Did You Know You Can Compost Cat Litter?

I bought a home composter a couple of years ago and part of what I had to mix in with the compost included wood pellets. They looked suspiciously a lot like the organic wheatgrass cat litter I used to buy, so it got me wondering if it was the same thing. Can you use compost cat litter?

Well, I found out the answer to this question when I received a recent press release about Swheat Scoop® Natural Clumping Litter. Similar to wood pellets, Swheat Scoop is made from a renewable, biodegradable, plant-based resource—namely wheat.

The folks at Swheat Scoop included a few tips on how to compost cat litter, so I thought I’d share them with you. Here they are:

1. Clean the litter box regularly

  • It’s recommended that you scoop twice a day to encourage your cat to use the box regularly and also to keep  the remaining, non-soiled litter clean and fresh.
  • When it’s time to replace the litter (it’s recommended that the litter box be fully emptied, cleaned and refilled once a month), the residual litter can be added to the compost pile meant for enriching decorative gardens with flowers, shrubs, trees and other plants not intended for consumption. DON’T USE the cat litter compost  in vegetable gardens.

2. Sort your waste

  • To yield the most successful compost, you must have the right “ingredients.” If you’re composting indoors you’ll want a compost bin, which may require you to add water periodically. An outdoor compost pile will naturally receive the appropriate amount of moisture from the ground and the rain.
  • Materials you can add to the compost pile or container include:
    • Non-protein food scraps
    • Plant, vegetable, fruit or grass cuttings
    • Eggshells
    • Grains
    • Coffee grains (this balances the compost’s pH levels, which helps manage odors and encourages a faster compost cycle)
  • Items to sift or discard from your compost are:
    • Meat or fish
    • Dairy
    • Grease
    • Plastics or plastic-coated paper products

3. Maintain and enjoy the spoils, literally

  • Add your “ingredients” as they become available and turn your compost pile regularly (once a day is recommended). Over time, the materials will break down and begin to look like rough-textured soil, that’s when it’s ready to add to your ornamental gardens!

Based on these recommendations on composting cat litter, it occurred to me that I don’t need to bother buying wood pellets to mix with my compost. All I need to do is add cat litter and I could probably use clean litter straight out of the bag. Happy composting with cat litter!