[SustainableTompkins] dealing with cat litter

[gail at kitchenchairmusic.com]

Dear Folks -

I love it when this list gets really active discussions, such as this one
on kitty litter and the water heater thread. I think that sharing
information and ideas about the practical everyday aspects of living more
sustainably is one of the most important functions of this list.

My cat has been using various compostable litters for over 12 years now. I
tried the various pellets (wheat, sawdust, corncobs), but finally settled
on aspen shavings. The aspen is less aromatic than pine, which means it is
less likely to cause skin or eye irritation for cats. I buy it in large
brown-paper-covered bales at Ithaca Grain and Pet Supply (a side benefit
is that these large bags are not only recyclable, but potentially reusable
for holding yard waste, wrapping things, or art projects). I can’t
remember the exact price of a bale, but I think it is around $10 and a
bale lasts us about two months.

I change the litter box an average of twice each week (because I only have
one cat) and dump the entire contents in my compost, rinse the litter box,
and dump that on the compost too. I have a large (three bins, ~1 cubic
meter for each bin), low-maintenance, backyard composting system made of
wooden pallets. I build the pile in layers, adding leaves and weeds to
cover each deposit of cat litter or kitchen scraps, never turn the pile,
and let the full pile sit for a year before sifting and spreading it.
Here’s my reasoning: (1) My cat doesn’t go outside at all; hence she
doesn’t eat any wild animals, and is less likely to acquire parasites or
pathogens than I am. (2) Neighborhood cats poop all over my yard all the
time. I’m not feeling the need to find all their feces and flush it into
the sanitary sewer system before I plant tomatoes. So I feel really
comfortable about my cat’s feces that have composted for a year going on
my vegetables.

I suppose if your cats are eating wildlife, you need to be more careful,
but composting and just sitting out in the elements for a year does a
world of good to kill pathogenic bacteria and parasites, most of which
don’t survive well for long periods of time outside the guts of their
hosts. It is worth reading Joseph Jenkins’ book, Humanure, for an
intelligent and well-researched account of how to safely deal with manures
without using all the limited resources that we currently use for this
purpose.

Thanks for all the discussion!
Gail Blake