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Proper Disposal of Cat Litter

September 19, 2022 6 min read

Proper Disposal of Cat Litter

Being a responsible cat parent includes knowing how to dispose of cat litter. How do you dispose of used cat litter, though? Because incorrect cat litter disposal can harm the environment, your responsibility goes beyond simply purchasing your cat's preferred litter.

Cat litter that has been incorrectly disposed of causes several problems, including mountains of non-biodegradable waste in landfills, clogged drain lines, and poisoned waterways.

Therefore, how should cat litter be disposed of? We review the few straightforward adjustments you may make to properly dispose of the waste from your cat's litter box.

Using a Trash Can as a Method of Disposal

The easiest approach to get rid of used cat litter is to utilise this tried and proven procedure. However, it would also be advised to purchase heavy-duty trash bags for moving heavier cat litters as they may get torn and spilt, which should be well avoided. Further, one can place the trash bag in the trash can before pouring in the cat litter for ease and convenience.

You can also use a separate bag for cat litter for sanitary reasons because even though the concept of utilising your organic trash or compost in other elements, such as gardening, is thus eliminated if you mix the litter with organic waste (manure or with anything biodegradable).

At least once every day, the cat litter box or cat litter tray should be cleaned out. First, sift out faeces and pee clumps using a cat litter scoop, then put them in a small garbage bag. Once you've collected every box in your home, shut the garbage bag and double bag your scooped litter to stop bacterial leaks and odour development. Next, place it into a garbage can with a tight-fitting lid outside. Remember that litter, especially clay litter, is thick and may rapidly become heavy, so use a stronger waste bag.

Proper Disposal of Cat Litter

Don't just dump kitty litter into the garbage and leave it there. Not only may this develop an unpleasant odour over time, but each time the container is opened, particles of tainted cat excrement and cat litter can enter the air. Don't ever throw used cat litter outside, either.

You can find cat litter best for the odour that won't stink up your house while providing your pet with all its waste disposal needs by clicking here.

You should tie off your bag, take it out of the trash bin, and start a fresh bag for your subsequent cat litter scoop session each time you dump an entire batch of old litter (complete litter replacement, not your daily scoops). This method of cat litter disposal is best for odour management and guarantees that your garbage bag isn't being set up for potential rips from the inevitable heavyweight.

In addition, you shouldn't leave old litter or daily scoop waste in a garbage bag open for an extended period. Regular cat litter disposal will keep the environment clean and hygienic and stop new germs from growing in the polluted trash. Without these precautions, you risk inviting house flies and undesirable trash into your home.

You could have a fire pile or burn barrel for your trash if you live in a less suburban location. But clay litter doesn't burn well. It will only accumulate at the base of your pile instead. Also, there is always the chance that poisons might get airborne while burning some biodegradable litter.

Composting Cat Litter

Composting cat litter is not always the ideal answer because most cat litters are not created from biodegradable ingredients.

Proper Disposal of Cat Litter

Although clay is the most popular litter, several others available are formed of other materials. Currently, cat litter are produced from various materials, including maise, walnuts, newspaper, wheat, and wood shavings. While many of these products are biodegradable, composting them might not be the best option.

There are several germs in cat faeces that are worse than E. coli. For example, Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite, is present in certain felines. The parasite is easily spread to people and other animals in the environment because it is excreted in their faeces. In healthy people, toxoplasmosis seldom results in symptoms, but it can negatively affect the developing baby in pregnant women.

As a result, if you plan to use your compost to grow food, you should keep cat litter away from it. Cat litter may be compostable if only used in flower beds, but many consider the risk not worth it.

If you want to compost your cat litter, look for goods that state they are biodegradable or made from organic materials when purchasing. For those unfamiliar with it, composting is a way of converting organic matter into nutrient-rich soil. As a result, instead of tossing these litters away, you may compost them and eventually turn them into fertiliser.

You can contribute to a better environment by using compostable and biodegradable waste. Furthermore, you may have a natural fertiliser by composting biodegradable waste rather than its chemical-laden commercial version.

Once more, only "compostable" trash can be composted. Dumping clay-based and silica crystal litters with your yard's brown and green waste has no advantage since they cannot decompose. Instead, they are inedible and should not be used.

To compost, one can use the bucket method of composting by dumping the litter in with other compostable matter. To conveniently mix in the elements for composting without turning them over by hand, you may alternatively purchase a specialised composting bin, such as a composting tumbler.

The fact that you can only compost a small volume of material at a time with buckets is a drawback. However, if you only have one cat, it might not even be a serious problem.

The other composting method would be in-ground composting because if you have an underground compost pit, you may have a bigger and even deeper area to work with. It can receive and manage bigger amounts of rubbish at the same time. The only serious difficulty at hand is the position of the compost pile. It should not be placed near a water source since compost runoff and leaching might contaminate your water.

To make this method even simpler, you can purchase your cat this cat litter, best for odour control.

Also check out: Why Do Cats Get Zoomies

Ditching the plastic bags for disposal

Proper Disposal of Cat Litter

When removing dirty kitty litter from the litter box, use a biodegradable garbage bag or paper bag for disposal. Then, instead of opening the bag and emptying it to let the trash and waste out, you may pitch the bag itself into the composter.

Flushing

Even though this is the most straightforward option, we don't recommend it unless the brand has been certified as flushable and you've checked your municipality for any flushing restrictions.

In addition, flushing forbidden goods down the toilet can pollute waterways and cause pipe clogs that may be exceedingly costly to clear.

Before implementing this method, you should educate yourself on the many sorts of garbage that may be flushed and figure out the flushable cat litter.

Litters made of clay cannot be flushed because of cat litter clumping. Your plumbing system may suffer damage from the clay. However, some biodegradable wastes claim to be flushable on the package. However, should used cat litter be flushed? It's okay to flush pee clumps, but you shouldn't flush faeces. It is the same reason that old cat litter shouldn't be composted. T. gondii and other intestinal parasites frequently escape detection and persist in the water supply, even with advanced wastewater treatment systems.

You may flush several kinds of wheat- and corn-based litters without problems. However, according to the general guideline, you should only flush a few clumps simultaneously. Never flush a complete batch down the toilet since this increases the likelihood of your pipes clogging.

Cat Litter Pellets like pine litter, which is constructed of pine timber, are an additional choice that may be flushed and is biodegradable. This litter's ability to bond nicely with cat faeces is one of its many beautiful qualities. It also doesn't clump and breaks down quite quickly.

Make your cat litter flushable by opting for one of the cat litter pellets of different varieties ranging from eco-friendly to easily disposable by clicking on this link. here.

Disposal of Specific Types of Kitty Litter

  • Recycled newspaper cat litter is one of the eco-friendly options that can be disposed of with regular garbage disposal.
  • Cat litter clumping happens in Clay clumping litter, so the best method is to scoop and bag, then throw it into the outdoor bin.
  • Cat litter sand and Silica clumping litter follow the same waste disposal method as Clay clumping litter.

Click here to buy your beloved feline companion the best cat litter box and cat litter tray accompanied by cat litter sand or pellets, whichever you prefer, that meets all their and your needs by being more convenient for waste collection and disposal.

Conclusion

It's vital to remember that choosing the correct product for your cat's litter is just as crucial as disposing of it properly. Of course, you could always train your cat to use the bathroom if all else fails. Here are some valuable pointers to bear in mind:

  • Make the switch to eco-friendly kitty litter as much as possible.
  • Utilize compostable waste bags. If the litter you're using is dense, use two layers.
  • Make composting a habit.
  • Make your cat litter flushable if other methods are impossible; remember that they do not mess up your plumbing or sewage.

You can consider helping the environment now that you know how to properly dispose of your cat's litter, depending on the kind.

For your next read: Smelly Poop? Here's What Poop Can Say About a Cat's Health



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