It’s time to do your daily litter box cleaning! If you have an automatic cleaner, this is an easy job.
But what is the best way to dump cat litter?
If you don’t have an electronic litter box, you’ll have to scoop out the poop the old-fashioned way.
After you finished cleaning out the litter boxes, it’s time to throw away the poop. So, you take it to your regular trash can then take it outside.
But what is the right thing to do with old litter and cat waste?
- Where do you dump old cat litter?
- Does it go in the green bin?
- Is it meant to be composted?
- Is it meant to be flushed?
- What’s the right way to dump cat litter?
By the end of this article, you’ll know the answer to these questions.
- Where to dump old cat litter
- What bin to put it in
- If you can flush it down the toilet
- and if it’s safe to be composted
What types of cat litter are there.
If you go to any supermarket, there are a lot of choices for kitty litter.
Here are the main types of cat litter.
- Clumping clay
- Non-clumping clay
- Crystals
- Paper
- Corn
- Wheat
- Walnut shells
- Grass
Both types of clay and crystals are the cheapest and most readily available in any area.
However, these types of cat litter are not eco-friendly. T
he other types of cat litter are eco-friendly and can be disposed of in many different ways.
Unless you have a kitten, most cats won’t go for the eco-friendly options.
Cats are finicky about their bathrooms. They tend to prefer the type of litter they used as a kitten. If your cat doesn’t like the cat litter, she won’t use the litter box.
The most common way to get rid of cat litter.
The most basic way to get rid of kitty litter is to scoop it out with a scooper. Be sure to put on rubber gloves and a facemask, so you don’t breathe in any dirty litter particles.
Breathing in too much kitty litter could cause side-effects from ammonia exposure or a respiratory infection.
We don’t recommend you throw away the poop in the kitchen, either. Dirty kitty litter sitting in your trash can will stink up your kitchen in no time.
If you’re working with clay littler, you’ll need to take into account the weight of the clay.
With all the waste on the litter, it’s going to be a heavy bag. To keep from making a bigger mess for you have two options.
Double-bag the cat litter in a waste bag.
When you scoop the poop or change the litter, put two bags together. The littler will be substantial.
One indoor garbage bag has a high potential to rip from the weight of the dirty litter. Put the garbage bag in a separate trash bin.
This will take extra time, but it’s also less of a mess.
There is also less risk of the bag ripping when you transfer it from the first garbage bin to the outside garbage bin.
Can cat litter go in the green bin?
Kitty litter can go in the green bin, but you will need to take some precautions with it.
When people pick up the green bin, you don’t want to put it in loose. Nobody wants to breathe in dirty kitty litter.
To be considerate of the people picking up your green bin, put your kitty litter waste in a paper bag, so no one is breathing in litter particles and potentially getting sick.
Can you flush cat litter down the toilet?
With all the different types of cat litter existing in the world, this question gets asked over and over again.
I’ve looked through many websites to research this question.
Some websites are stating the more eco-friendly kitty litter, like corn or paper, can be flushed down the toilet.
However, most sites don’t recommend flushing litter, regardless of how many websites say it’s okay.
The state of California recently passed a law requiring all cat litter packages to post a warning label telling people not to flush litter down the toilet.
Besides the risk of serious septic tank issues, there’s also the health risk you place on your neighborhood by flushing your old litter.
Flushing your cat litter exposes people to Toxoplasmosis, which can cause severe congenital disabilities in babies.
Toxoplasmosis isn’t lethal for most people, but pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems could have serious complications if they’re exposed to the parasite that causes it.
No matter how many websites insist it’s okay to flush the eco-friendly types of litter, it’s better to be cautious and not risk an expensive septic tank bill.
Can cat litter be composted?
If you’re working with clay or crystal cat litter, you shouldn’t compost it.
These types of kitty litter are not biodegradable so that they won’t break down in the dirt.
Especially if you have a vegetable garden, it’s best to keep the cat poop away from your vegetables.
Other biodegradable types, like wood or wheat, would work better with compost.
Cat litter made out of wood is said to be one of the best for this method. Wood can not only be converted into fertilizer, but it can also turn into mulch if you’re growing something other than vegetables.
The smell of excrement will keep away any wild animals, so there’s less chance of any unwanted guests coming in and eating your garden at night.
Conclusion.
Your cat’s litter preference will determine how you dump cat litter. If your cat prefers the non-biodegradable types of cat litter, you’re mainly stuck with the traditional scoop and toss.
But if you have a rare, adaptable cat that likes the biodegradable types, there are more options for you to choose from when you’re dumping your cat litter.
No matter what method you choose to get rid of your old cat litter, remember never to flush it down the toilet. You will have a bigger headache than you anticipate.