NOT ALL CORN FIBER CAT LITTER IS CREATED EQUAL
by S. K. LéVeillé
Recently, I was at a local store where I always purchased a safe, all-natural cat litter product. It had been available in two styles and I've used either or, so if one is out I get the other style. The cat doesn't mind as long as I sprinkle the different style on top. For the first time, both styles were sold out. To me, this belies the theory of many stores that there isn't more of a demand for fragrance-free, chemical-free products.
Then I saw a cat litter which bragged on the label that it contained "Natural Corn Fiber". Examining the front and back of the package, nowhere did it indicate that this product contained any fragrance or chemical. In addition, it was a brand name I thought I could trust.
Back home, opening the bag, I noticed it wasn't user-friendly. It indicated a scissor line but no good way to reseal the 10 1/2 lb bag. Oh well. I poured the litter into the cat box and almost immediately noticed a "bite" in my sinus area that happens when a petrochemical is involved. "No, it can't be!" I said.
Then I thought, "Maybe I'm just not used to the smell of corn fibers," when my throat began to hurt. Still, I had to bend down and get a better smell to identify the problem. At that point I began to phlegm up. "Oh, no!" I exclaimed but my voice came out garbled. I felt betrayed because all this company had to do was list "Fragrance" on the package.
When I later spoke to a person at the manufacturer's office she admitted the product contained fragrance but she said they don't put "Fragrance" on the label "because it doesn't bother most people." Is this sin of omission even legal? I wondered. Here's where I got upset. I told her, "They didn't put 'Fragrance' on the label because they wanted to present this as a 'natural product.'"
I had to explain to her that the fragrance they use contains a petrochemical and she said the word back as if she'd just heard it for the first time.
As the chemical smell began permeating the air, I had trouble closing the bag because of the wide shape. I had to find a large, thick rubber band to wrap vertically and then attempt to form flaps to tuck under the rubber band.
