At the end of my week of tallying my trash, I discovered that my cats were the winners of the greatest contribution to the landfill - 7.4 pounds of litter box treasures in one week! I lamented that I didn't really know a way to reduce this landfill waste besides potty training them.
The Truth About Flushing Cat Waste
When I lived in California, I was aware that flushing cat waste is harmful to sea otters. Parasites from kitty poo survive municipal sewage treatment (which targets human waste) and are released into the oceans where they can kill sea otters.
Living in Portland, my treated sewage water goes into the Willamette River and therefore should eventually end up in the ocean. We don't have regular numbers of sea otters on our Oregon coasts because we hunted them to extinction in the early 1900s but maybe - hopefully - they'll return someday. And either way, everything is connected so who's to say that those hardy little kitty poo parasites from Portland couldn't just ride a current to Monterey Bay to attack the sea otters there?
 | ||||||||||||
| Unfortunately my cuteness doesn't fend off toxoplasmosis! |
Pet Waste in Portland
If the potential for harming one of the world's cutest animals is not motivation enough, my friend Liz has been helping me learn more about the best path for pet waste in Portland. Another issue with flushing pet waste (cat or dog) in Portland that I was unaware of is that our aged sewer systems often flow over in rainy times, allowing waste to bypass treatment and flow straight into the Willamette River - yikes!
 |
| No more waste here please. |
It seems for now that the options left to pet owners are to continue with disposal in landfills or to compost at home. I've only just learned about composting as an option and don't know much about it but this website shares some really good information about it. I look forward to learning more and determining if this is an option for us in the future.
So, the main point? Flushing pet waste is not okay.
If you are not sure what your city recommends, check with your local water bureau!
