My first time posting in this part of the forum.....I will try to make it a good post, but like with everything in a compost I expect it to rot away....
I have my first ever kittens. My last cat was a feral stray (its feral right?) and he adopted me type thing. Only when I saw him crossing a bust road I decided he would be a better in door cat. Anyway...When I got these two kittens I learned about the wood pellets. Man they are soooooo much better then the sand. So, can you put the litter into the compost? I clean all the poop out of it. I use a combination of the paper and wood pellets. Mostly wood pellets so it's just saw dust.
My one question or concern would be what if any chemicals are present in the wood pellets? I would be just dumping saw dust into my compost or I could build a separate compost for the cat litter saw dust. The last two buckets full I just burned. But if it can be used then why not.
Well....Nice I kind of like it here. I will have to come back some time and decay with yall.....
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ApertureF11Sniper
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Cat and dog waste are not recommended for compost piles. You could set up a doggie doolie and put the waste in that, but the litter would fill it up fast.
I stopped using litter in the boxes a while back. The cats kick all the sand all over the floor. I have them trained on newspaper now. It all goes out with the trash. Sometimes, I will put a little cat litter clay on top of the newspaper so they have something to bury, otherwise they protest.
I stopped using litter in the boxes a while back. The cats kick all the sand all over the floor. I have them trained on newspaper now. It all goes out with the trash. Sometimes, I will put a little cat litter clay on top of the newspaper so they have something to bury, otherwise they protest.
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ApertureF11Sniper
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applestar
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My understanding is that meat eaters just generally host myriad of gut bacteria and parasites that are unsafe for humans. Cats also of course can host toxoplasmosis which is unsafe for pregnant women (actually to the fetus). Children and pets have been known to become contaminated and bring the parasite into homes where susceptible individuals live. Sifting out poop doesn’t guarantee complete elimination (Bits and pieces can remain in the litter.)
That’s why — as I understand it — cat litter is not recommended in a home compost pile that is expected to be used for a food crop garden.
So I can think of three options that I might personally feel comfortable:
1. It might be OK IF you can maintain a compost pile that heats up to recommended temperatures, AND you are absolutely certain that your garden produce will not be offered to a pregnant woman or other immune compromised individuals that could be adversely affected if any of the organisms survive and somehow contaminate the food
2. Maintain a STRICTLY separate compost pile that is fully isolated including tools and tracking by footwear etc — you can change out of one set of gear to another designated set. AND use the resulting compost for ornamentals and other non-edible, non-people contacting area.
3. If you have a large wooded or otherwise left-to-nature property, scattering the litter over a wide area might be a way to return the litter material back to earth. No different than any other wildlife doing their ‘business’
…One other reason I can think of for NOT putting cat litter in the garden unless well buried is that if you have female cats, their waste may attract male cats — feral or neighbors outdoor cats — and they may end up spraying or generally spending more time in your garden, even consider your fluffy garden soil ideal for ‘doing business’ … (nothing worse than finding poop in your garden bed
)
That’s why — as I understand it — cat litter is not recommended in a home compost pile that is expected to be used for a food crop garden.
So I can think of three options that I might personally feel comfortable:
1. It might be OK IF you can maintain a compost pile that heats up to recommended temperatures, AND you are absolutely certain that your garden produce will not be offered to a pregnant woman or other immune compromised individuals that could be adversely affected if any of the organisms survive and somehow contaminate the food
2. Maintain a STRICTLY separate compost pile that is fully isolated including tools and tracking by footwear etc — you can change out of one set of gear to another designated set. AND use the resulting compost for ornamentals and other non-edible, non-people contacting area.
3. If you have a large wooded or otherwise left-to-nature property, scattering the litter over a wide area might be a way to return the litter material back to earth. No different than any other wildlife doing their ‘business’
…One other reason I can think of for NOT putting cat litter in the garden unless well buried is that if you have female cats, their waste may attract male cats — feral or neighbors outdoor cats — and they may end up spraying or generally spending more time in your garden, even consider your fluffy garden soil ideal for ‘doing business’ … (nothing worse than finding poop in your garden bed
)Burying the sawdust is an option, but it should be at least a trench you can fill over time. The end product should be at least 18 inches deep so nothing can dig it up. It probably would be o.k. for non edible plants, but it should not be anywhere near vegetables or near a water source that may flow toward a stream or garden.
Actually, I had more problems with the dog digging up the cat poop and eating it.
Actually, I had more problems with the dog digging up the cat poop and eating it.
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ApertureF11Sniper
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Well we have 2 large square type compost areas. Made with 4 4X4 pressure treated corner post and then 1 by 6 boards with gaps between them. They are both about 4 by 4 square and 4 feet tall. we empty them about every 4 years onto the garden. Well we empty one. Anyway thats not a long enough time for that saw dust waste to beak down and be fine? I'm still learning on all of this.