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amandavh_gw

Kitty Litter in the Toilet!

amandavh
18 years ago

Hey guys, I was just reading here about the cat litter issue in another thread...and I was wondering if you guys had any kind of way to help me with my problem. My husband and I have just gotten our first kitten, and we love her. The thing is, I was unaware that you aren't supposed to flush the clumps of used litter down the toilet, and now the toilet is getting a little clogged. I am not sure of how long its been building up, because tonight is the first night I noticed it. If anyone has any suggestions, I would LOVE to hear them. The toilet isn't clogged completely, but you can see the litter in the bottom of it adding up. Also, on the box of litter is says dispose of properly...apparently I have NO idea on what is proper, so I would also love some suggestions on that. Thank you!!!

Comments (31)

  • lizql
    18 years ago

    First of all, plunge the toilet with a good quality plunger.

    Now for the litter disposal. I scoop daily into small paper lunch bags and plop them in the garbage can. If you are into recycling, you can use double Walmart bags and such.

  • socks
    18 years ago

    Often bags from the store like the grocery store have little holes in them, so I don't like to use them for litter. The best luck I've had is with the plastic bags the newspaper comes in. They rarely have any holes. I only flush the clumping litter occasionally, like when I don't have a bag.

  • mustangs81
    18 years ago

    I buy the boxes of the zip lock type bags from Big Lots for .99. They are large enough to clean two litter boxes and the opening is large enough to accommodate the large size scoop.

  • nibblin
    18 years ago

    i don't do this anymore (don't like to use the big plastic containers that the litter is sold in), but i used to buy them, and would 'recycle' them, by using them to hold the dirty litter until i threw it out, or by keeping it outside as a dog poo container.

    i guess if you're into recycling, you could purchase just one of this particular brand of litter, use it up, and then just clean and reuse the plastic container, but buy a more earth friendly (cardboard box), brand when you have to replace all the litter in the litterbox.

  • lizql
    18 years ago

    Holes in the bags...That was the reason I suggested double bags. Take one with holes and put it in one without holes. As soon as you shake them open you can see the tiny holes, or not.

  • minnie_tx
    18 years ago

    I had this problem when I thought I was pouring a jug (Kitty jug) of water down the bowl. (this was during an ice storm when our water was cut off). I caught it before it all went in. I panicked at first then scooped out as much water as I could then used an old turkey baster to suck up the rest. Then wiped out any grains with paper towels. I was lucky that I didn't really flush any down. I would suggest you do have someone come out and flush out the "line" to thta bathroom. It shouldn't cost too much.
    I never put any litter down the john on purpose. I buy those litter pan inserts that come with one solid plastic sheet and 9 sheets that fit on top. They have holes in them and you just grab the four ends and gather up and let the excess litter sift out. The I drop that bag into a plastic bag and toss in the garbage. So much better than scooping up the used litter. I think it cost around $3 something in WM.

  • nibblin
    18 years ago

    i also wanted to add this...i don't think litter should be flushed, even if it's labeled flushable.

    our STP's (sewage treatment plants) have a lot of things to deal with, with a burgeoning population. and sometimes they are underfunded for improvements, etc.

    and please be aware that the things (toxic materials) you dump in any of your drains could likely end up in fertilizer labeled as 'biosolids' used to grow the food (meat or produce) that you buy in a grocery. it's likely it's not done in your town, but shipped to others, and other towns/countries ship food in.

    i try to remember that my food isn't made in the grocery, and my water doesn't magically appear from the tap. i'm essentially drinking wastewater from the people upstream from me.

    read this link:

    Here is a link that might be useful: random link of what not to flush

  • lizql
    18 years ago

    Most kitty litter scoopable or otherwise is made from clay. Clay hardens over time. Just think of the tiny hole in your drain pipes that you will be trying to flush things through in a few years or a few months depending upon the amount and how often.

  • jenathegreat
    18 years ago

    I'd try the plunger suggested above, followed by bailing out the toilet to get out all the litter you can.

    You might try to flush the toilet more often for awhile. If it's a seldom used bathroom, then the clay in the drain is probably drying out and clumping in the line. If you flush it a lot (I'm thinking maybe once an hour or so) then maybe you can help get that clay moving again. If that doesn't work or just moves the clog, you'll have to have the drainline roto-rootered.

    We use grocery bags for cleaning the litter box.

  • jannie
    18 years ago

    I scoop daily, and throw the solids in my back yard in inconspicuous spots. Once a week, I set a paper grocery bag on the floor and dump in the entire box, then scrape the bottomn with the flat edge of the scooper. Then the bag gets put in my garbage can to be hauled off. I have three cats and this routine keeps them healthy and the house non-smelly.

  • minnie_tx
    18 years ago

    Before I started using the "Sifting Cat Pan Liners" available at WM, I would take aluminum foil and pull out a big piece and then scoop the clumps onto it and fold it up and put in the garbage. It didn't smell that way either. I always used a liner in the box though.

  • swineinsanity
    17 years ago

    I did the same thing. I bought flushable cat litter and it clogged. From what the septic pump guy said it is a common thing people do. He said with a septic tank it isn't biodegradable because septics are air tight environments. Anways, I have been doing Google searches to see what to do (that is how I found this) and one site said to get a expandable rubber bladder, so I will check that out. We took our toilet off and snaked it, but nothing. I bought a Doggie Dooley and have been putting the litter in that to decompose with the dog poo. It is in an ornamental garden, so I don't have to worry about toxins. Anyways, Thats all.
    Cheryl

  • minnie_tx
    17 years ago

    Next time you are in W Mart look in the cat section for Sifting Cat Pan Liners. That is what I use now. They are around 3.98 sounds expensive but so convenient. It is a set of layered palstic sheets with sifting holes in them they are set in your litter box on top of the bottom layer that doesn't hve any hole in it. A big rubber band comes in each box to put aruond the edge to hold them in nice.. When it comes time to empty the box just lift the top liner up on all sides (I grab it and hold it in one hand) then I hold it over the litter box and all the unusedlitter sifts out back into the litter box. I give it a few "twirls" to get the last bit out. I then have a plastic store bag ready and drop it in that and tie it up and put in the garbage.

    This only works if you use the clumping cat litter. I forgot to mention tht there are 10 extra giant size in ech box. So you can clean out the box ten times before getting a new box.***** 5 stars in my book.

    In the old days I used to buy cheap foil and tear off a large piee and then shovel the stuff on it and fold up and throw in the garbage.
    Now, about the original problem, do what others suggested but keep in mind that you might have to call a plumber to clean out the "line" to that bathroom. Might cost around $75 or something like that. Whatever it costs in your neighborhood

  • minnie_tx
    17 years ago

    I can't believe I answered this before in June. I hope I got my story straight this time haha

  • minnie_tx
    17 years ago

    What? I'm losing it it was Jan not June?????

  • chloedaven
    17 years ago

    Since we're all sharing how we dispose of the litter...
    I used to use the plastic grocery bags but ended up throwing away half of them because of the holes in the bottom. The newspaper bags are a good idea, I use those. I also use the fruit and vegetable bags they have at grocery stores to carry organic items home in. They're a little larger than the newspaper bags and the best part is - they're free! This works well for me because I purchase a good amount of fruits and vegetables. I double the bags at the store to make them go further in the long run. They work well too because there is still room to tie a knot in it. I always dispose of in the garbage container outside so there is no smell inside.
    Happy Cleaning!

  • bonelady
    17 years ago

    I have my litter box in a storage room and I keep a small bathroom waste paper can next to it, that is lined with a plastic grocery bag. I scoop into the bag and empty it about every two days with my regular trash. I use a premium clumping littler from the Pet Store and do not notice any smell from the 2 days.

  • amy_z6_swpa
    17 years ago

    I use plastic grocery bags for poop-scooping my 2 cat pans. I don't use clumping litter. If I find a bag with small holes (which yes, happens pretty often, I hate that!), then I use that bag for my bathroom trash can because in the bathroom there are never any liquids or really small items going into the trash). I put the poop bags into the can out back. Then when taking out the large kitchen trash bag, I throw all the small poop bags into the one big one (because often if the little bags are loose inside the can, the garbagemen drop them onto the street & leave them there).

  • stanlie_gw
    17 years ago

    I recycle mine. I scoop the clumps into a bucket and then I pour them down the groundhog holes under my barn.

  • Katy
    17 years ago

    Do some of the litter say it is okay to flush?

  • meldy_nva
    17 years ago

    Do yourself a favor and toilet-train the kitten. I had a cat who trained herself, but the link explains how it's done for most cats. The most difficult part for women is to remember to leave the seat down and the lid *up*!

    Here is a link that might be useful: how to toilet train a cat

  • socks
    17 years ago

    Even if the litter container says it's ok to flush, don't do it. The clumping especially can ball up and really clog your toilet. I know, because I did it this week and had to call someone to snake the toilet.

  • sherry326
    17 years ago

    I use Swheat Scoop litter because I don't like the chemical smell of some of the other scoopable litters. It's made of wheat and I've been flushing it down the toilet for over a year with no problem. I try to clean the litter twice a day, and if there's a lot (I have 3 cats and 3 litter boxes in the garage) I'll put in half at a time. I've never had any problems with the plumbing.

  • rosesr4me
    17 years ago

    I never flush litter. Having 3 cats (on my 2nd set), I use a small roll of bags for small waste baskets (get them at Dollar store cheap - I used to use grocery bags, but got tired of looking for holes). I scoop twice a day: before and after work. (you will find that cats have a routine...mine use the boxes around 6 am and then again after they eat at night. Frequent scooping is the key to keeping down the smell. After two scoops, I knot the bag and drop it in the trash.

  • Katy
    17 years ago

    We just got 2 kitties from the Humane Society. The litter they used was Feline Pine (not the clumping kind). The litter looks a lot like alfalfa pellets used for rabbit food. When the kitties pee, the pellets disolve to saw dust. We did flush the solid waste down because the pellets just disolved in the toilet. My daughter (13 years old) is planning on toilet training the kitties once they are a bit older. She has already started raising the litter box.

    Katy

  • shaddy45
    15 years ago

    Kitty litter should never be flushed down the toilet! Just because it goes away and you don't have to deal with it, doesn't mean it "should" be flushed. Pregnant women are discouraged from even touching litter because of the damage it can do to the baby, why would you want to put that into your water supply? Think green!! Go to buygreen.com and get bio-degradable cat pan liners, use feline pine or swheat cat litter and put the leftovers in your yard waste. Buy biodegradable cornstarch bags for dog waste and use those to dispose of your cat's droppings. They are inexpensive even at Petsmart.

  • abejadulce_z9b
    15 years ago

    Let's see - it's ok to flush MY waste. . . or maybe it's not.

    I think that the products of my biodegradable body are also biodegradable. The last time I checked, my cat was also biodegradable.

    My point is not that kitty litter should be flushed. My point is that you've missed the point.

    Who said anything about pregnant women? This thread isn't even about litter disposal. The OP was asking about what to do about the toilet since he or she had fushed litter in error.

    I wonder who owns the website that you are plugging?

  • nazani14_yahoo_com
    14 years ago

    You CAN put cat poop in the toilet, IF you use a flushable litter. Read the labels, there are several different kinds. Another solution is to follow online instructions on making a pet waste composter - little more than a large plastic container buried in your yard, with a bit of digesting enzyme added. PLEASE DON'T discard pet waste in plastic bags! The bags are bad for the environment in many ways, and toxoplasmosis from the cat feces can get into ground water, causing severe health problems for humans and marine species.

    Here is a link that might be useful: dangerous parasite

  • 1954_hushmail_me
    12 years ago

    With out my knowledge my old wife flushed cat litter down the toilet for years. We have 4 cats.
    Now all of a sudden it swelled up and set up like concrete. The plumber said all the pipes need completely replaced all-the-way-out-to-the-street.Some sort of chemical reaction. He said it is rare, but has happened before.

  • jannie
    12 years ago

    Most cat litters (flushable or not) are made from clay. Exceptions would be Feline Pine, Swheat and Yesterdays News. I spilled clean cat litter on my basement floor,then the washer overflowed, clay plus water equals slippery mud. Took forvever to dry out. I opened the basement windows and set up fans. Finally dry, I was able to scrape up the mess and dospose of it. Never ever ever put anything from a cat in the toilet. You will definitely ruin your plumbing as Dan 1954 explained. I scoop my cat box (I now have just one cat) every morning. Put the scooped stuff in plastic grocery bag, twist and put with my household garbage for twice-weekly pickup. May be bad for the landfill, but what else can I do with it?

  • Denny Chiu
    3 years ago

    Even small amounts (tablespoon) of liquified (mud-like) clumping cat litter? I wipe my bathroom floor of small amounts of Dr. Elsey's litter with a washcloth, dip it in water to liquify it into mud, and then want to dispose of it, not down the bathroom sink, though. It doesn't sound that much different from a case of diarrhea. Also, I don't do it more often than once every few weeks.