No, You Shouldn’t Flush Your Cat Litter

In many ways, cats are very neat and clean animals. But that doesn’t save us from the fact that we are expected to clean up after them. Which leads us to the question of how to dispose of their poops and the accompanying litter. And before you suggest it – no, you shouldn’t just flush it down the toilet. Here are three very important reasons why you shouldn’t, and what you should do instead.  

Parasites 

Not only does your furry friend’s waste not smell great, but it is also a danger to human and marine life. There is a parasite in cat waste called toxoplasmosis. Our wastewater management systems are not usually designed to kill this parasite, so it makes its way into our water systems and into the water systems of marine animals. It can cause brain damage and death in otters, and in rare cases, can also damage human brains. Flushing your cat feces is dangerous to everyone who relies on water.  

Your septic systems delicate balance 

Your septic system relies on a balance of bacteria to break down waste. When that balance of microbes is disrupted with the addition of the microbes specific to cat feces, it stops functioning as well. Your septic system was not designed to handle cat waste, and you definitely want to keep your septic system happy. Because when it’s not happy, it’s very hard for you to be happy. 

The litter causes clogs 

Not only is the waste a problem, but the litter itself is also an issue. Cat litter can be made of various things, and none of them belong in the sewer system. There is a basic three P rule for what should be flushed – pee, poop, and (toilet) paper. One of the biggest issues with flushing litter is that it often contains bentonite clay. Bentonite clay hardens as it absorbs water (a thing your toilet has in abundance) and becomes cement-like. Hopefully, we don’t need to further explain why having a cement-like substance in your pipes is a problem. 

What should you do instead? 

The best option to minimize the effects to the environment and your septic system (and your bank account, if you develop a severe plumbing issue) is to put your litter and the cat poop into plastic garbage bags.  

Litter Lockers help you do that without smell or having to take the garbage out every time you clean the litter. It seems counterintuitive that a plastic bag could be the best solution for the environment, but when it comes to cat litter, it is a far superior option to flushing.