to perfect, I’d have to say this one does. We just have to get the price down some.
crosswind
October 30, 2015 at 10:52 pm
Grass seed litter sounds interesting. Where do you buy it? I wonder if cats could be allergic to the seed or just grass itself. no dust sounds great.
Bonnie
October 30, 2015 at 6:36 pm
Any suggestion for a cat that has respiratory issues. She is 16 . Her little nose….I won’t gross you all out with it….but she is a little trooper .
crosswind
October 30, 2015 at 10:46 pm
Bonnie, i wouldn’t be grossed out. I’ve been up to eye balls with runny noses, sneezy 3 cats, and one asthma cat. Asthma cat developed Nasal cancer in feb. We just put her down 3 wks ago. 🙁 miss her every day. It became too much to breathe for her. I HIGHLY suggest you keep her nasal clean. Ask your vet for a nasal cleaner. Our vet recommended me use Saline Wash for nasal by Little Remedies. it’s made for human babies. I buy at drug store or grocery. Also I found a homeopathy online called >> Sinu-rite by Pet Alive helps a lot w/ our cats with the allergy in sinus. We live in DRY Desert of Phoenix, AZ, so it can be dusty during monsoon dust storm season. Also, avoiding common cat food allergies like chicken, beef, fish, etc that affect YOUR cat (and foods that have peas, carageenan, yeast and grains). Grain-Free is a must for cats. Grains are high in mold too, which can increase allergies & toxins. Hope that helps. Good luck with your fur baby.
Bonnie
November 19, 2021 at 1:13 am
What do you feed your cats?
crosswind
October 30, 2015 at 10:48 pm
Also, for our remaining two cats, we use Yesterdays news litter. We bought some screen from Lowes & plan to sift it, like others say to reduce the dust. i haven’t had time or energy yet. It’s on my to do list.
Janet
January 9, 2022 at 1:17 am
Thank you Lisa for your very helpful reply. This whole discussion board has made me very nervous for my cat.I have been using Integrity multi-cat litter for my senior cat for over a year. My sister, who had him before I adopted him, used S’wheat scoop, but I noticed it was always wet and smelled. She didn’t scoop enough. I scoop every time my cat goes,except when I’m asleep. I am retired, so home a lot. I switched to WB recently, as the Integrity clay litter would stick to the side of the box. My male cat shoots high. After almost a month of this, even with scooping, the litter is looking wet, like the S’wheat litter always did. That’s what brought me here. It was making me nervous. I’m going to dump the litter out and go back to clay. I have Whole Paws brand from Whole Foods at home, then will switch back to Integrity again. The WB is tracked everywhere. That doesn’t happen with the Integrity. Also, the Integrity clay stays dry, except for the clumps, of course.
Bonnie
October 30, 2015 at 6:33 pm
I tried sifting World’s Best to get rid of the dust. I got rid of the dust problem …but it does not clump well. So back goes the dust into the litter. Lisa’s comment on the Walnut litter is interesting. I sifted it too…but had to throw the dust back into because I think it is the clumping agent too. I have one cat that has horrible respiratory issues and I do think the litter makes it worse. How I wish all my kids would just go outside and just use the litters when they have too. But alas….a couple go outside then come in and use their boxes. Talk about being set in their ways………….
Bonnie
December 7, 2015 at 1:53 pm
After years of dealing with my one cat with sneezes, she started having blood in her snot (it is what it is!). Took her to the vet and he was concerned that she had a bad tooth ( 15 yrs old +) and the infection was causing the issue. So she went in , put asleep, bad tooth removed, clavamox. ( That was $350) Still had the blood, so different antibiotic. Snot , blood and sneezy getting nastier. So did she have nasal cancer or what. No antibotics for 7 days and had her put asleep to get a culture of her nasal secretions and sent them to the lab. Lab came back…no cancer…Pseudomonas Aeruginosa….nasty antibiotic bacteria resistant to a ton of medicines except….(How many antibiotics have I put in her to fix this over the years ).. ( And she has kidney issues where I need to give her fluids- so this is an expensive cat – but one of our favorites )…
Now get to the point….She is night and day…since we started the correct drug. (2 days) I have spent a ton of money with this issue over the years. When do u decided you should culture this ….rather than accept the statement….this antibiotic covers a broad spectrum of issues. The Vet was concerned about the food I have her on. ( Of course he wanted me to put her on their prescription diet 18 months ago …but I kept her on the one that we had found thru Susan…even though it is not manufactured here but overseas in T.) But she has never lost weight till this past week. ( She stop eating dry food when we changed to this).
I questioned….what about the kitty litter since we use Worlds Best and the walnut, plus others years ago. No comment on this question ) How long has the cat had this bacteria in her system and her immune system fought this until now.
Here is the bottom ….bottom line. ….If you have a cat with sinus issues …herpes issues,…. respiratory issues…sneezes….snot….if you plan on keeping it….go do the culture. It cost $400 bucks approx by the time we were done. I have spent this over and over and over the past couple of years. I should have done this years ago. And this is not an easy fix either. But, at least I know what I am dealing with now. And make sure that any drug that is suggested to be used…that there are no adverse issues if you kitty has any other issue such as kidney. The Vet got the blue book of drugs out to check on the drug we are using.
This bacteria gives horrible ear infections in dogs & cats too).
…So, if you made it thru this …congrats ….and don’t forget to support Susan/ truthaboutpetfood /by purchasing her 2016 List.
Bonnie
July 23, 2018 at 12:46 am
After antibiotics which kill the good bacteria too -the cat may need probiotics. Inappetance is listed on the adverse reactions list for a unsafe commonly given antibiotic injection called Convenia. See internet -‘Convenia- sacrificing safety for convenience’.
kgrl
January 15, 2016 at 4:06 pm
My cat has developed bald spots on his legs and tummy,I just started using worlds best cat litter,3 weeks ago, took cat to vet,she couldn’t find reason for cats skin,coat,I have done my own detective work and the only thing I’ve changed is his cat litter! I’m going back to cheap clay,he never had problem with it
crosswind
March 21, 2016 at 5:34 pm
kgrl, Glad you found the connection early & have something to go back to. Sorry you are dealing with this. I will never recommend worlds best cat litter again, especially knowing WBC uses GMO corn. A poster was circulating Facebook about this on the Non-GMO walls. I do believe it gave our kitty nasal cancer, asthma & severe congestion & we put her down last October. miss her so much. Beautiful black kitty, funny with so much personality. Our 2 remaining cats are doing great on Yesterdays News Litter. I am allergic to dust & have asthma, so we cannot use clay.
Bonnie
March 21, 2016 at 1:07 pm
Has anyone heard of ‘okocat ‘ found on Healthy Pet website. It is a natural wood litter made from reclaimed wood.
crosswind
March 21, 2016 at 5:30 pm
Bonnie, I have not hear of “okocat”. First thought that comes to in what kind of reclaimed wood, because i called Yesterdays News Litter that we use now, after reading that they use reclaimed wood from wood shops combined WITH recycled newspaper. They said they do not use Pine wood, which bothers many cats and can cause respiratory issues. Make sure the reclaimed wood was never treated or painted etc.. Let us know what you find. Thx 🙂 We are doing great on Yesterdays News Litter now.
Bonnie
March 22, 2016 at 11:12 am
I found thru Dr Micheal Fox’s site ( http://www.drfoxvet.net/). Under the Cat Litter Box According to Ted Mischaikov, CEO of Healthy Pet, “Pulp mills have a variety of pollutants, but our fiber is sourced separate from those distilling/chemical processes and contains only water and minute amounts of white fiber. Specific to our paper pellet cat litter, I also want to stress that there is no post-consumer waste, ink or other contaminants. I am glad and proud that we can help reduce the landfill and/or burning of paper fiber from pulp mills via repurposing into healthy and safe pet products. It take diligence on our part across several dynamics of variability but that is simply a part of embracing a sustainability model Is this a bunch of whoooie……
I have a cat that is licking his hair off again this spring…he never uses the kitty litter…he goes outside ….Is it fleas….or something else……all his hair is gone on his back legs….same issue last year….and revolution solved it last year…but not this year….
carol coronelli
April 18, 2016 at 10:45 pm
my new foster cat has bare spots on her face. I was using corn husk stuff and on advice from shelter workers, I now have the newspaper kind. hope this solves the problem
Kathi Kruse
July 10, 2016 at 4:49 pm
My cat was having chronic respiratory issues (upper and lower) for over a year. He was blowing out green and yellow stuff from his nose and coughing like he had bronchitis. There are youtube videos about feline asthma, and he was displaying the same symptoms. I do not believe in giving steroids as they only mask the problem and open the body up for more issues. Western MD’s were stumped. I also saw 2 homeopathic/naturopathic doctors and the remedies worked but his issues always came back. I decided to devote my focus to figuring out what this could be. I truly believe and have witnessed the body can heal itself so I kept an open mind and went to work.
I have two cats now but I’ve had 5. My other cat was not having issues so I really thought it was an infection but soon realized it could be an allergy or just a reaction to something within the house. I tried a different diet from Natural Pet and while I feel the food is superior, my kitty still had his issues.
After using “World’s Best” litter for years, I noticed that the dust from it would get everywhere, especially in and around the litter box. When i wiped it up, it would turn into paste. It’s made from corn (and God knows what else) and because there is ZERO regulation on cat litter, I assumed it was laden with pesticides, toxins, etc.
I read this thread and a few others and decided I would go on a search for a healthy cat litter. I was ready to dump all of it and just outside and get some dirt because my poor kitty needed help!
I’ve spent a few hours researching litters and I found one called Smart Cat from Pioneer Pet Products that’s made from grass. I read all the reviews on amazon and decided to give it a try.
I am pleased to tell you that after 5 weeks, my cat is about 80% better! His energy has shifted and he seems more at ease…like his body went “Ahhhhh.” I change out the boxes (2) completely every two weeks.
I’m also giving him colloidal silver drops in his nose a few times per week and saline solution (homemade with himalayan salt) once per day to flush away any dust or airborne crap. (I had been doing this prior to changing the litter). This regimen seems to be working. I will report back in a few months with an update.
Elizabeth
September 7, 2016 at 2:46 am
Hi Kathi!
Just read your post and am wondering how your kitty is now? I have been doing tons of research- long story.
I spoke with someone today from Pioneer Pet Products, and asked if the grass was sprayed with pesticides. She gave me a rather indirect answer, and said that it is grown like any other crop is here in the U.S. Okay, so we need to read between the lines. The crops are sprayed with Round-up and whatever else they use; I recently read that with the top 10 worst fruits to eat (that are not organic), they can use up to 50 different pesticides! I cannot imagine this litter being a healthy and safe litter for this reason!
I
Elizabeth
September 7, 2016 at 2:46 am
Hi Kathi!
Just read your post and am wondering how your kitty is now? I have been doing tons of research- long story.
I spoke with someone today from Pioneer Pet Products, and asked if the grass was sprayed with pesticides. She gave me a rather indirect answer, and said that it is grown like any other crop is here in the U.S. Okay, so we need to read between the lines. The crops are sprayed with Round-up and whatever else they use; I recently read that with the top 10 worst fruits to eat (that are not organic), they can use up to 50 different pesticides! I cannot imagine this litter being a healthy and safe litter for this reason!
I would love to hear back from you!
Thank you,
Elizabeth
Elizabeth
September 7, 2016 at 2:53 am
Dear Kathi,
I am wondering how your cat is doing now? I have been doing tons of research lately – long story.
I called this company today and asked if the grass crops are sprayed with pesticides; she gave me a rather indirect answer, and said
that the crops are grown like any other crop in the U.S.
Major red flag!
I recently read that on the top ten worst fruits to eat, they are sprayed with not one but over fifty different pesticides, so who knows what these grass crops are sprayed with!
I’d love to hear from you!
Thank you,
Elizabeth
Donald Martin
August 19, 2016 at 7:09 pm
Don’t use worlds best if you have s dog. My little Shiz tzu died on Aug 5th 2016 and she was always looking for crumbs on the floor which includes the corn that my cat tracked out of his box. She was being treated for cancer and it was in remission but her immune system was suppressed and eating the litter might have been toxic whatever it was it killed her in less than 12 hrs. I feel awful thinking I could be responsible and after reading these comments I now wonder if my cats chronic kidney failure is also from using an world’s best. I have switched to walnut litter but I don’t like the dark color. I think I will try smart cat grass from all comments it seems like the one that will do the least harm. Again of you have a dog that licks things off the floor , don’t let him or her near the litter.
crosswind
August 20, 2016 at 7:44 pm
Donald, Oh no! so sorry for your loss & sick kitty. I will spread the word. GMO-Free facebook groups share to avoid this litter too. GMO corn is known to affect adrenals and kidneys in lab animals. I wish they would ban it. Thanks for sharing. Don’t blame yourself. We only did what we knew at the time & were taught. A vet got me using World’s Best Litter 15 yrs ago, because she was told it was good. Wishing you peace. Find Dr. Becker on Facebook and youtube (she is Dr. Mercola’s partner vet for health tips on pets and she has a great video demo comparing 3 litters, 1 includes walnut & the other might be the grass). Take care.
Jackie
August 26, 2016 at 2:15 am
I used World’s Best litter for about two weeks and wound up with this: a sneezy cat with an overly strong heartbeat and way more breathing than normal who’s usually healthy as a horse and me feeling…less than fabulous. The smell wasn’t too bad by my nose’s standards, and it did clump beautifully. I’m in California and during those two weeks it was 100+ outside…..so no open windows. As soon as I read something online about corn can litter and nastiness after liquid exposure, and then reading all kinds of stuff we expose our pets to that aren’t good for them, out it went (wasted half a small bag) and I proceeded to a nearby feed (think livestock) store to pick up something called Dry Stall (a competing company produces something called Stall Dry, funny enough) it’s made from volcanic rock (think pumice) and has greenish flecks in it. The results after 2 days: kitty (a mainecoon cross weighing in at nearly 15lbs) has sneezed once. He’s breathing way better, almost back to where it was pre WB (worst), he’s almost back to nearly playing in the litter box after he’s done his thing, and I’m chugging water and some Apple cider vinegar to flush out my sensitive system…..I hate taking pills and vinegar will flush most things out…..along with the organic virgin coconut oil I’m getting tomorrow for me, kitty, and multiple other reasons (coconut is very safe for kitty, most people, and puppies, but be warned that if taken in excess can cause diarrhea and a potential allergy to it). While the “litter” is a bit dusty, its no more so than any clay litter, it has very high water retention abilities, there’s NO smell, it has virtually no clumping action, and I’m pretty sure it’s zeolite free. It’s environmentally friendly and comes in 40lb bags for $16 and change after tax. I believe the other product is similar or the same (food grade diatomaceous earth mixed with montmorillonite clay). I wasn’t around back then, but apparently montmorillonite its what was used before clumping litter. I can’t report on tracking but it shouldn’t be worse than anything else. I bought a grass shower mat and put an old bathroom rug under it to help retain the mess and it works quite well. By all means, do your own research, but I’m going to see if this will work for me and my cat.
miss verl evans
August 31, 2016 at 12:35 am
To everyone out there I’m worried about clay clumping litter its made to clump up.moisture so our cats lick the dust off their paws and it goes down their mouths and clumps up in their stomach s causes a lot of major problems if it clips in the litter boxes it clumps in side dehydrates our loved pets and don’t for get our dogs eat it sometimes gross I know so to all us pet owners we also inhale it so I use bgs of sand cheap home depot Lowes the kind you put in sand box’s and scoop it more then twice a day but I add baking soda to it for ordor control no problems I also have a mat under it to catch it off my cats paws good luck try it
Elizabeth
September 7, 2016 at 3:49 am
I am so grateful for everyone’s input here; I just started doing research (again) after purchasing a bag of WB that was extremely dusty, which I hadn’t experienced previously; we usually use the red labelled bag, but his time picked up the green labelled bag. My kitty jumped up on the bed with the yellow powder all over the side of his face, which I cleaned off of him, which prompted my concern.
I don’t know why I never put this all together previously, but I then realized that this litter had to be made from GMO corn. We are so careful about what we eat and what we feed our kitties, but I never knew the dangers lurking from the litter! I pray for those who disregard the warnings from everyone above; the fact is that GMOs and pesticides cause cancer and all kinds of other diseases. Look up the You Tube video of rats fed GMOs, and notice the massive tumors that grew all over their bodies. I was told by a local farmer that the GMO corn has the pesticides right in it- if an insect eats it, it literally blows up, and if animals eat it, over time it causes the same condition that humans deal with- leaky gut syndrome, which is literally an eating away of the inside of the intestines over time, causing tears in the intestinal walls, and complete deterioration of the GI system.
I lost three cats to cancer, and still mourn them though it’s been a decade. My heart goes out to all of you have lost your precious babies, too, or who are dealing with chronic health issues. No one ever suggested it could be an issue with the litter, and I simply trusted that it was okay since all of the health food stores carry it as do the holistic pet food stores. It is only now, after reading each and every comment that I beat myself up for my ignorance; if only I had known this when we were first told about WB from the local Holistic Pet Food Store. Currently, one of our cats has been sneezing excessively, and had issues with periodic vomiting (which I though was from getting into a house plant). Thankfully those are the only symptoms in our three boys, however, it is the long term effects that we need to be concerned about, particularly for the kidneys as well as in developing cancer. I just lost my fourth baby; she had been diagnosed with the start of kidney failure three years ago.
Though she lived to be 21, her litter mate was the first to die at age 9. I lost their brother a year later (8), and their other brother the year after that (7). Their lives were cut way too short. People wondered if it was something in our water. I suspected the vaccines at the time.
Again, I believed what the vets told me, until I met a woman who’s two pets’ stories were in Catherine Diodatti’s book, “The Vaccine Guide What Every Pet Owner Should Know”, which prompted further research.
I just switched to walnut, for now, as anything is better than the WB. I have compiled a list of everyone’s suggestions to research further, and have some others working on this as well. By the way, the one made from recycled newspapers cannot be good, as newspaper ink is known to be loaded with the heavy metal mercury, which is a known neurotoxin that causes a whole host of horrible diseases (Read Dr. Mark Breiner’s book “Whole Body Dentistry”. He saved my life!)
Also, the one made from grass is no good either, as their crops are sprayed, too! I called them today and was given a rather indirect answer; she said that the grass crops are grown like any other crop here in the U.S. Hello! Red flag! I recently read that the top 10 worst non-organic fruits to eat are sprayed with not one, but over 50 pesticides! Therefore, this is not a safe alternative for our babies to be ingesting!
There has to be a safe alternative out there and I am determined to find the answer. My concern with the walnut based litter, though they assured me that it is chemical-free, is that it is yet another crop that can be sprayed or made from GMOs.
I spoke with them also, and was told that they do not have the proper certification to be labelled GMO free and organic. There is nothing on their website that says it is GMO free. Let’s face it, anything and everything is “natural”. Cat poop is natural, so that label means nothing to me.
They claim that it contains no chemicals, toxins or harmful ingredients.
I would appreciate suggestions for other safe alternatives as well as any information regarding the safety of the walnut based litter. I will repost upon completion of further research.
Thank you,
Elizabeth
Millie Styles
February 21, 2017 at 9:59 am
Elizabeth, have you found a different litter to try?
Bonnie
February 27, 2017 at 8:55 am
Elizabeth Have you looked at Biochar Kitty Litter that Dr. Mercola is promoting. I hate WB and found this the other day. http://www.capecod.com/lifestyle/why-i-wont-touch-these-top-selling-kitty-litters/
I have a cat that has horrible sneezes and herpes too.
Bonnie
March 9, 2017 at 4:32 pm
I saw some comments by people who bought the Biochar and they said their house is now black and so r their cats. Finally got the Breeze kitty litter to try. Was going to throw it away until some of my cats started to use it. If I can keep them in this to pee and use the other for poop, at least they are not in the WB/walnut combo I use. The pee pads may be expensive but better than having them in the kitty litter all the time. Could I recreate this w the 3 layer kitty litter system and a baby diaper for the pad and using twice as much in pellets…hmmmm …really thinking about this. Hate WB
Shelly
May 27, 2017 at 1:30 pm
I posted this above as well but it seems relevant to your post. If you find an alternative please let me know! I’m really moist concerned with a litter that will NOT stick to my cats paws so she won’t ingest it when grooming…
I had three cats who were only ever exposed to Scoop Away. Never had an issue. With my fourth cat (who is now 9) I decided to go with Blue walnut litter. We’ve been using it for a few years and I never really though there was an issue with it. It stained her paws brown after using the box but that’s about it. However, we just took her to the vet because she was vomiting and no BMs (Otherwise acting fine). The X-ray showed her completely compacted with stool with some sort of foreign material interlaced throughout. After two enemas as a result of which only some of the stool passed, we realized the foreign material was the walnut litter. We are concerned that she won’t pass the remaining stool. The litter was also still on her paws when she arrived at the vet! She is not eating it but she is licking it off of her paws. The vet is convinced this contributed to if not caused the constipation. It is likely she had similar minor episodes in the past. She would not have passed the stool without medical assistance. So we are switching back to a good clumping litter again, hoping it will be less likely to stick to her paws.
Bonnie L
May 30, 2017 at 4:03 pm
Shelly …do u have an update on your cat and the bowel blockage. I use the walnut mixed w World Best. Hope you were able to get her upblocked.
Bonnie
November 19, 2021 at 1:21 am
What diet did you feed your cat that lived to an amazing 21 years of age?
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John
March 8, 2017 at 10:05 am
Has anyone ever thought of just adding baking soda to their World’s Best litter? You’d get all the benefits of this litter product and make it less likely to get overly moist.
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Eagle
April 15, 2017 at 11:31 am
Has anybody had issues with the mold toxins in corn cob cat litter causing hallucinations in their cats? My cat suddenly developed a paralyzing fear of my televisions, and the only thing that had changed was his cat litter. I switched from Tidy Cat clumping litter (clay litter) to Litter Maid clumping litter (corn cob litter) and within a day or two of my using that, he was terrified of the televisions, and would not come out of hiding while the televisions were on. I tried turning the sound all the way down, thinking it must be the noise, but it wasn’t…it was clearly the picture on the television. I switched back to Tidy Cat because I wanted to eliminate the change in his environment which I suspected was the cause (as illogical as it seemed) and with a few days for the toxins to dissipate, he is back to not being bothered at all by the television. Now I’m reading all of this stuff about other cat owners and their animals suffering from organ failure because of it, so I’m definitely going to stick with the clay litter. It may not be “environmentally friendly”, but its my cat that I want to keep safe from harm.
CJ Harrington
May 27, 2017 at 4:59 pm
I switched to Pioneer Pet SmartCat All Natural Cat Litter which is made from grass seed ( that is what I understand). My cat who I have had for the last 5 years is now sneezing and sounds as though she may have some bronchitis or pneumonia going on. I took her to my Vet this week and she prescribed some antihistamines which has not helped. She told me if she got any worse, to stop by and prescribe antibiotics. I started them today. I will be taking her back Tuesday when they open to do a x-ray & blood work to see if anything can be seen. I did not even think it could be the cat litter until today and started googling this and found this forum. Just wondering if anyone else has tried this cat litter and their cat is having bad side effects? I have a kitten who was neutered as well this week and one of the reasons I switched to this because they cannot use clay litter the first few days. I have used Dr. Elsey’s cat litter in the past and probably will switch it out later today. The kitten has started sneezing as well so I am very concerned that this maybe entering their respiratory system via the nose (the kitten has some stuck to his nose everytime he uses the box.) . After reading the above comments, I am concerned as well about toxins which I had not even thought of! Any thoughts on this? I would appreciate some input to see if anyone else has questioned this litter. Going to use the Dr. Elsey’s Respiratory Relief cat litter and pray that my babies will be better once they use this! Thank you!
carlis
June 6, 2017 at 2:22 am
Not sure why no one has mentioned Cat Country. It is made from organic wheat straw, ground up and pressed into pellets. It smells lovely – like alfalfa, absorbs odor completely until it is saturated, and is flush-able in the amounts that adhere to poop. Doesn’t clump – but is compost-able. If I understand correctly there is a tiny amount of bentonite helping hold the pellets together. I have high clay soil so I don’t put it in my compost, but definitely biodegradable.
My cats all like it. At the moment I am looking for an alternative for one cat who has become diabetic and now finds the pellets uncomfortable under foot.
Since this is organic it should not have GMO Roundup residue.
Don’t know if straw gets aflatoxins.
Maria
July 31, 2017 at 9:59 pm
Thanks for sharing this. I’m hoping to hear more feedback on it. I have 3 bags of walnut litter in storage area and have certainly seen it get moldy when used litter sits in a garbage bag for a few days. Seems like they all have pros and cons but WB has always been too dusty for me.
Bonnie Lloyd
September 5, 2017 at 4:18 pm
Saw mold on my used World’s Best/ Walnut mix here too. We transfer new unused litter to a sealed container. Never leave it in the bag outdoors due to humidity. Wash kitty litter containers w soap & water , rinse good, then spray Accel. Air dry litter boxes before I reuse them. Hate WB & walnut due to dust. Still looking for something else to replace it.
Angela
May 14, 2018 at 12:05 pm
I am not surprised in the least that wet corn develops mold. I think what we’re looking at here is not a failure of Worlds Best Cat litter, but a failure of the owner to scoop every day, leave only a minimal amount required in the actual litter box, and keep the rest sealed in an airtight container. My guess is the litter box or litter bag were in a very moist environment, which contributed to the toxin growth. Hygiene is something you need to be mindful of, especially when it comes to a natural product like corn litter.
Bonnie
May 17, 2018 at 12:34 pm
I should clarify that the mold I saw was on used kitty litter that I left outside to throw out but got side tracked and forgot. I was just noting what happened to it in outdoor conditions. Luckily we have A/C on 300 + days of years and all the KL is kept inside.
Sharon
June 19, 2018 at 4:29 pm
I have a cat allergic to storage mites. I used Worlds Best for the first time approx 3 weeks ago and now my cat is licking her fur off. I believe this is an allergic reaction to storage mites that I assume can be in this litter because they are found in grain. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Mustapha
June 23, 2018 at 10:09 am
Thank you so much for that detailed list. I have used World’s Best, but cannot afford it any longer, very expensive. I use the pine pellets, very messy, but my cats are using it, and it is very inexpensive. Thank you again.
Bella
August 29, 2018 at 5:57 pm
ANyone have experience using the grass cat litters? Some claim to be non GMO and made without any pesticides. They are expensive yet people seem to rave about them …
taylorbagnell
August 30, 2018 at 9:47 pm
My cat Gojira, she Siamese, Started going bald on her kind legs. I thought it was the corn allergies. cause was Actually, fleas. i switched to Walnut shell, its a godsend and far superior than anyother worth every cent.
Samantha
September 16, 2018 at 9:48 pm
We just switched to corn litter Monday and by Friday my cat was vomiting and quit eating lethargic fever and red skin , took her to vet said she was having allergic reaction to something and only thing changed was litter so we immediately cleaned washed out cat box and went back to clay fresh step litter , I really think she would have died if we did not figure out the corn litter was causing it
CK
October 21, 2018 at 2:58 pm
I HOPE THIS LINK IS STILL ACTIVELY MONITORED. DOES ANYONE HAVE INFORMATION / EXPERIENCE WITH
PET SPOT “ORGANIC” (STATED ON BAG) 100% COCONUT LITTER (FINELY GROUND COCONUT HUSKS ONLY….NOTHING ELSE. PLEASE, I HOPE PEOPLE RESP0ND. (Note, everything I have read matches my description of this product…100% coconut, nothing else added). AND, MY CAT ON DAY ONE, USED THIS
LITTER AND REFUSED TO USE HIS REGULAR LITTER AFTER THAT ?? NEVER SEEN AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE LIKE THAT…NO TRANSITION TECHNIQUES NEEDED…WOW.
FYI. I HAVE BEEN USING SWHEAT SCOOP PRIOR TO THAT.
Bonnie
October 25, 2018 at 11:04 am
watched the video – check out the amazon reviews…. t
Crystal
December 25, 2018 at 8:21 am
NEVER USING Worlds Best Cat LITTER AGAIN!!! All 3 of my cats are extremely sick with upper respiratory infections! My cat George is the worst & in horrible condition; barely moving it is killing him!! They are all on antibiotics and had to be sub q’d fluid. Corn based litter creates mold!! DO NOT USE THIS LITTER!!! Cats have died from it!! This litter causes a DEATHLY MOLD called Aflatoxin!
I was using Blue Buffalo Walnut shell lotter for years and when we got the Litter-Robot many people were saying to use World’s best since it worked better for it. Well after switching all my cats started sneezing on and off and then they all became sick. Vet said upper respiratory infectionsx by George just got it ssooo bad which turned to pneumonia and he is in critical condition. It is devistating. Also another vet confirmed that corn based litter causes bad viruses and upper respiratory issues, breathing problems and more. There company has a vet answer their phone who had the audacity to say well it wouldn’t be because of our litter; they must have caught it from people living in the house…. uhh, no not possible (and by the way they are indoors ONLY). She then said me talk to their vet. No thanks after you just said some dumb comment; what would that do. You keep selling a product with toxins that cause people’s babies to be sick and/or die! And for a cheap ingredient skyrocket the prices and slap the name “aworld’s Vest..” on it. More like WORLD’S WORST CAT LITTER! Something needs to be done!
Bonnie
January 2, 2019 at 10:33 am
Crystal – what are you using now. I don’t have the Litter – Robot . I have the Human Hand Scooper . Luckily my house kitties go outside but my office kitties are stuck inside. All of our litters are scooped morning & night plus we don’t use a cover. Any suggestions.
Crystal
January 2, 2019 at 1:02 pm
Blue Buffalo’s walnut shell clumping litter. By far THE BEST! Cats do not mind it, no purfume smell, healthy for cats, for 3 cats a 26 lb bag lasts a month! Clumps and not huge
Mariella Yu
October 16, 2019 at 10:46 am
The walnut shell stuff really is the best, it’s just expensive.
ANA
February 18, 2022 at 7:15 pm
I have been using Blue Buffalo walnut litter for years, have tried many others, and find this one to work the best. It does produce dust though. The dark color does make it harder to detect any blood in urine, but if you place a paper towel on the litter it will wick on it and show if there is blood. I only ran into mold growing once, when the litter was not being cleaned as usual twice a day and letting the urine-soaked litter sit in the litter box for too long. I recently found out about Garfield litter and Sustainably yours litter (same company) and like the results so far.
KL
January 16, 2022 at 12:37 pm
This is a good article. I think this is true not just of corn based litters but any organic litter. I used a wheat based litter with my Ragdoll for years and he was fine, but as a Sr. when kidney problems began and his urine was less concentrated (e.g. more water) we started having issues with mold and fungus. I don’t like clay clumping litters, but I ended up having to switch to this to avoid the mold issue…and traded that for an issue with cement in paws. I wish we had a litter that solved all the problems…I guess you would call that a “sand box.” 🙂
Adasha Knight
February 23, 2022 at 9:06 am
I’m so glad to find this as I have just been diagnosed with toxic mold poisoning from the corn cat litter in my room, since it made me sick, I became bedridden, and kept it close to clean it. Wow. Watching the toxic mold Masterclass experts this week and Dr. Shaw mention how we get it in our bodies and mentioned the dust from dry pet foods with grains. Imagine the dust from dry litter from grain. Mold reacts when it gets wet and releases millions of spores into the air. That’s what we are breathing before we ever actually see the mold. It’s microscopic, but present. So it’s not a matter of when you scoop. It’s a matter of what takes place on an object when it gets wet from humidity or urine. Boom, the air is contaminated. Have you ever touched a mushroom and saw the smoke fly out? That’s the defense mechanism. Same thing. It lives to reproduce. I’m now drinking charcoal hoping I live and researching what to put in this box for my babies.
Do not use anything like corn, wheat, grains, etc. I don’t know the answer, but I hope I find one. I still don’t know what’s wrong with clay but I may by the end of the day. I’m less worried about the smell or mess or that it’s mined and denting the earth if we all live! What’s the alternative???
Looks like I may be just ordering a load of sand. My outside cats are super healthy!
Sally
April 7, 2022 at 4:03 pm
What to use for litter is quite the conundrum. I think I’m on to a solution, only to find another problem. Clay or sand creates silica dust, which inhaled can lead to silicosis or other lung disease. Any of the grains, paper, grass-based, walnut shells, pine, have toxicity or allergy-potential aspects. I’ve been using Okokat Super Soft (reclaimed wood, no dyes, chemicals, GMOs or fragrances) for several months. The texture (slightly grainier than sawdust) is gentle on a cat’s feet. As the product breaks down, it seems to become dustier. The big drawback comes when cleaning up the dust–any moisture, like a damp paper towel, creates a paste-like residue which takes forever to conquer. I was ready to change litter again…until I read everyone’s posts. Maybe a pesticide-free, non-pelleted alfalfa or bamboo product might be good.
Bev M.
June 4, 2022 at 8:58 pm
I’m not at all concerned. Mice and other vermin we a concern to me when we switched from using clay litter. The reason I switched was clay has its own laundry list of problems, but cleaning a clay litter box was a total PITA for me. When we buy a new bag of chicken crumbles, I split it up into 1 gallon plastic milk cartons and freeze them. This won’t entirely prevent existent mold from growing in our cat litter, but the mold spores cannot grow in freezing temperatures. Since the litter only remains in our boxes for a week before I empty them and wash with vinegar, the mold doesn’t have much time to come back to life and start reproducing. I could bake it to kill any potential mold, but that seems like more hassle than it’s worth, tbh, but I’m not aware of any mold allergies in my family.