What??
My cats are indoors. They are 12 years old and live in a urban block..too many cats outdside to make them outdoor kitties. I don't anticipate being on our land for another 2 years. maybe one.

The only holdout we have for plastic bags is kitty litter/poop. We use wood stove pellets for the litter...so they are biodegradable. But how do we biodegrade them They are not the best substance for a compost pile or worm bin. I can start a worm bin for the poop...but what about the pellets??? I already have a compost pile...but it is hard to keep up with with just all of our kitchen waste in the winter that is.

I really want to stop throwing away kitty litter to the dump.

What can I do???

I was just talking with someone the other day that said they trained their cat to poop/pee in the toilet. Seriously. I bet if you googled it you could find some stuff about how to do that. Otherwise, I don't know how solid wood stove pellets are, but they may work in a wormery if they aren't like really hard lumps of wood. Our curbside recycling allows vegetarian pet shavings but I don't suppose a cat is vegetarian. If it is then I would use wood shavings and put them in the worm bin.

I was just talking with someone the other day that said they trained their cat to poop/pee in the toilet. Seriously. I bet if you googled it you could find some stuff about how to do that. Otherwise, I don't know how solid wood stove pellets are, but they may work in a wormery if they aren't like really hard lumps of wood. Our curbside recycling allows vegetarian pet shavings but I don't suppose a cat is vegetarian. If it is then I would use wood shavings and put them in the worm bin.

The pellets disintigrate when they get wet. they are just pressed sawdust. The worms just don't like sawdust. NOt vegetarian...the poop I can put in a the worm bin..and I am OK with that. But the sawdust I am not sure what to do. When we have land I will just have a huge compost pile and add as much green matter as I can. But on a small city lot, I don't' have room...and dh is worries about smell critters. funny, cuz if they were outdoors, they would just go outside and he would not worry about smell or critters...:)


THere is no way with one toilet that my kitties can share. i just could not handle it...lol! but i have heard of that as well.

Thank you:)

Well Linda you could just get rid of the cats and not worry about it..

;pot: :smirk:



:lol:

dh is worries about smell critters. funny, cuz if they were outdoors, they would just go outside and he would not worry about smell or critters...:)



Can you sneak it into the compost and when it doesn't stink and critters don't come say "I told you so" ? :lol: Sorry - I know I am not helping. :o

Hmmm... you know I really think it wouldn't smell. Does it smell in the house? And smell critters would probably stay away because urine is a territory marker. I think I would just put it in the compost bin and toss the poo either in the toilet or the worm bin.

Well Linda you could just get rid of the cats and not worry about it..

;pot: :smirk:



:lol:
now, now....I do love my cats.
if you only knew how much MONEY we spent on these cats moving them from the States to NZ....oh man.

I swear no more cats/pets until we are on our land. But that is silly cuz these cats I am sure will last forever...hehe.

Can you sneak it into the compost and when it doesn't stink and critters don't come say "I told you so" ? :lol: Sorry - I know I am not helping. :o

Hmmm... you know I really think it wouldn't smell. Does it smell in the house? And smell critters would probably stay away because urine is a territory marker. I think I would just put it in the compost bin and toss the poo either in the toilet or the worm bin.
you know Katie, the urine being a territory marker is a REALLY good point to help dh mentally shift to be able to do this. THANK YOU!!!:rainbow:

You might want to do a google search on
"cat litter" compost

I'd be a little concerned about using any compost from a compost bin with cat "products" in it. Maybe vermicomposting kills more of the possible disease organisms, though? There was an interesting experiment done here:
2005 Young Naturalist Awards - Got Cats? Get Worms! (http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/youngnaturalistawards/2005/Eric1.html)

You might want to do a google search on
"cat litter" compost

I'd be a little concerned about using any compost from a compost bin with cat "products" in it. Maybe vermicomposting kills more of the possible disease organisms, though? There was an interesting experiment done here:
2005 Young Naturalist Awards - Got Cats? Get Worms! (http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/youngnaturalistawards/2005/Eric1.html)

Hi MArgaret!
Vermicomposting is definitely the way to go with any feces, or animal products. I have read about it and there are no issues if you use the worms. I would not compost it. The biggest issue I have is the sawdust left behind. Wroms don't like it, so not good for the worm bin. I don't want to incinerate it and I don't have enough space for a Big composting system. The sawdust produced is too much to keep up with for our sized compost.

That article yo linked me to is GREAT. I am so passionate about vermicompost. I read a great book on it...

Organic Growing With worms by David Murphy. I really should purchase it and send it on to the States for everyone to read. It is such an amazing book. He sites a chicken processing plant that deals with its waste with huge worm farms...the throw in the claws, feathers etc...all the things they don't use and the worms eat them all up in a very short cycle. Then they have vermicast at the end. No rotting animal material to dispose of. THere are trees planted and growing along the huge cement worm bins that reflect the health of the worm piles.

What a great solution!!!

ok...gotta figure out how to deal with the sawdust. dh is not going to help me, so it is allll on me.:)

Is there something that you might substitute for the wood pellets? maybe something made of corn - would the worms eat that? Or do you not have the space for such a large worm area? I wonder... if you got in touch with the author of that experiment... it has been a couple of years since - maybe he has something in the works for a future commercial product for fellow conservation-minded cat-lovers. Or check out some more of the google links - I remember some of them being quite interesting, including some conversations on other message boards.

can you put kitty poop in the toilet?

Composting Accessories – compost spreaders, composting guides, accelerators – Composters.com (http://www.composters.com/pet-waste-products.php)

what about this, Linda?

Is there something that you might substitute for the wood pellets? maybe something made of corn - would the worms eat that? Or do you not have the space for such a large worm area? I wonder... if you got in touch with the author of that experiment... it has been a couple of years since - maybe he has something in the works for a future commercial product for fellow conservation-minded cat-lovers. Or check out some more of the google links - I remember some of them being quite interesting, including some conversations on other message boards.

that is possible...and a good idea. I did not think about switching the litter. The reason we use wood pellets it is 'natural' and healthy and inexpensive...and biodegradeable if I have the space.

The poop isn't the issue, really it is the LITTER...I need to read through the article and see if I get any ideas.

I know there is a wheat based product, but ironically enough I KNOW my male cat is allergic to wheat, so that would not work.

I'll price and investigate the other options. Cat litter here is SUPER expensive...I think that is why most people have indoor outdoor cats, really~lol!I also think it is all imported which is not good. At least the wood pellets are manufactured in NZ. Living on an island has its limitations.

Julie~I could put the poop in the toilet...although dh is paranoid about the sawdust in the plumming...I still have the litter issue to dispose of.

Amine~thank you! I have seen that before. I am pretty motivated to get my specs out and build an offiical worm box just for the cat poo....so I have that covered. I can buy that enzyme stuff here, so that is COOL. I am just super stuck on what to do on the litter.

Breeder Celect Cat Litter
Breeders Choice cat litter is a uniquely formulated pelleted litter made from 100% recycled paper, with no additives or chemicals. It is extremely popular in both Australia and NZ and is used by catteries and breeders throughout NZ. Totally environmentally perfect, odourless, dustless, light, easy to distribute and lasts longer because you only replace the area that is soiled. You can bury it in the garden or throw down the loo. Also great for use in bird cages and mice cages. This is truly a great product at a great price! You won't be sorry you tried it - neither will your cats.

$7.20 6 L Single Item of 1 $15.50 15 L Single Item of 1 $29.60 35 L Single Item of 1 $32.70 6 L Carton of 5

Pet Gold Wonder Complete Disposable Cat Litter Box System at PETCO (http://www.petco.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=522554&cm_ven=smarter&cm_cat=22&cm_pla=522554&cm_ite=522554)

Breeder Celect Cat Litter
Breeders Choice cat litter is a uniquely formulated pelleted litter made from 100% recycled paper, with no additives or chemicals. It is extremely popular in both Australia and NZ and is used by catteries and breeders throughout NZ. Totally environmentally perfect, odourless, dustless, light, easy to distribute and lasts longer because you only replace the area that is soiled. You can bury it in the garden or throw down the loo. Also great for use in bird cages and mice cages. This is truly a great product at a great price! You won't be sorry you tried it - neither will your cats.

$7.20 6 L Single Item of 1 $15.50 15 L Single Item of 1 $29.60 35 L Single Item of 1 $32.70 6 L Carton of 5

Maura...you are so awesome. Thank you! I am afraid to compare the price to the wood pellets...but I am really motivated to do better environmentally than what we are doing. That could totally go in the worm bin.
Actually I feel so grateful for everyone's input on the thread. :heart:

Totally OT, but Linda, get back in that food thread and give us your secret daisy cake recipe!!!:p

Linda;
It sounds like you've gotten some great advice already, but my friend Sarah uses a biodegradable/flushable litter, like the one already mentioned. It works well for them.
:)

Jeni

Linda;
It sounds like you've gotten some great advice already, but my friend Sarah uses a biodegradable/flushable litter, like the one already mentioned. It works well for them.
:)

Jeni

I'll let you know if the price is doable. Dh remembers that we purchased this stuff when we first moved here and the price made us switch to the wood stove pellets. Ugh. And I have to say...we are not frugal on stuff we see as improtant like this...so I am a little apprehensive to find out the pricing. I cna't get a good feel for the pricing on that link..I have no idea what that would work out to be IRL.

I don't know if anyof this could help you, Linda? The idea of using septic starter makes sense to me, but I don't know if it would do anything with the litter.

Pet Waste Composting (http://www.cityfarmer.org/petwaste.html)

Or flush the waste and compost the litter somehow?

Certified 100% biodegradable Dog waste bags and cat pan liners. No Polyethylene, nature knows the difference (http://biobagusa.com/biobag_dog.htm)

With the cat litter 'sawdust' I think it would be a good idea if you spread it around your yard instead of just putting it in a pile. It WILL help with moles and things if you stick some in the mole holes, etc. You can put it in a dirt hole for a while, and then cover it... and it will just disenigrate into the ground, and not smell at all. Put it in a new place each time.

This is what I am doing with the chicken bedding. (which is also wood chips/sawdust) I have also added a bit to each bed of squash under the squash plants. This makes it so I have to be careful to really wash the squash, but it gives the plants a boost and gives them something nice to mulch the beds with.

Val

We use Feline Fresh - it's scoopable, made of pine, and *flushable.* Yes, flushable and safe for septic. I wouldn't flush the whole, spent litterbox, but you can just flush the pee and poop clumps. Make sense? I haven't read the whole thread. For the whole litterbox change I'd compost it.

PlanetWise Products: Natural Pine Pellet Cat Litter and Horse Bedding (http://www.planetwiseproducts.com/index.htm)

I read more thoroughly...just wanted to say the Feline Fresh has been very affordable for us. A $14 bag lasts me several months in the winter. Of course now he is indoor/outdoor. ;)

If someone is planning on having indoor cats for a LONG time - I think one of these is a pretty good investment.

Amazon.com: CatGenie-Self Washing, Self Flushing Cat Box: Kitchen & Dining (http://www.amazon.com/CatGenie-Self-Washing-Self-Flushing-Cat/dp/B000MKHQG4/ref=tag_stp_st_edpp_ttl/103-0363548-7032624)

World's Best Cat Litter (http://www.worldsbestcatlitter.com/Products/WBCL/default.aspx)

We're huge fans of corn-based flushable cat litter. We've been using it for years, and it is awesome, as far as cat litters go.

~L

In a recent email from the Dollar Stretcher there was a tip to use fine ground corn feed as cat litter. Could that go into a worm bin?

Here's the whole tip:
All Natural Kitty Litter

The most economical and effective kitty litter I have found is
fine ground corn feed. It has to be the fine sieve to clump,
but it will work as well as any clumping cat litter and has
the advantage of the clumps staying on top (so they are easier
to scoop). It is entirely non-toxic to cats, and because it is
so easy to scoop out, it is almost odor free. It can be
purchased from a feed supplier very inexpensively. (This is
exactly the same substance in Nature's Best Cat Litter, which
is quite expensive.)

Don't bother with the wheat based ones, they're quite awful,
as they get soggy and smelly and they're also expensive. Dr.
Bronner's soap will kill all smells on the containers. It's
the only thing that I've found that works. I scoop out a
minimum of three times per day. It just takes a minute. As
with any kind of litter, if you let the liquids unclump and
dissolve, you have to change the whole pan much more often and
will have more odor.
Jeanne L.

yes, the corn could go in the worm bin no problem:)

If I can buy New Zealand grown corn feed so it is not GMO/Monsanto stuff, then that would be good! Corn feed is not that common here, as most livestock is grass fed, but they do use it for poultry...hmm...

You all are awesome, I wish I had more time to post these days!