With almost 86 million cats in the United States, a lot of cat litter is used. Instead of sending that to the landfill, it would be great to know can you compost cat litter. The answer is – it depends on a few things.
The Type of Cat Litter
Some cat little is compostable. Natural cat litter is compostable, so cat litter made out of materials like
- Wood
- Pine
- Corn
- Paper
- Nut Shell
- Wheat
- Coconut Husk
Basically, if it’s made out of something natural, then it’s compostable (with a caveat.)
However, cat little made out of other common materials is not compostable. The following are examples of cat litter that isn’t compostable (hint: they’re the most common):
- Clay
- Crystal
- Pretty Litter – which changes color to tell if it’s been used
Now that we know which types of cat litter are compostable, let’s look at when you can compost it.
When You Can Compost Cat Litter
Just like with cat litter, you only want to compost cat litter if the compost is not going to be used on edible plants. If you’re using the compost in your garden, do not compost cat litter in it.
This is because cats carry a high risk of disease in their feces, particularly toxoplasmosis, which can live in the soil after it is gone. This will make people sick, particularly pregnant women and those who is immuno-compromised.
Can I Compost Cat Litter
You can compost cat litter with organic material, but you want to do so very carefully. You want to ensure that you don’t use it in compost that may be used on edible plants.