Flushing cat poop without litter isn’t a good idea because toxic microorganisms in the cat feces survive the sewage treatment process and cause significant harm to marine life. Flushing cat poop with litter is also bad because the debris quickly clogs drain pipes.
Cleaning the cat litter box is a chore no one likes, and figuring out an easy way to dispose of the litterbox waste is another problem cat owners face every day. This dilemma leads many people to wonder if they can flush cat poop without the litter down the toilet to get rid of it.
Some people realize that it might not be a good idea to flush the litter, and therefore, they think maybe it’s okay to scoop out the poop and only flush it. However, flushing away cat poop with or without litter is a bad idea for five reasons.
1. Flushing Cat Poop Harms Marine Animals
If your toilet waste goes into a municipal sewage treatment plant, the processed waste ends up in the ocean, a river, or the environment. Unfortunately, cat feces can contain a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, and the sewage treatment process does not destroy this microorganism.
Instead, these parasites from cat poop go into the ocean, rivers, or other parts of the environment where they can infect marine mammals, including otters and sea lions. Crabs, starfish, and other creatures first ingest the parasites, and then the marine mammals eat these animals and get infected. This infection leads to the disease and death of marine mammals.
If you read the label on most bags of cat litter, you will see a warning from the manufacturer not to flush the cat waste and debris down the toilet for this reason.
However, the problem they are referring to is not about the litter. Instead, the problem is the environmental danger of cat poop. Even if you carefully scoop out just the poop, it damages the marine environment.
2. Cat Poop Is Not Safe for Septic Systems Either
Many rural areas do not use municipal sewage treatment plants, and instead, each home has an underground septic tank for processing sewage on-site.
Since the septic system does not go into the ocean, you might think that disposing of cat poop without litter could be safe if you have a septic tank. But, unfortunately, cat poop with or without litter is not safe for disposal in septic tanks either.
There are two reasons flushing cat waste into a septic system is not a good idea.
First, sending harmful parasites into the septic system might upset the balance of microorganisms in the tank that break down waste. In addition, these parasites can leach out of the system into the drain field or nearby rivers and expose wildlife like river otters and even people to their dangerous effects.
A second reason not to flush cat poop or litter into a septic system is that these systems also easily get clogged from litter lumps and hardened waste materials.
The pipes and inlets into and out of the tank can accumulate clumps of cat feces attached to litter particles or chunks of litter, plugging up the lines and leading to expensive repairs.
3. Handling Cat Poop Is Dangerous to Human Health
Another good reason not to scoop cat poop out of the litterbox and flush it down the toilet is human health. Humans can also get infected with Toxoplasma gondii, one of the most dangerous parasites in cat feces.
In addition, cat waste also contains other microorganisms that can harm people, especially pregnant women, children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems.
Scooping cat waste can cause these harmful pathogens to spread through the dust that the person breathes. Pathogens can also quickly get on a person’s skin or in their eyes when they are handling the waste.
When cleaning the cat litterbox, the less time you spend messing around with the waste, the safer it is for your health and the health of others in the household.
Carefully scooping cat poops out of the litterbox to flush down the toilet increases the time it takes to clean the box and increases the chances of spreading harmful pathogens around your home environment.
4. Flushing Cat Litter Clogs Drain Pipes
Another big problem with flushing cat waste down the toilet is clogged drains. Ask any plumber, and they will tell you they get lots of calls about clogged drains caused by someone flushing cat poop and litter.
You might think that it would be okay if you are careful only to scoop the poop and don’t flush the whole cat litterbox content down the toilet. But, unfortunately, some litter clings to the poop, and even a little bit of litter in the drainpipe eventually clogs the system.
Another factor leading to clogged drains is that cat litter causes the waste to clump up into hard pieces, making it easier to clean the litterbox. However, at the same time, these hard clumps make the debris more likely to plug up drain pipes.
One reason for these clogs is that many cat litters contain bentonite clay. This material works great as an ingredient in cat litter because it is super absorbent, making the urine and feces clump and the litterbox easier to clean.
However, this clay product is quite heavy. It tends to accumulate at points in the waste pipes where there are turns and low spots, resulting in clogs and big repair bills to clean them out.
If you flush cat litter down the toilet, it absorbs water in the drain and expands, leading to clogged pipes.
5. It’s Not Safe to Flush “Flushable” Litters
Not all brands of cat litter contain bentonite clay. Many manufacturers now sell litters that are free of this material. People are buying alternatives because the mining of bentonite is not environmentally-friendly and the clay doesn’t break down in landfills.
These newer types of cat litter are made with biodegradable materials, including wood products that break down in landfills. They use leftover materials from other manufacturing processes, making them better for the environment.
In addition, these biodegradable litter brands are often lower in dust, more absorbent, and lighter than clay-based litter.
Some brands of these new types of litter are also advertised as flushable. However, these brands usually state on the label that you should not flush hard, dry clumps of debris because it can clog the pipes.
Instead, they recommend flushing away cat waste in small batches by flushing the toilet multiple times.
However, flushing the toilet over and over wastes water, and even flushable litter brands can eventually clog drain pipes.
In addition, flushing flushable litter does not overcome the dangers posed to marine animals from exposure to the parasites in cat poop.
Toxoplasma Gondii Is Caught by Cats Through Prey
Cats get infected with the Toxoplasma gondii parasite by eating birds and rodents and exposure to feces containing this pathogen. The parasite can survive for months in soil, water, and children’s sandboxes, where cats often like to relieve themselves.
Humans can get infected with the parasite through contact with cat feces, from eating undercooked meat, or by touching soil or water where this microorganism or its eggs live.
Cats are a wonderful source of love, companionship, and pleasure in our homes. However, part of being a good cat owner and friend is being realistic about health problems associated with our feline friends and taking actions to prevent the spread of pathogens they can carry.
Safe Ways to Dispose of Cat Poop Without Flushing
Disposing of cat poop and litter is a challenge, and finding the safest and most convenient method makes owning a cat a lot more fun.
Consider these tips to stay safe and protect the environment when cleaning your feline friend’s litterbox.
- Wear disposable gloves.
- Avoid having pregnant women, children, or anyone with a compromised immune system clean the box.
- Wash your hands thoroughly when done.
- Put used litter into a biodegradable plastic bag and tie it closed tightly.
- Switch to a biodegradable cat litter that breaks down quickly in the landfill, unlike clay-based litter.
- Dispose of the bag of cat litter and waste in the garbage can outside.
Cat Poop Is Unsafe for Septic Systems
It’s Not Safe to Flush Cat Poop Down the Drain
The EPA considers cat feces to be an environmental pollutant. It is unsafe for septic systems, sewage plants, marine wildlife, and drain pipes. In addition, cat feces is potentially harmful to human health.
For these reasons, the safest way to dispose of cat poop and litter is in a tightly closed plastic bag in an outdoor garbage can. It will be buried in a landfill or incinerated in a waste disposal furnace.
