We all love our cats unconditionally, but sometimes we don’t love their cat litter.
Typically tucked away in a section of your home, litter boxes can often be smelly and messy, especially when full, and staying on top of it daily can be difficult. No one actually likes dealing with cat litter and while it might seem easier to eliminate the mess and odor by scooping those clumps of cat waste and flushing them down the toilet, it’s something you should avoid doing.
You Should Never Flush Your Cat’s Poop Or Litter!
Always avoid flushing cat poop down the drain because not only could it potentially contain harmful parasites called toxoplasmosis, the litter could sit in your line and lead to a clog.
Plenty of waste gets flushed down your toilet every day, so what harm could a little cat poop and cat litter do? The answer is a lot, which is why you never want to send it down your drains.
One of the biggest problems with flushing your cat’s presents is the harmful parasites in your feline’s stool called toxoplasmosis. Extremely dangerous for humans, especially pregnant women and people who are immunocompromised, these parasites can cause a multitude of problems for unborn babies and even cause death or miscarriage if the infection happens early. That’s why you should always avoid touching cat poop. Also, water systems are not equipped to handle toxoplasmosis and are unable to destroy the parasite before it’s sent back into the environment, potentially jeopardizing the health of local area wildlife, specifically marine life.
Flushing cat poop could also lead to a future drain clog. Try as you may to eliminate any litter from it, there will always still be some stuck on there – and even if it says flushable on the label, it’s not! Cat litter is made up of bentonite clay, which has the tendency to harden when wet, creating a thick, almost cement-like quality. Cat litter that ends up down the drain can expand from the moisture in the pipes and then harden, blocking any wastewater. If you have a septic tank or a cesspool, it cannot handle cat litter either, no matter what kind. If it solidifies in the tank, in any of the system’s major parts like the inlet baffle, it’ll create some expensive problems.
What Ways Can I Better Deal With Cat Poop And Litter?
The best way to dispose of cat poop safely is to scoop it into a bag and throw it into the trash – and ways of dealing with the smell include adding baking soda and replacing the box more.
Now that we’ve explained the potential harm that flushing cat poop can cause to you and your drains, you might be wondering the best way of dealing with it. Unfortunately, it’s the old-fashioned way of scooping it into a bag and then placing it into a trash can. They also make pet-proof trash cans that lock in the smell, so that you don’t have to always immediately take it out. If you’re tired of smelling the litter box after even just one use from your feline, there’s things you can do to help combat that smell. Adding baking soda to the litter will reduce smells, but just don’t add too much or your cat will no longer want to use the box. You could also replace the box more frequently, at least once a year, as those smells can just seep inside the scratch marks. Lastly, try changing to a new litter formula – some are better with smells than others.
Have you flushed cat litter in the past? Worried it could soon slow down your toilet? Give Zoom Drain a call or schedule an appointment online – we’ve got all of the tools and experience to keep your wastewater lines flowing their best. We’re available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year!
