Pet owners find cats to be adorable, clean, and easy to keep than dogs. You can have your cats in the outdoors or indoors. However, depending on their diets, you need to be careful about cat poop disposal.
As much as you can train your cat to use the litter box, you also need to handle it in a way to reduce the stink and toxicity. Besides, the green world is phasing out the use of plastic bags for cat litter disposal.
Several ecosystems, water bodies, and lives are becoming intoxicated because of the nature of plastics. On the other hand, cat waste should not reach groundwater as it ends up in water bodies and plant systems.
Here are dignified eco-friendly ways to manage cat waste without plastic bags.
4 Methods of Cat Waste Disposal Without Plastic Bags
Although your cat may have a litter box within his cage, you also need to find ways to get rid of the waste daily. Cat litter has microorganisms that are toxic to expectant women and neither does it break down even in sewer systems. So, how do we dispose of them?
1. Composting the litter
Cat litter is not normal animal waste. If you have to compost it, do it away from water sources or crop fields. You can use grass seed as a composting layer to speed up the breakdown process. As you scoop the litter, accumulate it and allow it to decompose for not less than a year.
This period should be enough to rid of the toxic microorganisms after which you can use it on grass lawns and flower gardens. Keep it away from any crops for animal or human consumption.
2. Biodegradable bags
Most of the cat wastes go to landfills. As you scoop the waste into these bags, the high temperatures should speed up the rotting process. The only con is that they may not break down so easily in a landfill because of low oxygen concentration.
Overall, you don’t need those dog and cat food bags to dispose of cat waste. Let your pet care team supply you with affordable biodegradable bags. After all, they are less expensive than petroleum plastic bags.
3. Biodegradable litter
What does your cat’s litter box contain? Fast degrading material like grass seed and newspaper should be the key material to hold the waste as you send it to curbside garbage bins. The litter is not part of ordinary garbage. It should go to a specific destination out of reach of human or animal activities like in landfills.
4. Wooden litter box
You don’t have to buy a plastic litter box. You can design an easy-to-clean litter box or have one from your local carpenter. Some online stores have a drive to making eco-friendly products. You can get one at pocket-friendly prices.
What’s more, you need to keep it clean. Every cat should have his wooden litter box. You can also clean with mild soap and disinfectants to avoid infections.
To dispose of it, scoop the waste into biodegradable bags and place it in the right bins. Always avoid dumping it in common dustbins.
Can You Use clay Litter?
These are old methods of cat litter disposal. However, clay litter poses more risks of respiratory infections to both the cats and their caregivers.
On the other hand, clay litter is one way of stripping the environment. You can also remove the clumped pieces of poop on clay and reuse the litter. However, silica litter is less dusty compared to clay.
Can you Recycle Cardboard Cat Litter Containers?
Cardboard litter containers are strong and you can always use them for other businesses. Besides, you can collect as many and drop them at your carpenter’s shop. There is so much to do with cardboards and you can repurpose for ceiling and floors.
Flush Cat Poop in Sewer Lines
Don’t!! Environmentalists advise against this practice. Cat poop is more toxic than dog wastes and sewer treatments do not have a way to destroy Toxoplasma gondii, which is a highly infectious protozoan. The toxins may run up to water bodies even after sewer treatment and poses a greater risk to marine life.
Besides, clumps of cat poop on silica and clay litter may block toilets and slow down drainage.
Is Cat Litter Bad For The Environment?
If you keep your cats outside it doesn’t mean that your litter is safe. Cats dig into the soil and bury their poop. However, the wastes end up in groundwater or into the drainage and pose more risk of Toxoplasma poisoning. Let your cat have a litter box even in his outdoor environment.
On the other hand, the smell of the litter is pungent. You have to scoop out the litter every day to keep the area fresh and odorless.
Wrap Up
We like cats because they eat less and occupy modest space in our houses. However, we should consider appropriate methods to dispose of their litter without spamming the ecosystem with plastic bags. If you are stuck on cat waste disposal, check out our tips on how to manage your wastes in an eco-friendly manner.
