On Having Two Mean Cats {& Arm & Hammer Ultra Last Cat Litter Review}

This is Nova. Nearly identical to my other cat, she frequently prompts the question, “Auntie, is this the mean kitty?” when my niece and nephews are visiting. Unfortunately, the answer is always, “Yes,” regardless of whether they’re asking about Nova or the other cat, Belle.

As a lifelong animal lover, I never would have dreamed that I would have a mean pet. I have nothing but love to give to any furry friend, why would I get something other than that in return?

This is Belle. Belle was my first kitty. A friend’s neighbor gave her to me when her cat had kittens. Tiny, sleek and black, she did sweet things like fall asleep in my shoes and curl up right next tahead head at night. As a young cat, I once accidentally stepped on her foot. Hard. Worried that I had broken her leg, I sobbed all the way to the vet’s office where they took an x-ray and assured me she was just fine. She was my baby, and I treated her like one.

As she grew a bit older, Belle clearly stopped appreciating my affections. I’d play with her nonstop, then she’d run up to me and bite my leg. Hissing and threatening sounds were emitted all the time, and my vet suggested that she needed a “sister,” another cat to keep her entertained and exercised.

My husband, my best friend and I headed off to a Petco pet adoption event. Nova was the first cat we looked at. My husband picked her up and she rolled over in his arms to be cradled like a baby. As she happily purred, the volunteer shared that cat had come from a shelter in my hometown. Leah, my friend, said, “You need this cat.” We took her home and named her Nova.

Belle and Nova hit it off instantly. They ran, tumbled and fought, then snuggled up to sleep together on a soft blanket. Belle stopped biting me and started ignoring me. Nova gave me plenty of love while offeringeven more entertainment. Not always employing all of her intelligence, she’d frequently try to fit into boxes half her size. She’d try to jump up onto broomsticks, doorknobs and other tiny, unstable objects. She’d get too close to candles and once burned most of her whiskers off while she sniffed a lit tea light,, ran away, then returned to do it again and again until I extinguished the flame.

I have no idea what made Nova develop a mean streak, but it happened, and now I have the distinction of owning two mean cats. They can both be nice, gentle creatures, but they’re not to be trusted. Get too close to one of them at the wrong time and they’ll start howling and batting with their (thankfully declawed) paws. Children and guests are easy targets for them. One night, Nova chased my sister’s two youngest kids around our living room until they both screamed and cried. A friend moved in with us for a short time and Nova once blocked her closet door, hissing, yowling and meowing, until my friend almost broke down in tears and gave up trying to change her clothes.  When babysitters are here, the cats have to stay on our lower two levels of the house with the door shut, since Nova once scared a sitter who did nothing to provoke her.

Regardless of their propensity for being mean, I love my kitties. When I brought them both home, I made a commitment to make them a part of our family. You might think I’m crazy, but they’re mine and I love them.  I’d do almost anything to make sure they’re healthy and happy.

Keeping them healthy and happy of course, means that they need food, water and a clean litter box. I’ve used a Clever Cat litter box for many years, and I think it’s the best litter box that keeps odors to a minimum and keeps litter from scattering. A perk of the Clever Cat is that it can be lined with a big garbage bag, so all dirty litter is removed at once, then replaced once the Clever Cat is lined with a fresh bag.

While the cats and I are usually happy using a basic clay litter in their special litter box, it’s important to make sure their area stays as fresh as possible, which is more of a challenge when our family goes out of town for a few days. I recently decided to try out Arm & Hammer Ultra Last Cat Litter to see if it was a fresher alternative that could be used when I wouldn’t be around to scoop every day.

Arm & Hammer Ultra Last Cat Litter:

• Provides powerful long lasting odor control that keeps working even when you can’t scoop.
• Each granule is coated with ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda PLUS Powerful Odor Destroyers to help keep your home smelling fresh all day.

I was hoping that the litter itself would be unscented, but it had a mildly perfumed scent that concerned me. My cats are used to 100% unscented litter, but using the Arm & Hammer litter in their usual litter box didn’t seem to bother them.

I, on the other hand, was exceptionally pleased with the performance of this litter. I usually swap out an entire box full of dirty litter for a full box of clean litter about every 5 days. That 5th day is pretty pungent when using unscented, untreated clay litter. the Arm & Hammer Ultra Last Cat Litter  was decidedly fresher. On the 5th day, I scooped out all the clumps and refilled the box. It was a switch from changing out the full litter box, but I have to say that the smell was much better!

It’s great to know that Arm & Hammer Ultra Last Cat Letter is available nationwide at both Target and Walmart stores, so it couldn’t be easier to find.

For me, personally, I’m not going to fully switch from my unscented clay kitty litter to the Arm & Hammer brand, but I’ll definitely be using it when I know I won’t be around to change the litter box right on schedule.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf Arm & Hammer and received a product coupon to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.