Review: Essentials Clumping Cat Litter from Arm & Hammer

Here's the blurb from the ARM & HAMMER web site about their kitty litter: "It is formulated with a proprietary blend of 100% natural corn fibers that combine with ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda to effectively absorb urine and eliminate odors instantly. Plus ARM & HAMMER® Essentials™ Clumping Cat Litter* is biodegradable and has a softer footing that cats prefer. So it's better for your home, your cat and the environment! Harness the Power of Nature™ for outstanding odor elimination with natural ingredients, and keep your home naturally odor-free"

Corn fibers, presumably from stalks and cobs, are a renewable resource. Baking soda neutralizes ammonia in the urine. Biodegradable litter is better for the environment. Clumping litter is good for the cat owner because cleaning the litter box easier. Litter box odor elimination is better for the people who live in or visit the home. So, what's not to like about this kitty litter? Just one thing. It stinks!

I knew the moment my scissors cut into the bag of kitty litter that there was a problem. What Arm & Hammer does not tell you about ARM & HAMMER® Essentials™ Clumping Cat Litter is that to "eliminate odors instantly" they rely on hiding the odor with a fragrance.

Neither their web page, their ads, nor their packaging gives the slightest hint that they have added a strong, cloying scent to mask the aroma of used kitty litter. The cat litter really stinks! It reeks of a cheap, sickening sweet, supposedly floral aroma that would be best used in an outhouse's air freshener.

How about the rest of the claims for this cat litter:
* Absorbs 2X more liquid than regular clumping clay litter? I didn't test this.
* Eliminates odors instantly? I guess this claim is true. My olfactory nerves went into near-instantaneous overload and shut down my sense of smell when the powerful reek of cheap perfume hit them. It there had been feline feces in the room, I would have been unable to smell them.
* Provides rock-solid clumping with new Advanced Clumping technology? I tried this by dropping a small amount of water on the litter. It clumps. Was it "rock-solid clumping"? I have dirt clods in my yard that are more solid than this litter's clumps, but it was solid enough to be easily scoopable.
* Virtually dust-free? Compared to the classic gray clay kitty litter, it is definitely less dusty.

The verdict on this litter: I'll get a refund, and find another brand of kitty litter that's biodegradable, clumps, and does not stink up my house. I suggest that ARM & HAMMER revise their packaging and other material to indicate "stench fragrance added".