# Feelings about biodegradable, flushable cat litter? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 22, 2007, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feelings-about-biodegradable-flushable-cat-litter/393178 "2007-02-22T02:14:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feelings-about-biodegradable-flushable-cat-litter/393178/22 "2011-06-14T22:31:33Z")
[Toilet train](http://www.wikihow.com/Toilet-Train-Your-Cat) them, though do not teach them to flush. My cat Pyewackett was toilet trained. I really miss him -( It was refreshing to not have to deal with kitty trays. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feelings-about-biodegradable-flushable-cat-litter/393178/23 "2011-06-15T02:02:42Z")
I realize this was only reopened for spam, but since it’s reopened… I had started a similar [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=406378) around the same time, but with a slightly different take. Net result of thread: no, don’t flush cat litter. It can clog up your sewer line or septic system, and > [@Can I flush cat waste?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-flush-cat-waste/390211/11): > > You probably heard about how flushing cat litter may be a source of [toxoplasmosis in sea otters](http://cats.about.com/cs/parasiticdisease/a/seaotters.htm). ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feelings-about-biodegradable-flushable-cat-litter/393178/24 "2011-06-15T02:16:23Z")
Please don’t try corn if you have a full-grown male cat. Learn from our mistake. It intensifies the urine smell and it turned even my stomach and I don’t puke easily. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feelings-about-biodegradable-flushable-cat-litter/393178/25 "2011-06-15T03:04:40Z")
There is some evidence this kills sea otters. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feelings-about-biodegradable-flushable-cat-litter/393178/26 "2011-06-15T03:04:42Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Please don’t try corn if you have a full-grown male cat. Learn from our mistake. It intensifies the urine smell and it turned even my stomach and I don’t puke easily. ?? If by full-grown you mean intact, of course you will have a smell issue, regardless of the type of litter. I have three boys and a girl, all neutered, and don’t have a problem. I use World’s Best, which is corn but formulated to be as heavy as regular clumping silica. I don’t like the other corn litters because they’re light and track and dust everything nearby, but the stuff I use is great. And to go along with the theme started by the OP, I landfill the cat poo/pee/litter, but I feel better about it by using biodegradable poop bags along with the corn litter. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feelings-about-biodegradable-flushable-cat-litter/393178/27 "2011-06-15T03:13:15Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > ?? If by full-grown you mean intact, of course you will have a smell issue, regardless of the type of litter. No, I don’t mean intact, I mean adult. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feelings-about-biodegradable-flushable-cat-litter/393178/28 "2011-06-15T06:01:43Z")
> [@Darryl\_Lict](#): > > reported Thank you kindly. It’s been flushed. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feelings-about-biodegradable-flushable-cat-litter/393178/29 "2011-06-15T10:04:06Z")
How much space do you have, and is it near a water source and a drain? In that case how about a[cat genie](http://www.catgenie.com/)? > [@](#): > > Instead of litter, the CatGenie uses cat-comfy Washable Granules that look and feel like litter. The CatGenie requires a cold water connection, drainage, and electric power. Liquid waste drains and solids get scooped. All get liquified for safe and easy disposal down the drain out of the home for proper water treatment. Water and the cat-safe SaniSolution wash, scrub and scour the Washable Granules and cat box interior. A built in dryer blows hot air through the Granules to dry them completely for your cat’s comfort. I have been wanting one, but we really do not have a good spot for one in our tiny house right now - we would have to move the stacked laundry out to the barn and use that spot instead … but if frex you had a normal laundry closet that was designed for side by side full sized units, you could just get the stacked type and out it down where it could share the water and drain lines. When we finally move, we are going to make sure that we have space for one. ---
**Author:** ![Elysian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@Elysian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysian)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feelings-about-biodegradable-flushable-cat-litter/393178/30 "2011-06-15T13:02:44Z")
Wow, what a strange place the world is, where a thread about cat litter from four years ago makes me a bit nostalgic. In any case, I don’t have this problem any more ☹ Moved to another country and left my cats with friends. I miss them so much. If I did still have them I wouldn’t use a machine to clean their litter. I did try that before, but after a few months when the cleaner bar would fling nasty bits all over the bathroom like a kitty poo trebuchet, I stopped using it. Man. I do miss my cats. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feelings-about-biodegradable-flushable-cat-litter/393178/31 "2011-06-15T22:19:22Z")
I tried stuff that claimed to be flushable, and it clogged up the toilet. This was over ten years ago, however, so maybe they’ve made cat litter that really is flushable now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feelings-about-biodegradable-flushable-cat-litter/393178.md?page=1)