# cat litter down toilet...?



## csut (Sep 15, 2013)

Hi guys.

Now obviously I don't flush my cat's entire litter tray contents down the toilet when I change it, but I do dispose of his 'solid waste' that way when I scoop it out, and invariably there will be litter stuck to it and also random other bits of litter that end up going down the bowl. Is this something you really shouldn't do? Sometimes I see bits of litter that haven't flushed properly collected in the bottom of the bowl, but I've never had any blockages or anything in about 4 months of doing this.

A question that has probably been discussed a trillion times already but just interested what you guys do...


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## emcelveen (Sep 19, 2013)

I'd say it depends where you live and whether you have a septic system or not. I would avoid putting even a speck of litter down the toilet if you are on septic. If you're on city/town sewage... you're probably fine. Your pipes and plumbing will not be damaged by the litter.


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## Treaclesmum (Sep 26, 2011)

Hi there,
I flush the solid waste down yes, it all depends what litter you use! The natural-based litters (ie. Woodchip, Oko plus etc) are all flushable but the clay or silica ones are not. Hope this helps!


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## Jesthar (May 16, 2011)

I work in the water industry, and if you are on mains drainage then as long as you either using flushable litter or aren't shovelling it down, just flushing a few escaped/stuck on poo bits, you should be fine. If you aren't blocking your own pipes, then you don't stand much chance of blocking six inch feeder sewers, they have to cope with grit etc. from roads anyway. 

I used to use CatSan for ages before I recently switched to flushable, and what you describe is very familiar!


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## loftybloke (Aug 17, 2013)

Treaclesmum said:


> Hi there,
> I flush the solid waste down yes, it all depends what litter you use! The natural-based litters (ie. Woodchip, Oko plus etc) are all flushable but the clay or silica ones are not. Hope this helps!


We switched to Oko plus on a friends recommendation and haven't looked back. Besides the fact that they insist on somehow getting it all over the house, I would much prefer de-clumping into the toilet and flushing this safely than having to dispose with solids and clumps any other way 

It also lasts a lot longer as the dirty litter is clumped up and flushed


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## sharonbee (Aug 3, 2011)

I rarely flush any down the toilet but when I have just cleaned the trays and gone out to the bin if someone has gone straight in and done a poo then I will just take it out and flush that away.


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## CoCoTrio (Jan 3, 2013)

Even 'flushable' cat litter is apparently bad news.

[youtube_browser]SLTVqkXVvNk&feature=youtu.be[/youtube_browser]

Interesting video, cat litter is at about 4:30.

Here in the UK the SAS 'Think Before You Flush' environmental campaign says:

*"The TBYF message is simple; the only things that should ever be flushed down a toilet are those that have passed through your own body and the paper you use to wipe your behind!"*


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## csut (Sep 15, 2013)

Thanks for all the replies guys I really appreciate it.



emcelveen said:


> I'd say it depends where you live and whether you have a septic system or not. I would avoid putting even a speck of litter down the toilet if you are on septic. If you're on city/town sewage... you're probably fine. Your pipes and plumbing will not be damaged by the litter.


Not sure whether I'm on a septic system or city/town. Probably the latter as Im unaware of any septic tank on my property.



Jesthar said:


> I used to use CatSan for ages before I recently switched to flushable, and what you describe is very familiar!


Yes I use CatSan as it's the only litter I can ever find in Sainsbury's or Co-Op. I take it CatSan is non-flushable then...although Judging by that video it seems nothing is flushable, so who knows!


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## cookiemom (Jun 23, 2011)

I'm near the thames, every time there is excess rain the sewers carry the rain and main sewage and empty directly into the river untreated, when Baselgette designed the system there were far less people in London and none of this so called flushable waste, what it has to cope with now is horrific, there was recently a fat burg in Kingston the size of a double decker bus, the other so called flushable stuff mixed with the fat just compounds the problem, Thames water have an ongoing campaign of education similar to that shown in the video please don't flush what the systems were not designed for.

Bin it - don't block it - Blockages - Thames Water


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## CoCoTrio (Jan 3, 2013)

Hear, hear, cookiemom.

Quoted from your link:

"The drains connected to your home were not designed to cope with anything other than wastewater, toilet tissue and human waste.

*Even the products labelled 'flushable' do not break down in the sewer.* Flushing them could block your internal plumbing or the main sewer, causing sewage to back-up.

Our message is simple, if it's not water, toilet tissue or poo, please... bin it - don't block it."

and:

"Thousands of unsuitable products are washed down the drain each year contributing to around 80,000 blockages across our supply area.

This is made worse by *confusing and misleading product labelling*, which encourages customers to flush unsuitable items, particularly toddler wipes and sanitary items. Although these items disappear when you flush your loo, they can take a number of years to break down. *There are currently no restrictions in place to prevent these products being sold as 'flushable'. *

The only product to pass water industry 'flushability' tests so far is toilet paper. Manufacturers have their own tests, which are more lenient resulting in a greater number of products being labelled 'flushable'.

To resolve this, the water industry and manufacturers are working together to develop a shared protocol. This project is also hoping to influence product labelling."

Sounds like 'flushable' cat litter may one day be a thing of the past.


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## csut (Sep 15, 2013)

useful info guys, thanks.

not flushing cat #2's down the pan will be a slight pain but I will definitely not do it any more if it's that damaging... 

what is the other option though? bin it? not inside cause it'll reek the house out. Outside bin maybe... Do the rubbish collectors consider cat ca-ca to be off limits?


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## CoCoTrio (Jan 3, 2013)

I pop it in a little biodegradable plastic bag, sealed tightly, and keep it all in a box with a good airtight lid. From time to time it goes out to the dog waste box in the park.


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## Jesthar (May 16, 2011)

OK I'll admit it - I _work_ for Thames Water. Please don't throw things... 

From the look if it, the 'flushable' kitty litter in the video is either just sand or wood dust based (i'm guessing, as we never saw if go in). It may not break down, but it is tiny - no different from if you came in from the garden and washed gritty soil off your hands in the sink. In short, it's unlikely to cause an actual problem unless sewers your area have a history of silting up and blocking. Most sewers (and all pumps) are designed to deal with stuff washed off the streets and roofs as well, remember. And yes, it is true that we find things down there like phones, wedding rings, watches, car keys, shoes, car tyres, entire shopping trollies... (nope, not kidding!)

I could tell you what the most difficult thing for us to screen out of sewage is, and another thing which can pass both through you AND our treatment works unaffected by either, but I don't want anyone to lose their dinner  But one of them is closely related to some kinds of flushable litter, which is why I'm not too worried.

Yes, I know what the video - and my own company! - says. And by and large I agree with them, of course. But (for obvious reasons  ) we do tend to go for the over the top approach, and out of everything in that video, it's the items which don't break in to pieces we'd prefer you not to flush - the face tissues and baby wipes, the towels and tampons, the plastic based items. The stuff that can tie itself together, then stay that way and risk causing blockages.

And no fat. _PLEASE_, no fat!

(OK, so some small amounts are going to go down when you wash up, but it's the chip-pan and roasting tin loads which do the damage. And manky, grease laden restaurants... :mad2: )

Cat litter, though, is already granular, so it has a head start, and the clumping ones have a water soluble element too, of course, so the clumps they form re-dissolve once you flush. So as long as you are careful to only flush what you have to (or accidental granules for non-flushable), not entire trays worth, you shouldn't be causing anyone any problems.

Well, in my personal opinion anyway. 

~Jes


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## csut (Sep 15, 2013)

Thanks Jesthar for that great reply, you've put my mind at ease a little bit more there. 

thanks also CoCoTrio - that can be my 'plan b' if I ever need it...


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## ScruffyCat (Jun 7, 2013)

i started flushing poo and a few unavoidable bits of litter down the toilet and it blocked the drain!! our pipes are quite narrow and although it was natural wood chip litter it still blocked.

I use baby nappy sacks now to dispose of waste. They are fragranced also so the rubbish bin doesnt smell of poop! They are very cheap to by from wilkinsons, around £1 for 200 i think...


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## CoCoTrio (Jan 3, 2013)

Jesthar said:


> Yes, I know what the video - and my own company! - says. And by and large I agree with them, of course. But (for obvious reasons  ) we do tend to go for the over the top approach...


Gotcha. The over-the-top approach is necessary to get the message through. Maybe the general advice is to try to prevent people from tipping entire trays of so-called 'flushable' into the system day after day.

In any case it's infuriating if the companies marketing products as 'flushable' are doing so without any reference to the water companies, or concern for the possible effects.

Does anyone bury poo in their garden? I know someone with one of these for his dog - The Dog Loo (Toilet) at Canine Concepts - like a toilet buried in the ground. Seems like a neat thing.


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## ellsbells0123 (Oct 4, 2011)

I dont flush, i use the litter champ


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## CoCoTrio (Jan 3, 2013)

That looks stylish! 
Litter Champ: on Sale now at zooplus: Litter Champ


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## xMarishax (Sep 4, 2013)

We use Oko plus and have been flushing ours, no problems yet and we have the house that Jack built! But we only flush what we need to. 
Have never seen that Litter Champ and it looks amazing! We have to take the litter tray upstairs to the toilet to empty it and having something where it's clean, simple and more importantly, can be downstairs (because we're lazy  ) sounds really good. Might be investing in one on payday  x


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