Keeping It Pawsome

Inform. Empower. Enrich.

Why You Should Never Flush Cat Poop Down the Toilet

Why You Should Never Flush Cat Poop Down the Toilet

A rose by any other name might smell as sweet, but not all poop is created equal. Toilets, and our sewage systems, are designed for human excrement, not animal waste. It might seem like it couldn’t hurt to toss cat feces into the loo, but it’s not a good idea to flush cat poop in the toilet.  

First and foremost, assuming your cat uses a litter box, any waste is going to have litter on it. And even the smallest amount of litter can wreak havoc on plumbing.

Over time, small amounts build up, filling up your septic system. Most litter sold today is clumping; it is made from a type of clay that hardens when it gets wet. Ever tried to scrape old clumps from the bottom of a litter box? You know just how cement-hard it can get!

Now imagine just a small clump of that stuck in your pipes. A simple de-clogger like Drano isn’t going to cut it. And that means it’s going to cost you big time to fix it.

For an amusing, graphic tale of what happens when you flush too much litter down the toilet all at once, take a few minutes to read Gene Weingarten’s 2017 Washington Post column “So that’s what happens when you flush cat litter down the toilet.”

Parasitic Contamination

Believe it or not, your healthy kitty may be harboring a nasty parasite. Only cats excrete Toxoplasma in their feces. Yet it rarely causes serious health issues in the cats that are infected. Most people will be fine too if infected. Only pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems are at risk. (If you’ve ever heard how women who are expecting are excused from litter cleaning duty, Toxoplasma is why.)

But other animals may have a problem if infected with the parasite. And human water treatment systems aren’t designed to handle it. As a result, the systems don’t remove the parasite before discharging wastewater into local waterways. Fish, shellfish, and other marine life — otters in particular — are susceptible to toxoplasma. If exposed, most will end up with brain damage and many will die.

Depending on the species of fish, they may end up on someone’s fish hook and, ultimately on someone’s dinner plate. If that someone has a chronic illness, they’re at risk.

Skip the Toilet Training

We know there are folks out there who like to toilet train their cats. And we give them props, it takes a lot of work. But thanks to the toxoplasma, it’s not a good idea.

Leave the toilet to the humans, and accept your future litter cleaning duty.

Bag It Up

The best way to dispose of cat poop, as well as used cat litter, is to bag it up and throw it out with the rest of the trash. Worried about the environmental impact of all those plastic bags? Choose a biodegradable option like these compostable poop bags from Dujaca

But remember you want it going to a bulk waste incinerator or landfill. No putting it in your own compost pile. That’ll just result in any Toxoplasma that is present being introduced into your soil.


Do you know what cat vaccinations your kitty needs? Find out more.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 4.8 / 5. Vote count: 8

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Related Posts

The Top 10 Things Veterinarians Wish You Wouldn’t Do

The Top 10 Things Veterinarians Wish You Wouldn’t Do

Tick-Borne Diseases in Dogs and Cats to Watch Out For

Tick-Borne Diseases in Dogs and Cats to Watch Out For

Never Miss Another Feeding: WOpet Boost Automatic Feeder Review

Never Miss Another Feeding: WOpet Boost Automatic Feeder Review

The Basepaws DNA Test: What You Need to Know – An In-Depth Review

The Basepaws DNA Test: What You Need to Know – An In-Depth Review

1 Comment

  1. And just think of all the years we used to flush cat poop down our toilets. Of course, that was before the clotting litter they have today.

Comments are closed.

Discover Your Dog’s DNA

embark

Discover Your Cat’s DNA

24/7 Online Veterinarian.