Kitty Litter

This week we are thinking about kitty litter and what you do with the used stuff.  This has implications in the workplace for us and our students but also at home for those of you that have cat toilets inside.

Selection of the kitty litter 

Choose a kitty litter that can go in the compost bin or green waste.  

I am currently using pine pellets for our kittens litter tray which is able to be placed in the green recycling bin or in a home composting system provided the solid waste is removed first.  It is made from the waste of the wood industry so is in effect reducing wastage from that industry and provides a nice clean substrate for kitty litter, that absorbs liquid well.  You can also purchase other biodegradable options.  

Some cats/kittens are fussy about what the use for kitty little so sometimes you may need to trial 2 or 3 options before finding the one best suited for your pet.  

Another very good option is garden soil – this works well and reminds the cat/kitten that soil is a suitable substrate for toileting in (if you are like me and prefer them to go outside in the garden) and can be replaced straight back in the garden after use.  It also means you save money – its free, you don’t have to drive anywhere to purchase it and it hasn’t used resources being made.  The disadvantage of using soil is that once the cats have finished they leave little muddy foot prints everywhere.  

Disposal

Remove solid waste and place in landfill bin.  Pick it out with a piece of newspaper and wrap in this rather than placing in a plastic bag if possible as the plastic will delay breakdown in the ground.  Place the newspaper lining the litter tray (if used) and soiled litter (minus the faeces) into your compost bin (or green waste bin).  It is unsafe to home compost cat faces due to bacterial and parasitic contamination.  They need special treatment.  More on this at another time. 

I am not an expert composter but if you are home or work composting remember that the compost bin will need to be fed with more than just newspaper and biodegradable kitty litter, so especially in a work situation ask staff to bring in food scraps etc to feed the compost bin too. More on home composting in another posting!!