What's the best way to dispose of those nasty offerings left behind in kitty's litter box? Currently, hubby and I are reusing the last of our plastic grocery bags to bag up everything and throw into the trash. But I know there's got to be a better solution than simply adding it to the ever-expanding landfills. I have read about a flushable litter made from recycled newspaper, but it's non-clumping and my cats pee a whole lot. We've also tried out a small bag of this new clumping, flushable litter made from some kind of corn kernels, but it costs triple what we pay for litter currently and the cats aren't too excited about it. The only one who even tried it was our 18-year old who can't always make it to the "usual" box. What does everyone else do?
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Kitty's Litter Box
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To cat_mama_8
Do NOT use Arm & Hammer (Church & White) products - they are tested on animals!
Swheatables
I have a septic tank and use Swheatables. The manufacturer states on the box that it is safe for septic tanks. I have yet to have any issues. Smell is minimal. Clumping is great. Clean up is easy.
I noticed that a few environmental engineers posted input. Is there any gotchas on the septic tank issue that I should be aware of?
It is just me and the cat so we aren't exactly overloading the system.
For those of you using the pine pellets then throwing them around for mulch, what about the cat smell in the mulch? Does it effect outdoor animals like other cats being drawn to it or raccoons?
Cat's Pride flushable is the best we have had!
We used yesterdays news before but it made such a mess and a lot went to waste. So I switched to the clay litter and it was just as much of a pain in the butt. Then we found the flushable kind. I keep the box next to the toilet and just scoop after I go, so I don't waste a flush and I can consistently keep the box clean. It clumps pretty good and a little goes a long way. We are saving money and there is a lot less to haul out at garbage night.
Green tea leaves
I use Green Tea Leaves clumping cat litter, it is the best litter I have ever found! it no longer smell like cats in my house. it is a Green product and my cats love it because it is more link there normal little. i had tired the yesterdays news but my house always smelled like wet paper and that was gross. and i also thought about one of the corn ones but i can't imagine the cats would enjoy that on their paws.
so there is my two cents... i hope you find somethign that works for you.
ive used yesterdays news.
its biodegradable, but as PP have said, biodegradable means nothing in a landfill [which are pressed down tight to make more room, making it extremely difficult for oxygen to get in to help certain organisms to thrive...these organisms are what degrades the stuff.
anyway, yesterdays news i used for my rabbits [because ceder and pine chips/shavings are NOT okay for rabbits...it causes respitory problems that can turn to pneumonia if you dont know what to look out for.]
ive also used yesterdays news for my cats after having them spayed [clay litter and pine can cause dust that can get into the sutures and cause infection.] they dont seem to mind the yesterdays news, but it doesnt clump...but it absorbes VERY well. just be sure to scoop at MAX every other day so youre not dealing with mush. it also keeps the ammonia smell to a minimum. #2s still stink, though, lol.
and to all those who are debating about flush or not to flush. heres the deal. MOST facilities treat with VERY HIGH amounts of chlorine to kill of pretty much all bateria and fungi. many also heat the water to a boiling temp, or preasurize it to the point it obliterates most organisms...id really hate to be a bacterium in the treatment center. but if that wasnt enough, some also treat with consentrated UV rays [mainly to deactivate certain chemicals that have similar chemical make up to rocket fuel] but this also kills pretty much any remaining organisms.
if you dont feel your water is treated enough, you have a problem. lol. now, some can argue that if its so well treated why do we need filters for our taps, well thats for the water system, not the sewage system. afterall, your water still has to travel via concrete and metal [in some cases 50+ year old pipes] to your home...the chemicals and rust and bateria that backs up into the water system from your faucets [the reason why californians have to have those nifty lil devices on their taps] or that is left over from a LOOOOONG time ago when we didnt know any better.
if you think all that stuff wont kill the organisms in cat litter, than you really havent researched it. id be more concerned about that roach you flushed last night instead of your kitty litter. plus, out of all the diseases cats get, only a few are zoological [go from species to species...such as cat to human.] and if you have a cat, you shouldnt be worried about taxoplasmosis...if youve had a cat for over 5 years, youre most likely immune to it...and it doesnt do much to humans. it can cause blindness in newborns, so pregnant women shouldnt do the litter box, but if you have the antibodies [theres a test] then its most likely youll pass those antibodies onto your child. adults arent really affected unless you have a VERY weak immune system.
last point: cats [and dogs and rabbits, hampsters, birds, etc.] all groom themselves EVERYWHERE and then eat/drink and once in a while what do you do? wash their bowls, of course. now where do you wash those bowls? in a puddle outside? no, the sink. the same sink thats connected to the same sewage system as your toilet. so that same bateria gets into the system regardless. plus, i bet some of you wash your animals in the shower/tub. again, same system. ;)
sources: certified vet assistant, cat owner, and i took a tour of the South Florida Water Management Treatment Facility and they explained all of what they did and why and whether it was a state or federal compliance for each step in the water treatment regimen.
biodegradable options
Unless you are composting or sending your compostable waste to a facility that specifically composts (usually high energy and high-heat to prevent microbe overgrowth), products labeled "Biodegradable" aren't actually helping. Items that go into the landfill DO NOT biodegrade. Landfills are made to be dry so that decomposition does not occur, releasing gases that are toxic to the earth and all its inhabitants. Don't be fooled-- if you are using something that is biodegradable, it WILL not biodegrade in a landfill. Start composting! You'll cut your waste going into that dry tomb of a landfill by tons!
Hi Chris and Dan, We used
Hi Chris and Dan,
We used the pine pellet litter for about ten years with excellent results. Just flush the little "gifts" and the used litter becomes mulch. It is especially wonderful for shrubs. Recently, I started using the clumping pine litter. With it you can just scoop everything into a used bag and toss. The cat's absolutely love the pine. I do think I will go back to the pellets though, I seems more ecologically sound choice.
Awesome Litter Box System
Check out the Smart Cat Box (http://www.smartcatbox.com/). It uses safflower seeds instead of litter. The urine drains through the nonabsorbent seeds into a reservoir that you just dump into your toilet every few days. There is absolutely no urine smell! All you have to do is scoop the solid waste (which sticks to the seeds), and flush it down the toilet as well. You do have to top up the seeds occasionally, but it's minimal compared with regular litter. You can even hose them off and reuse them. It's a great "green" alternative, and truly the easiest litter box I've ever had.
re: bio bags and flushing pet waste
As an environmental scientist trained in water quality (with a good background in wastewater treatment plants) I have looked into this A LOT.
First off, nothing biodegrades in a landfill. Maybe if something goes quickly while it is in the top layer as KelsAisling58 suggests, but I have seen reports by scientists (garbologists actually who study garbage) digging into landfills and pulling out newspapers from the 1960s that have not biodegraded. If newspaper doesn't biodegrade in that oxygen depleted environment, not even your bio bags will. Save your money, use a bag you'd be throwing out anyways to put used kitty litter in.
As for flushing pet waste, yes the waste should get treated the same as human waste would in the wastewater treatment plant. BUT wastewater treatment plants are not meant to treat toxoplasmosis and other bacteria/viruses that may be found in cat waste and not human waste. That's when those things can cause harm to wildlife - in the effluent released from the treatment plant after being "cleaned." Another issue with flushing is that wastewater treatment plants are built to serve a certain population. If every person starts flushing pet waste, the load on wastewater treatment plants gets doubled and many plants are already over capacity and could not handle this additional waste. This might lead to system failures, which we all know could be incredibly bad for human health and the local environment. Several people have commented to ask your local waste treatment plant - I agree completely.
And really, of all the things we put in landfills, there is a lot more we can and should cut down on before worrying about pet waste.
Cat litter
I have 7 cats and I use World's Best Cat Litter and I flush it. I noticeD most people are saying that it cost more, but I actually saved money by switching to WBCL. It lasts longer, cuts down on the smell, it's natural, and it can be flushed.
To stacynguyen - Landfills
Actually, in regards to plastic not breaking down in landfills due to lack of oxygen, I beg to differ on that one.
Daily, bulldozers go into the newly dumped heaps of garbage and "aerate" it to make sure it all has some modicum of exposure to the air. It may seem like this isn't the case, but that's primarily because plastic simply does not break down as quickly. Biodegradeables, which consists largely of a starchy bi-product, break down a bit more quickly.
As for the litter I use, I switch back and forth between Pet Ecology, SwheatScoop and TWBL. But what I didn't see mentioned here, and for which my cats truly prefer, is the Breeze Litter System. This comes with the pad for urine absorption, much like what a diaper does, and ceramic pellets the same size as Yesterday's News product. The pellets are reusable. The pads, once full of urine are disposed of in my garbage. I wash the pellets with Nature's Miracle, dry it in the sun for a few days to bleach it, then it's good to go. Of course, I do have to add a new bag of pellets monthly, due to partial removal when ridding the pan of waste.
litter
My kitties refuse to go green and convert to non-clay litters, much to my dismay. We compromised on the unscented clumping litter from the bulk bin at PETCO.
My city does not allow flushing even if I could. I buy the completely biodegradable bags from poopbags.com (not the pseudo-biodegradable ones). Biodegradable is a little bit of a broad term, as it turns out.
Sure, I realize that once they hit the landfill they probably won't biodegrade, but to me it's worth it to know that these will still at some point, if given the opportunity, biodegrade into something that's OK, PLUS I am not contributing to consumer demand of the petroleum-based plastics.
With reusable bags, we don't have much plastic coming into the house that isn't recyclable these days. What we do get I try to repurpose into packing materials, storing stuff, etc.
Kitty litter
I'm pretty lucky, I live in Toronto and it has an organics garbage program. All the litter goes in the bin and later composted...so they say. That being said I'm thinking of toilet training the cats. The litter is still a dusty process and smells.
>^..^<
cat litter
I use Feline Pine in our two cat boxes. It is basically pine sawdust. I have two old pillow cases. When I scoop, one is for the poop and the other is for the clumps of hardened pine litter from where they peed. I dump the cat feces into the toilet and flush it away. The clumps of hardened pine litter go into the nonfood compost to be used later to balance out the acidic soil from all the 60 year old oak trees in our backyard.
cat litter
Judy L. McKnight I started using Arm and Hammer essentials its natural, no dust, smells good and if you scoop every day you dont have to completely change the litter but once a month, just add a little to replace what you scoop out with the poop. I admit I do use plastic bags to put the present in, but the paper lunch bags are a good idea. My cats like this litter, but they didnt like the newspaper pellet stuff, they didnt even get in the box and scratch around. the corn flushable stuff was too smelly for my taste, the I found the a n h essentials, win win for us.
Boo for corn
I tried the corn, too, but didn't really like it that much because of the cost and because it didn't clump that well. Then I read elsewhere (probably Sierra Club) that the corn type isn't as good because of the environmental toll of contributing to the ubiquitousness of corn, which includes mass use of pesticides and using of arable cropland for "food" other than for human consumption. (Perhaps a somewhat important issue for many of us "hippie" types.) :-) I use the scoopable cedar, which I love because it keeps the smell down and we go through very little of the litter if I clean it out every few days (for one cat). Also, cedar is good material to use since the trees are everwhere--including being invasive in many areas so NEED to be cut down. It's a win-win!
Cat litter
I use Feline Pine scooping litter, as the pellets track way too much for me to keep up the vacuuming (I have one medium hair cat). I will never use the Worlds Best, both my cat and I are sensitive to this litter, and the dust it kicks up is unreal. (I used the World's Best because it is made in my hometown, and also because I thought it would be safer for my cat.)
Yesterday's News cat litter
Hey all!
I was wondering if anyone know if this type of cat litter is biodegradable?
http://www.yesterdaysnews.com/Default.aspx
Thanks so much!
Pine - Bread/Cereal Bags - Reverse Scoop
I use the pine non clumping, and put the waste in a cereal or bread bag. Why buy bags, even biobags, when we are throwing away empty food bags already?
The most efficient way method for me is to clean out the #2, push the remaining litter to one side of the pan and scoop/sift out the clean litter into a pile. When completed I have a pile of sawdust looking used litter on one side and a pile of unused litter on the other. I don't waste any unused pellets and it seems to last forever.
I currently use the Petsmart ExquisiCat pine litter, but I will try the wood pellets as referenced above. I contacted the corn and wheat based litters and they said it was cost prohibitive to purchase GMO free corn/wheat. So there is a potential negative environmental/social impact if you buy those products made from GMO's.
Kitty Litter
I do not use conventional kitty litter it is not good for the environment and it is expensive..
I used to use a Wheat husk variety but expensive.
Now I use wood pellets for pellet stoves found at any hardware store. The wood is a recycled product and the bags are 40 lbs and only cost me 3.78 a bag. I have two cats and one bag lasts me about 3 months...
When the pellets get wet they dissolve to a powder. I created a 12x12 frame and attached 1/4 screen to sift the pellets. You can either spread it on your flower gardens like you would bark or sift it right over the garbage can.
I pick out the poop and flush that.
Good Luck
Flushing pet waste
to mannewme and greenjilly:
i'm an environmental scientist and fairly familiar with sewage systems and treatment processes. sewer treatment plants treat waste regardless of whether it originates from humans or other animals (as stated by stacynguyen.) if the facility is up to standards, the waste should be properly treated when it leaves the plant, except for in certain situations [see below]. and if isn't being properly treated, then it doesn't matter whether it's human or cat: it's going to cause issues.
greenjilly:
whether storm water and such go straight to waterways or to a treatment plant depends on whether the the sewer is a separate or a combined system. separate systems have two networks: storm and sewage. combined systems have generally one. during heavy rain events, combined sewers may discharge storm AND sewage directly to waterways.
the bottom line is, flushing your pet's waste isn't going to do any more harm to the environment than flushing your own "personal" waste.
i'm also married to an environmental engineer who happens to work at a large sewage treatment plant. i ran all this by him, too, just to confirm it.
How can it be different than flushing human waste?
Um, how can flushing cat waste down the toilet be any more of a problem than flushing human waste? I sure hope THAT is all going to the waste treatment plant to be dealt with.
And putting it in biodegradable bags that get thrown in the garbage anyway, I doubt that does more than make pet owners feel less guilty because, in order to biodegrade, all those bags need to be exposed to oxygen and bacteria for a sufficient amount of time-- that will certainly not happen in a landfill. Once those bags are buried under other garbage, no more oxygen. We'd all be amazed at all the biodegradable items not degrading at all in our landfills-- same goes for biodegradable disposable diapers that go there.
Kitty litter
I use Fresh Results for my cats. It is so much easier to scoop than clay litter and is biodegradable. The litter is made from corn and comes in clumping or non-clumping. It also has a pleasant smell. Scooping the boxes twice a day really helps cut back on the cat waste odor.
I buy it at Wal-Mart for under $7 a bag. Not all Wal-Mart stores carry it so you may have to do some research on the internet to find the nearest one that carries it.
Smelly cat
It is true that a lot of municipalities don't care for it. Apparently Ohio (where I live) isn't a state that is concerned, though. A lot of cities suggest that flushing it is the best disposal method.
The issue is that sinks and toilets go to the treatment plant. Gutters, storm drains, etc. (so if you compost *maybe* this would eventually happen) go straigh into the creeks, streams, rivers, etc. That is why people are often after dog owners who don't pick up, because it goes right into the storm water systems.
That being said, I've been using Swheat scoop for a while and it is ok, and more reasonably priced than World's Best. I also found the WBCL had ZERO odor control (but was swayed to think differently from the commercials). Swheat Scoop is only slightly better, really, but I hate to use clay since it's strip mined. Baking soda helps a bit.
But you definitely have to ease the cats into the switch.
Anyway, I flush the urine clumps (no issues for a single cat) and other deposits at least twice a day.
Prior to that, I was doing the same--baggies. They were always second use baggies, but it still hurt me to do it.
Bio Bags now makes a pet bag that breaks down that you may want to try. I use their tall kitchen bags, and if they get wet somehow, it doesn't work well. I'm not sure how that will work with clumping litter--in theory if it's good, though, it shouldn't be wet. (There are a couple of other brands that have pet waste bags that break down. You may want to search for that. I think I saw a blog either here or maybe on re-nest that had a link to a co. other than biobags.)
So if you can't flush (based on location or litter)...The bag and waste will still be taking up space in a landfill, but I think the impact of the bio bag is less awful than petroleum based plastic.
Kitty Litter Issues
I use The World's Best Kitty Litter (I think that's the name). It's more expensive but for one cat, it can last up to a month if you clean out the box once or twice daily. It's made of corn and you can flush the clumps of urine down the toilet (just break them up so that you don't clog the drain and have to use a plunger!). I put the poop in the dark blue bags that my newspaper comes in. I was told or read somewhere that you don't want to flush the poop down the toilet and that darker plastic bags help decompose the poop faster.
Judith in North Carolina
flushing cat waste is no good
This is response to those who flush; please check with your local municipality before you do because most cities/counties/etc do not treat animal waste that is introduced into the sewer system, and that can lead to diseases being introduced to wildlife, etc. An example is the declining otter population off the coast of California; untreated animal waste makes its way to the ocean, badness ensues. So please, reconsider if you're already flushing, or research it before you start!
I switched from clay to flushable litter (introduced it slowly)
I did some web searches on reviews of flushable cat litter, and what I found put "World's Best Cat Litter" (WBCL) brand at the top of the list for good clumping, and nearly top for odor control. So I decided to try it.
To introduce to my cat (who was at that time using a clay litter very well), I started out by adding JUST A BIT of the WBCL to his existing litter box. He continued to do well in the litterbox, so each time I cleaned out clumps, I would just add a little more WBCL to the mix. [I was not flushing anything yet, since the litterbox was still at least half clay.]
At some point - probably when the litterbox was at least half WBCL - I just threw away all the litter in his box, cleaned it well, and filled it with WBCL.
Now we are using 100% WBCL and just flush all the "offerings" down the toilet.
Re: cost, it seems like I have read that some people just buy corn that is ground pretty fine for chicken feed (although I have not tried this!). Good luck!
biodegradable bags and litter
I use Worlds Best Cat Litter which is made from corn and is 100% biodegradable. My cats like it fine but be careful though as lots of cats are allergic to corn. I'm lucky that mine are not. Remember, if you are switching litter you need to do so gradually and mix in some of the old brand for awhile to wean them off of it.
I tried Swheat Scoop but it just did not clump well in my multi-cat household. World's Best clumps great. It's more expensive but as with most things, you get what you pay for. My problem is that I have chemical sensitivity to perfumes and most cat litters are so heavily scented that they make me sneeze. And lots of them contain chemicals not healthy for cats. Of the greener, safer litters, Worlds Best works best for me and my cats. I guess it is worth paying the premium from my perspective.
You can flush it but I don't want to risk clogging my pipes so I use the Litter Champ disposal can which has biodegradable bags. I put it out with the garbage so it does go to the landfill but it is 100% biodegradable.
compostable bags and biodegradable litter
We use SwheatScoop brand litter and put the cat waste into BioBags. It then goes in the garabage, but is all biodegradable.
compost kitty litter
Having done this for a while now I can say that S'wheat litter and everything else in the litter box composts. BUT of course you CANNOT use this compost on food gardens because of possible toxoplasmosis in kitty poo. I have a separate compost bin just for the kitty litter and I toss the finished compost back into the bushes where my toddler can't get to. I keep a covered bucket (an old conventional litter container) by the litter box inside and scoop into that. When it's close to full, I dump it in the outside compost bin. Sometimes I throw some dried leaves or weeds on top to keep the smell down. Otherwise I leave it alone (I'm a lazy composter). It's really easy and I love not throwing anything away.
kitty litter
Several years ago, I switched from your typical kitty litter to the pine pellets. The pine pellets are not a clumping litter, but it is biodegradable. I simply flush the nasty gifts in the toilet once a day or so, and when the pine pellets have completely broken down, I chuck it in the back yard as it basically turns to mulch (about once a week). The kitties love it and I love it, and there's essentially no waste. Plus, it smells a little of hamster cedar bedding since it's made from trees and pines.
Kitty Litter
I buy paper lunch bags and use those to clean out the box. Still goes in the landfill, but paper is more biodegradable than plastic.