Are cat litter and cat sand compostable? This is the question cat owners and garden owners ask themselves. There is no blanket answer. Instead, various factors must be taken into account when disposing of compost.
Table of Contents
type of litter
There are now numerous different types of cat litter and cat sand on the market. Some are directly designated as compostable. Disposal on the compost is therefore possible without any problems, as long as you follow the right procedure.
Cat litter made of cellulose is particularly suitable for the compost heap, as it decomposes quickly.
droppings and lumps
Even if a cat litter variant is chosen that is compostable, feces and clumps of urine must be removed before adding to the compost heap. This reduces the risk of spreading parasites and pathogens.
For this reason, it is also crucial not to dispose of cat litter or cat sand that does not clump in the compost heap. Because the urine cannot be removed from this so-called hygiene litter because it is not bound. The high ammonia content of the litter, on the other hand, is not conducive to the compost soil.
components
Scented cat sand or litter should never be placed in the compost heap. Because the components that provide the scent have a negative effect on the composting process and, as a result, also on plants that are placed in the compost soil or fertilized with it.
In addition, litter with scents should not be disposed of in the organic waste bin, but put in the residual waste.
distribution
Even if cat litter is compostable, there are a few factors to consider when disposing of it. These include, among other things, the points of even distribution and good mixing. In order for the litter to decompose quickly, it should be distributed as evenly as possible. A thin and evenly distributed layer over the entire surface of the compost is ideal. This allows you to create a loose substrate that can ensure increased permeability, for example, in soil with a high loam or clay content.
Good mixing is just as important as the even distribution of the litter. It should only be applied in layers to the compost heap and mixed well with other components. Because litter or sand form a centimeter thick layer, they can clump together due to the moisture in the compostable material. As a result, they decompose more difficult and much slower. Spreading sand or litter well and mixing it with other compostable materials is therefore better than a thick layer. Decomposition processes are therefore faster and the compost soil is loosened. This advantage can in turn be used to loosen and fertilize particularly hard soil and to obtain the compost in a high quality.
use of the compost
If litter or sand from the litter box has been added to the compost heap, the compost soil should be handled with care. Because the transmission of pathogens cannot be completely ruled out. The safe option is therefore to use the soil exclusively on flower beds. It should not be used to fertilize or grow vegetables or fruit.
It also makes sense to have a separate compost heap on which to use the bedding. In this way, any parasites contained in the litter, other germs or residues of medicines – such as dewormers or antibiotics – cannot get into edible plants.
Since the temperatures on the compost heap are not sufficient to kill germs and drug residues also remain, the resulting soil should only be used for plants that are not intended for consumption.
Appropriate brands
Brands suitable for composting include:
- Cat’s Best
- Green Cat
- Biocats Classic
- Greenwoods Eco-Klumpstreu
Nevertheless, when making your selection, you should of course make sure that you can dispose of sand or litter on the compost heap. Because the composition can change even with familiar brands and products.
