People with pets at home are often concerned about cat waste. You can’t just throw it away at any place. Nowadays you can safely compost cat waste.
Cat litter is available in different forms. Some of them are made of natural stuff but many of them are made from artificial chemicals.
Cats waste itself is a biodegradable product. But they make odor to stand it. It is wise to clean cat waste regularly to minimize odor and keep the environment clean.
In this article we are going to learn about how to compost cat waste to save our mother nature.
Why compost litter instead of throwing it in the bin?
It is not wise to just throw cat waste in the waste bin. Composting is the most eco-friendly way to dispose of your cat’s used litter and it isn’t difficult. Just do it on a daily basis to get used to it.
Some people think that compostable litter will degrade in a recycle bin as well as it will in your garden. But this is not totally true. In order to biodegrade all biomaterial needs oxygen and water to work effectively.
Compostable litter that is disposed of in a waste bin or recycle bin ends up in some landfills. We know that the environment is very tightly packed and that contains very little amount of soil and very little oxygen.
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For such conditions, the litter will biodegrade very slowly. After being composted, it can be used as fertilizer for your plants after only a few months, giving it a new purpose to serve.
How to compost cat litter?
There are a couple of ways to compost cat litter so that it doesn’t harm our mother nature. We should keep in mind that not all cat litters are compostable. Check before buying whether the product is compostable or not. Follow the steps that are described below:
- Add a layer of soil or leaves at the bottom of the compost bin.
- Add a layer of used cat litter from your cat litter box.
- Cover the cat litter with one-inch layers of sawdust, soil, or leaves.
- Repeat this process regularly and add other compostable materials like fruit or vegetable waste.
- You need to make sure to aerate the compost regularly.
- After about 6 months to one year, your compost is ready for use.
How to compost cat poop
For composting cat litter correctly, follow the following steps.
Keep your compost pile away from any food-growing areas. For a bin, make sure it is at least 1 meter in size. This will keep the pile accessible and easier to turn.
Carefully choose the litter you’re working with. Don’t use clay litter or litter with deodorant crystals. Your litter should be totally composed of plant-based material to break down in the compost bin.
Add nitrogen to make your compost cat waste work. Plant material, fresh grass clippings, fresh cow, chicken or horse manure and even leftover veggies from making your salads can be used successfully.
Keep the compost pile moist. Make sure it is breaking down and add what is needed. Let the compost leave for at least two years before using it.
FAQ’s on Compost Cat Waste
How to Safely Compost Cat Litter?
Keep a layer of soil at the bottom of the bed. Spread a layer of used cat litter. Cover the cat litter with soil. Repeat this process regularly. You need to make sure to aerate the compost regularly.
After about 6 months to one year you can use it.
How do you properly dispose of cat poop?
Wrap it carefully and place it in domestic waste. The wrapping is usually done with newspaper or biodegradable bags. Put it in your domestic bin.
Bury your cat’s poop in a garden. Dig a hole roughly one meter deep. Cover the hole with something. Buy a specially made sealed cat poo bin. When the cat poops, simply scoop the waste into the bin.
Can you put cat litter in compost?
Don’t use compost that contains pet waste on edibles. Spread this compost on your lawn. If you really want to reduce the amount of waste your household produces, you can consider. It needs precautions, to maintain a separate area for composting pet waste you plan on using in your vegetable.
Is cat urine good for compost?
Cat urine does not create a problem for your soil, unless there is a large quantity in a small area of a garden or a lawn. Use a lot of water to dilute it in the soil. Cats return to an area to defecate because they can smell where they went in earlier, so removing the soil around the feces should reduce the repeat visits of your cat.
Can I dump cat litter in the woods?
Dumping a tidy cat litter on the ground or woods isn’t safe for the environment. Dump the litter into newspaper or biodegradable plastic bags, and dispose of it in the trash can, especially if you’re in a coastal area or near any natural waterways. This is not a common solution for everybody.
What is the best way to dispose of cat litter?
You can use a litter scoop to sift out the urine clumps and stool and keep it in a small trash bag. Once all the boxes in your house are scooped and finished, tie off the garbage bag in a tight knot. For preventing odor and bacterial leakage, use double bag and scooped litter. Place in an outside trash can with a tight-fitting lid on it.
How long does cat litter take to compost?
We are having litters made of clay or silica in the market. They don’t break down in nature easily. Clay and silica are made of Silicon. Clay for both non-clumping and clumping litter are gradually worn down over time. In this way, depending on the environment, clay is formed. Under the proper procedure, it needs half to one year to decompose cat litter.
Is used kitty litter good fertilizer?
You can compost cat poop to a good fertilizer and use them in your lawn or flower gardens except anything that isn’t edible. Hot composting is good to kill off pathogens. Don’t use a clay-based litter that doesn’t break down in the pile. In that case, use pine or paper-based litter.
His professional interests include humane education, ethics, small animal behavior, and veterinary. As a pet lover from school life, having grown up with two cats and a dog. If he isn’t spending time with his friends and family, Justin enjoys traveling. Learn more about Justin here.
