To Flush or Not to Flush?

Finding the Greenest & Best Way to Dispose of Cat Litter

Whether you have one cat kid or a house full of them, you know that even the most fastidious one isn’t thinking of how to dispose of used cat litter. As a pet parent, you’re the one cleaning up. But after you scoop, do you store litter in a plastic bag before taking it to the dumpster? Can you flush cat litter down the toilet? Should you compost it instead? If you’re searching for eco-friendly ways to dispose of cat litter, read on for our tips.

Can cat litter be flushed? It depends.

If you want to flush cat litter, the type you use matters. While clumping clay litter is affordable and widely available, it’s also made from bentonite clay, which turns cement-like when wet. If you flushed it, it could clog your pipes or damage your septic system. This type of cat litter also frequently contains silica and other eco-unfriendly ingredients that shouldn’t find their way into any water sources. All-natural cat litters like walnut shell cat litter, corn cat litter, and wheat cat litter are better for the planet thanks to their eco-friendly cat litter ingredients. And Naturally Fresh is free from chemicals and toxins, making it a septic-safe cat litter when flushed in small portions.

If you flush cat litter, what are the rules and precautions?

Using a flushable cat litter is certainly convenient and timesaving. But is it the best way to go? Depending on where you live, the answer to “Can you flush cat poop down the toilet?” is “We’d rather you not.” The California Legislature has regulations in place to reduce the flushing of cat litter, highlighting scientific studies that link cat feces to sea otter mortality, specifically the endangered Southern Sea Otter. This is due to Toxoplasma-gondii, the parasite that’s found in some cat feces, which can find its way to water sources and infect those who come into contact with the water, particularly marine life. Because of this, those living near coasts or large bodies of water may be advised to find other ways to dispose of cat litter.

If you live in an apartment building, there may be rules about flushing cat litter down the toilet due to the building’s plumbing or the city’s septic system. It’s best to check your local and state regulations before flushing litter (and not a bad idea to put a local plumber on speed dial to find out what to do if you flush cat litter in an area that doesn’t allow it).

Eco-friendly ways to dispose of cat litter

There’s a reason we make a natural cat litter at Naturally Fresh: we want to create a product that’s healthy for you, your cat kid, and our shared world. That means everything we do, from running our production facilities on solar power to making a walnut shell cat litter that’s biodegradable, compostable, and sustainable , has this in mind.

Because of the multiple regulations and potential health hazards that go along with flushing cat poop down the toilet, this disposal method may not be the greenest. If you’re looking for the ultimate eco-friendly cat litter disposal, try scooping our biodegradable Naturally Fresh Cat Litter into eco-friendly cat litter bags like beyondGREEN compostable cat litter waste bags or BioBag . You can also use composted Naturally Fresh to make your garden flourish! Like we pointed out in our previous blog , it’s only advisable for use in flower gardens rather than vegetable gardens.

No matter which cat litter disposal method you choose, switching to Naturally Fresh will get you one step closer to supporting our mission for a healthier planet for everyone.