Over the years, we get asked whether it is a good idea to flush cat poop down the toilet. While that may sound like a great idea, you should not be flushing your cat’s litter or poop down the toilet.
Flushing cat waste down the toilet causes havoc on your plumbing, clogging pipes, and damaging your septic system. It is also a danger to your health and safety.
Plumbing Clogs
It can damage your septic system by clogging pipes. Your plumbing system works on a fine balance of microbes, developed to only process human waste and biodegradable tissue. Flushing your cat’s poop adds more solid waste load into the biological mix taking place in the septic tank. The extra load disrupts the tank’s delicate and microbial balance, harming the environment.
Health Dangers
Toxoplasmosis is a parasite found in cat poop that has infected humans, marine mammals, and otters. The parasites can be harmful to humans, especially pregnant women whose infants are exposed to the parasite and can develop seizures, jaundice, enlarged livers, enlarged spleens, and severe eye infections. This parasitic infection can cause a miscarriage if the condition happens early in the pregnancy. Other vulnerable members include those who have compromised immune systems or the elderly.
In addition to humans, marine mammals and otters are also at risk. Toxoplasmosis can’t be destroyed by sewage treatment. As a result, it escapes into our waterways, where crabs and starfish will feed on it, endangering their well-being.
Toxoplasmosis can also damage sea otters by producing brain damage, often leading to death.
Litter
There is another reason you shouldn’t flush cat poop down the toilet. As much as you try to separate the poop from the litter, the residual debris will be stuck to it when flushing.
Many manufacturers claim that small amounts of litter are acceptable to deposit into the toilet. However, at Gene Wagner Plumbing, we’ve seen our fair share of clogs caused by natural litter combined with the fats and oils you’d typically find in the sewer. Toilet and sewer clogs can be expensive and time-consuming repairs that are not worth the convenience of flushing your cat’s poop.
Septic tanks cannot handle cat litter, even organic or natural litter. Litter tends to collect and solidify, often in essential parts of the tank, like the inlet baffle, creating significant problems.
Disposal
Let’s face it, most of us don’t love handling litter boxes and droppings. Cat owners are often looking for ways to make this messy chore easier.
To dispose of your cat’s waste, scoop out the debris, double-bagging them, and place them in a garbage can outside.
Consider using a biodegradable poop bag if you’d want to help the environment. These types of bags improve the chances of the waste properly breaking down.
Gene Wagner Plumbing has provided the highest quality service to our customers for over fifty years while using the most state-of-the-art materials available in the marketplace. If you happen to have a plumbing clog or a water leak that needs attention, contact us or call us at 414-541-9217.
