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Ft. Branch, IN ([email protected])

My wife has 2 cats that are poop producing machines. I am wondering if anyone puts cat "manure" into compost. Will the cat litter (rocks) be a problem?

Any thoughts?

I am sick and tired of hauling this stuff off the the dump and getting fed up with these cats.

5/6/2005 9:24:35 AM

Cologne / Germany

I would not. Pretty aggressive and stinking stuff. Cat urine even turns a solid metal surface into a piece of rust.
It will probably attract a lot of egg laying flies and bugs to the compost and make the worms stay away.
IMHO there are certain things that simply don´t belong to the compost. E.g. everything that might attract mice and rats.

5/6/2005 10:49:15 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Cat feces or its compost is not recommended in the garden. If you compost it. I would use the compost in the flower beds or some place where you are not going tho eat the what comes from it.

5/6/2005 1:12:04 PM

Billerica,Massachusetts

not recommend that you use cat or dog manure as they can contain parasites,diseases and other nasty pathogens!!

5/6/2005 3:02:10 PM

Ft. Branch, IN ([email protected])

So I guess I will have to continue taking the cat "doo" to the dump. I was hoping......oh well.

What about composted cat?...j/k

5/6/2005 3:46:49 PM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

Isn't the general rule don't compost feces from animals that eat meat? And I suppose also don't compost meat from animals that eat feces. :-)

5/6/2005 5:05:33 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Yikes..cat litter is calcined clay...you mean I gotta clean the box out before I through it in...oh well...guess I stick to coffe grounds..LOL

5/6/2005 5:31:56 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Cat litter is very good for low CEC, sandy types of soils. It will help to provide Cation exchange sites and thereby raise the nutrient holding capacity of soils.

5/6/2005 5:52:10 PM

C N Y

from what i have read, the poop itself would be okay to put in the compost pile. it is not advisable to USE it right out of the animal, but it can be composted. cripes, there is a thing called dead animal compost! so i guess anything is possible. concerning the litter itself? read the above post...he seems to know! eric be nice to cats! lol

5/6/2005 6:16:33 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Taken from American Farm Publications the article below dated March 1, 2005

http://www.americanfarm.com/Signe3-01-05.html

"In November 2003, I wrote an article on the use of clay amendments in soilless potting substrates. That article was based on papers from researchers at two different universities presented at the 2003 Southern Nursery Association Research Conference. Research at both universities found that the addition of calcined clay to soilless mixes improved the capacity of the mix to retain water and nutrients. This article reports on subsequent research by these same researchers."

5/6/2005 6:34:33 PM

Montoursville, PA

As long as it is completely composted or run through the worms, in vermaculture, there is nothing that once lived that will not safely compost or be turned into casts.

Others say anything that once lived will be safe if held at temperatures between 130 - 150 for several days. If a worm processes anything it is safe to use the casts.

If you are unsure, of the term completely composted or unable, to reach and hold good temperatures it may be a better practice not, to use questionable manure.

5/6/2005 8:22:01 PM

ontario

I add cat litter each year to each site and have for over five years straight.( straight out of the bag)....big Kahuna is very right..it helps to raise your CEC levels in the soil as well....

5/8/2005 5:58:12 PM

New Brunswick

Would this be regular clay type litter or the clumping stuff?

5/11/2005 2:11:53 PM

Montoursville, PA

Yes regular clay litter. If you live in clay country go fetch a bit in. Does not take much. Couple of gunny sacks full from the edge of any field will be fine. The key word is edge. Down the rows where the corn is planted there may be undesirable chemicals that could cause a problem.

Visit a limestone quary. Clay is usually in piles waiting to be back filled.

5/11/2005 5:08:09 PM

Montoursville, PA

If you live in Redmond California go there. It has a firm named Redmond Clay. It is the best for many reasons known to mankind at this time. Google will take you to Redmond Clay for some very interesting reading.

5/11/2005 5:10:20 PM