Composting Feline Pine - Safe?

[PhillyGardener]

I realize that composting cat poop is a big no-no. However, after learning that I can compost my rat's litter (Yesterday's News), I'm wondering if I could safely compost used Feline Pine cat litter with all the poop scooped out? I am constantly on a search for browns for my compost pile, and I have a constant source of Feline Pine, soooo...heh. I'm not sure if this would be kosher or if unwanted bacteria/microbes could still be passed to the compost heap.

For those who aren't familiar, Feline Pine is an all natural cat litter made from pine. As the cats use it, it turns to sawdust, so it would probably break down very quickly.

Edited to add: one of our cats had toxoplasmosis as a kitten, so I've already been exposed. Plus, the neighborhood cats use our garden as their own personal litterbox, so I guess I feel like there would be negligible risks to composting Feline Pine sawdust that had come into contact with cat poop.

[farmerlon]

Personally, I would not chance it.
Manure from any Carnivore or Omnivore (meat eaters) are not recommended for the compost pile.
Even though you're scooping... I just don't think it's worth chancing the transfer of a harmful pathogen.

[rot]

..
If don't want to compost the stuff that goes into the litter, don't compost the litter after it's been there.

If you want to keep your composting casual, don't do it. If you're thinking you're up to seriously managing your compost and putting real work into the endeavor, then do your research, understand the risks to you and those around you and then proceed understanding what you are getting into.

It's not done lightly.

One starting point [scroll down to the table of contents and click on the pdf links in parentheses]: https://humanurehandbook.com/contents.html

to sense
..

[toxcrusadr]

You can always keep a separate compost pile for this, let it cook longer for increased safety, and use the resulting compost somewhere away from food crops. Nature composts animal manure all day long, so for us it's just a matter of careful management.

[RogueRose]

Why would carnivore pee not be good? I would think it'd help keeping pests away

[rainbowgardener]

The carnivore pee is fine, just not the manure/ feces.

[vita verde]

How about (wet only—NO poo) Swheat Scoop litter? it's wheat based. Think hot composting it would be safe?

[rainbowgardener]

I compost it after scooping all the poo out. Some people would be pickier and more worried about possible contamination.

[applestar]

Setting aside the cat poo issue. Just in terms of material, Feline pine made of pine seems less desirable for composting than Swheat scoop made from wheat or World's Best made from corn. There are other brands, and there is also another new one made from Black walnut. Then there's newspaper pulp based ones.

Out of these materials, it seems like wheat and corn along with newspaper pulp based ones would compost best. I would avoid any with fragrance, polymer pellets, or clumping agent that s not natural.

I don't compost my cats' cat litter due to persisting mistrust from pregnant/baby nursing years and lack of space for separate serious compost pile and my own tendency to plant edibles everywhere. But if I had the room and have the energy to maintain two separate piles, I like toxcrusadr's suggestion of a compost pile for non-edible plants.

[toxcrusadr]

The corn and wheat stuff will be great, but it will have more N and I could see a need for extra browns if you are using them. Which is not a problem at all, just something to watch out for. The paper and wood based stuff will have virtually no N to start with.

It's important to keep in mind that *most* pathogens do not live long outside the body. Given the volume of pee-only litter compared to a small, even tiny, amount of accidental poo that may be included, combined with the aerobic composting process and good hygeine when handling the compost, it should be safe for the average healthy person. Just my humble opinion.

[vita verde]

Thank you, that is incredibly helpful!

[PhillyGardener]

Thanks for all the replies. Personally, I think the fear of toxoplasmosis is seriously overblown. In my job, I work with folks living with HIV and AIDS who have compromised immune systems. Many of them live with cats. I have never once encountered a client with toxoplasmosis. I also live with quite a few kitties and volunteer with a cat rescue in my spare time. In 8 years I've never encountered a person with toxo and have only encountered one cat who had a positive titre for toxo (my own kitty). Cats poop and walk all over my house, and though I clean very carefully, I'm sure germs get passed around all the time--that's life. So...all to say, I think I will try composting a little bit of the Feline Pine with poop scooped out and see what happens.