The quick answer to the titled question is no, you should not flush cat litter down your toilet. We here at Five Star Plumbing understand that many cat litter manufacturers boast that their cat litter is safe to flush down the toilet but this simply is not the case, at least not in our vast experience. Even if you potty-train your cat – and, yes, this can be done – it isn’t safe to flush your feline’s fecal matter after it’s done with its business. Here are the reasons why you should never flush cat litter down the toilet.
Plumbing Risk
If you think about how cat litter works you immediately understand how it can damage your plumbing system. Cat litter expands to absorb urine and it keeps expanding up to 15 times its original size. When you toss the litter into the toilet the expansion doesn’t stop, and, you guessed it, the litter will clog your plumbing pipes like no tomorrow! Even if you purchase corn, grass, newspaper, or wheat cat litter (among other natural options), the litter will clog your pipes. It’s just what it does. Cat little does not breakdown; as such, the excess sand has only one place to go and that’s against your pipe walls.
Human Risk
You’ve heard that pregnant women should never clean cat litter and the reason why is cat fecal matter can carry Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that can make pregnant women and their babies sick. Now, before you think your feline family member is harmful to your family’s health, it isn’t, so don’t do anything drastic. Toxoplasma gondii is generally safe. Even if you were to get it from cleaning your cat’s litter box, your body will kill the parasite. The only time it’s harmful is to people with weaker immune systems, such as pregnant women. Otherwise, you needn’t worry about Toxoplasma gondii.
When you flush your feline’s litter down the toilet, however, you introduce Toxoplasma gondii into the municipal water system and groundwater. This is not good, simply because there’s already enough contaminants in the water supply. Adding Toxoplasma gondii to it could harm other people. This is why litter etiquette 101 is important. Keep your cat’s litter box clean every day and wash your hands with antibacterial soap right after you clean the litter and before you touch anything else. Dispose of the dirty litter in a safe way, such as in a closed trash container or plastic bag.
Have you been flushing your cat litter down the toilet? Don’t panic. Contact Five Star Plumbing in San Antonio, TX, today.
