allow ’s be honest — no one likes cleaning the cat litter . Inhaling the pungent aroma , sweep up small granules of bedding that skitter across the floor , and drag a wakeless plastic bag meet with waste out to the bin might be one of the least likable parts of cat parentage .
Despite the ick factor , cat possessor spend$3.9 billion on bedding productsevery yr . Manufacturers have arise all manner of product to help oneself make cleaning the cat bedding material less cringe - worthy from “ scoopable ” cat litter and litter box liners to deodorizers and ego - pick litter boxes . But the availableness of flushable computerized axial tomography bedding is also expanding .
Between 1 and 3 percent of cat owners report purchasing cat bedding material made from flushable production such as wheat , newsprint , corn , and wood shavings , according to a recentAmerican Pet Products Association report .
“ favorite owners are take more eco - friendly products and company are responding to that , ” says Dr. Jami - Lyn Derse , veterinarian and founder ofVeterinary Housecall Carein Chicago . “ A lot of these flushable cat bedding are made from more eco - well-disposed material . ”
Flushable cat bedding is gas as a more commodious and sustainable option than schematic clumping litters that must be bag and tossed in the tripe — but is it worth the excess monetary value ?
What Is Flushable Cat Litter?
Flushable cat litter is made from biodegradable materials that break down in the environs . It will not harden when mixed with water and is opine to be secure to redden down the toilet .
Conventional kat litter is often made from a combination of clay and silica . The granule in clay - establish cat litter harden and expand when they get wet , giving it a concrete - like consistency . It might make the bedding material box easier to clean but it could clog the pipes and wreak havoc on the plumbing system if preferent parents attempt to dispose of it in the toilet .
Clay and silica - free-base litters are also mined , which could direct to environmental damage ( 1 ) . But flushable cat litters are made from sustainable materials such as shredded paper , sawdust , corn whiskey kernels , walnut shells , or pale yellow enzyme . Most mainstream retailers stock flushable kitten litter .
Typesof Flushable Cat Litter
All flushable bedding for cats is made from biodegradable material . Some manufacturer make their litter from a exclusive material while others use a combination of material in their biodegradable flushable bedding . Here are a few of the most common material used in flushable cat litter :
Corn
raw tight corn , whole kernel corn , or corn mush are among the top intersection used in flushable cat bedding brands . producer blow them as rude , biodegradable materials .
Wheat
This vulgar agrarian craw is also used in cat litter . Like clavus , it is hailed as a biodegradable , renewable material . When moisture is added to the starches in wheat , it clump , making it easy to scoop .
Wood Products
Some brand of flushable litter are made from sawdust , shavings , and other reclaimed woodwind ( that has not been treated with chemic sealant ) . Thanks to the raw deodorizers and fresh scents of woods like pine tree and cedar , cat bedding products made from recycled wood claim to carry off odors .
Shredded Paper
Paper is pressed into soft pellets to make flushable cat litter . maker often practice post - consumer composition to ensure the production is sustainable . Baking soda is often added to the lightweight litter to help with odor restraint .
Prosof Flushable Cat Litter
When it come to cat litter , flushable brands made from sustainable materials propose two big benefit over conventional cat litter .
Sustainability
The search for a “ greener ” alternative to formal cat bedding is one of the biggest reason khat owners consider flushable cat litter , fit in to Derse .
The Henry Clay used in conventional qat bedding is collect through a process call landing strip mining that withdraw the top bed of soil and rock to access clay , impress ecosystems and polluting waterways . In dividing line , flushable cat bedding is made from products that are biodegradable or renewable .
Flushable cat litter is more environmentally friendly even if you bag it ( in a newspaper or biodegradable pocketbook ) and send it to the landfill instead of flushing it down the toilet .
Convenience
Flushing bedding material down the toilet might be easier than scooping it into a bag and fling of it in the methamphetamine hydrochloride , particularly for cat owner with litter boxes in the lav or whose outside trash receptacles are not easy accessible , say Dr. Lori M. Teller , clinical fellow professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University .
“ It ’s mostly about convenience , ” she explains .
Consof Flushable Cat Litter
Flushable quat litter might be a more sustainable , convenient choice but it also has several drawbacks .
It Doesn’t Clump Easily
A whopping 63 pct of cat owners prefer bedding that is clumping or scoopable , according to the APPA paper — and for good reason , according to Teller .
“ you could scoop stool , but it ’s much operose to scoop out weewee if it ’s not clomp , ” she enunciate . “ It makes it harder to clean . ”
Cat litter that clumps could clog the pipes , which means that flushable Caterpillar litter was designed not to flock and that can make it messier or more difficult to clean up .
Animal Health Concerns
Some of the product used to make flushable qat bedding material , including corn and wheat berry , are vulgar allergens . If you are allergic to these products and do by corn - or straw - based cat bedding material , it could cause a reaction . Read the ingredient label cautiously .
qat dejection can also contain toxoplasma , an sickness - causing sponger that can be passed to mankind . A growing number of nautical mammals have been diagnose with toxoplasmosis , which isbelieved to have survived the sewage discussion process , allowing cat bedding flush down the toilet to sweep the sponge out to ocean .
Plumbing Concerns
Even though it was design to be scour down the toilet , flushable cat bedding material can still make clogs . infected systems , in particular , were not designed to cover the supererogatory solids from flushable cat litter and can skin ( or flunk ) to break down in the infected system . Flushing pet waste may also exceed the conception mental ability of the infected system .
“ Older systems are more fragile and newer toilets even lower volumes of piddle , ” Teller pronounce .
Because of this , Teller recommends flushing one or two clumps at a metre rather than emptying the entire content of the bedding material box into the toilette . But , with each hot flash , your water function goes up and the environmental benefit go down — and it take on longer to clean the litter box .
Higher Cost
Flushable cat litter tends to be more expensive than conventional the Great Compromiser - based clopping cat litter . Although each bag might be just a few clam more , it can add up over the life of your cat .
Should You Really Flush Cat Litter?
The CT bedding material might be label “ flushable ” but that does n’t mean it ’s safe to post it down the toilet to the effluent discussion works . In fact , some nation governments , includingRhode Island , prohibit pet owners from flush favorite waste matter .
The California legislative body even clear abillthat call for flushable Caterpillar litter manufacturers to add a instruction to their packaging that admonish cat owners from flushing cat litter down the pot .
And as antecedently mentioned , even flushable litters can cause plumbing and septic tank proceeds — but that does n’t entail flushable bedding material is a bad idea .
“ The main reason a litter is eco - friendly is because of the [ cloth in the ] litter , not how you dispose of it , ” Derse says . “ There are excellent ‘ flushable ’ litter intersection out there that can go into the garbage can and go to the landfill to biodegrade . ”
How to Switch Cat Litters
Switching to flushable cat litter is not as uncomplicated as purchase a old bag and fill up the bedding box .
“ Cats are really fussy , ” Derse says . “ Some will go into the bedding material box and use [ Modern bedding ] with no job , but some will go outside the box . ”
For a smooth modulation , Derse suggest placing multiple bedding boxes around the firm and fill one with the older litter and one with the novel , flushable mathematical product to see how the Caterpillar respond . If the Caterpillar avoids that bedding material box with the flushable litter altogether , your felid might never adapt . deliberate experimenting with a dissimilar trade name ( or ingredient mix ) of flushable litter to see if there is one your cat prefers .
Over prison term , mix in ever - increasing sum of money of flushable litter in with the old litter so the alteration is gradual .
“ You have to go slow and almost trick them into using it , ” Derse says .
