If you google ‘cat litter composting’ and bother to read all of the forums, you’ll find a lot of opinions. A few people are actually doing it, some people are too afraid to even think about it, but there does not seem to be much in the way of extended experiments.
Our cat, Lane will henceforth be one of a very select few felines using a composting toilet (I don’t want to give too much credit to the toilet since it is me doing all the work, but for all intensive purposes. . .).
Our experiment, it being winter and all, will involve composting the cat poop, pee clumps and litter with the help of red composting worms from my current worm composting system. Worm composting, also known as vermicomposting, seems to make the most sense for this purpose because it can be done on a limited scale, it can be done indoors, and it can be added to on occasion, not being dependent on a large pile to create heat.
The main concerns for cat poo composting involve Toxoplasma gondii, Toxocara cati, and fecal coliforms. As we continue with this experiment, we intend to pursue testing on the finished product within reasonable prices. Of course if it turns out the product is contaminated, we could limit the use of the compost to ornamentals or use a turkey oven bag to heat up the compost in the oven, sterilizing the resulting product.
World’s Best Cat Litter, our chosen litter, is made from corn and claims to be 100% organically derived and biodegradable. to read part of the label. It is a good size grit, clumps well, keeps down smells, and is made from grain (I have noticed worms tend to love carbohydrates like pasta, bread, or rice, which leads me to think they will be fine with the litter). Other options could be Yesterday’s News, Feline Pine, Swheat Scoop, shredded newspaper, or any other organically derived litter.
We have an 18 gallon Rubbermaid tub for the project. I drilled eight large holes in the lid of the container for air exchange. Then I drilled two small holes at the center of one end of the bin for water drainage. To ensure the water drains to the container below, I tied a loop of plastic dental floss through the holes and let it drape into the container. The water will follow the floss down to where we want it. The bin is sitting up on a cardboard box to keep it from getting too cold and so the water can drain.
Like a space monkey being suited up, I prepped the worms for their maiden voyage. First, I balled up several pages of newspaper at the bottom, put in some finished worm castings (poop), and threw in a few worms. Then I emptied Lane’s kitty litter into the bin and poured water over the top to moisten the litter as best as I could. I topped the whole thing off with a bit more finished compost, some bad lettuce, a single orange peel, and a handful of worms. to see what it looks like inside the bin.
I was going to call this blog Cat Crap Composting Conundrum, but Andrea liked this title better, I hope you agree.
We will continue to update the blog as the experiment progresses. Please share your ideas or opinions with us!
-Troy