Thread: A more environmentally friendly way to deal with cat waste?

Originally Posted by Catlover

I think britain has a long way to catch up with Germany in the recycling/environmental stakes! Pretty much anything goes when it comes to domestic waste. We do have a garden so maybe it is time to get a compost heap started.

Is it possible to compost cat poo? Should you only do it with wood-based or recycled-paper cat litter? (not the clay stuff). I have a compost bin in the garden but I hadn't thought of composting the cats' waste. Wouldn't it make the compost stink?

Originally Posted by Howlinbob

Is it possible to compost cat poo? Should you only do it with wood-based or recycled-paper cat litter? (not the clay stuff). I have a compost bin in the garden but I hadn't thought of composting the cats' waste. Wouldn't it make the compost stink?

Yip these are questions I have too!

I thought you couldn't compost waste from any animal that was a carnivore (or even an omnivore if they have any meat in the diet)? I could be wrong though.

Originally Posted by Catlover

I think britain has a long way to catch up with Germany in the recycling/environmental stakes! Pretty much anything goes when it comes to domestic waste. We do have a garden so maybe it is time to get a compost heap started.

I would say so... we are charged on weight also of the non recyclable waste so the small bin.. is left light... I can tell you..

Also all bottles you pay a charge on of 25c when you buy them.. so this makes sure you take them back to the store... beer bottle you pay a charge on the crate full of bottles around €3.80 so it makes sure you take them back.. clothes, shoes they come around 4 times a year ( free) but also have huge bins at the bottle bank, to take them.. and last but no mean least.. all the other stuff couches, freezers, wood, old kitchen etc etc.. they also pick up 3 times a year, all for free.... so you do not see them dumped in the waterways!!

I find the wood pellets if you take all the poop out and even in poop is left, ( when ambers cleans).. lol rots down added to this normal compost stuff.... it makes an excellent mulch for the garden... I moved the muck heap last week it was teeming with worms... hundreds.. and the birds here love it... specially in winter.. so it keeps us happy the birds happy and is good for the environment.. no matter how many cat you have.. all the stud boys use hypoallergenic sawdust( not shaving) you would use on Horses.. its Fab stuff fill up the big ikea box... 3/4 full daily de poop and it last for about 3 weeks..

When we had dogs we had a special bin that was sunk into the furthest corner of the garden that you put the poo into & then added something to make it break down,worked a treat & didn't smell,never gave that a thought,should work for cats too just might need a bigger one with six,at the moment I bag into biogradable poo bags & wheelie bin it....
Now going to start looking !

We flush all the solids down the loo and put the compostable (cats best) litter into the brown wheelie bin so it gets composted along with the garden trimmings and cardboard... But I certainly don't wander around the house with scoops of poop!

Get a covered litter tray, take the top off and hook over a carrier bag (this gets reused) put the cat litter into this, it later goes into the bin, sans the plastic bag... the poo gets put directly into the (empty) litter tray... once you've finished put the lid onto the trya and carry the offerings to the loo, I have to put loo paper on top to make it all flush away, as the poop gets dried out in the litter.

Shame we dont have composting loos, that would turn a problem into an asset.

My friend flushes her cats toilets down the loo but very often has to flush twice to get rid of it,sorry I am too tight for that,all I can think of is extra on my water bill,as we are using chicken crumb\pellet though when we change the trays we do put that into composting...

Originally Posted by Howlinbob

Is it possible to compost cat poo? Should you only do it with wood-based or recycled-paper cat litter? (not the clay stuff). I have a compost bin in the garden but I hadn't thought of composting the cats' waste. Wouldn't it make the compost stink?

Would not know with clay... if it say recyclable then I would say yes? I have a working heap.. and every time I put new cat litter on, I over fill with some from the old.. this stops the smell.. or in the summer when I clean the boys, out the BIG trays, I make sure I mow the lawn and put the grass cutting on this also stops the smell.

But the huge green compost bins with the bottom that opens is what I am going to invest in next year... I will then keep them in the same place... and use from the bottom... at the moment I am still designing my garden for more lay areas once this is done I will buy the bins..

Most recycle places will take cat poop.. in their garden waste that what I did when I lived in the UK.. I used to go once a week to the recycle place with my bagged up poop... I had to empty the bags.. which was a smelly job.. but hey its good for the environment. lol

I would hate to have a huge heap or pile of cat litter building up in my garden, it must be awful smelly in the warm weather. I think double wrapping and into the rubbish bin is best.