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Packing Up Poop

post #1 of 24
2/3/11 at 8:26am
Thread Starter 
O.K. We all know about scooping litter boxes, multiple litter boxes, types of litter.

What I want to know is this: In what do you collect the scooped poop?

I save all the flimsy produce bags from the grocery store, bread bags, etc. Know not to use plastic lettuce bags as they have holes through which grains of litter may escape.

I also use brown paper lunch bags.

The young kittens-transitioning-to-cats have three litter pans. Today I reduced this number by one as they rarely use the one on the main level of the house. I scoop these twice a day, morning and evening.

The primary reason for this query is my old lady cat Mist, living in her senior housing quarters in my study.

She is a diabetic controlled with diet. Her last glucose test was a respectable 166. She does urinate frequently. So I'm scooping multiple times a day in addition to morning and evening. It's bulky to wrap in a paper towel, then throw in the trash. I hate to use a "fresh" brown paper lunch bag several times a day.

So, fellow catophiles, once you scoop - what next?
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post #2 of 24
2/3/11 at 8:34am
I have an old Tidy Cats plastic tub with a tight fitting lid (I don't use this brand any more, but the tub is handy). I line it with an OdorShield plastic garbage bag. I just open the tub and scoop more in until it's full, then carry the whole thing out to the dumpster. The only time I have a problem with it smelling when I open it is if I dumped really fresh poop into it the last time. It works well if I let the poop set long enough first so the litter absorbed some of the stink. I do have to fold over the top of the plastic bag and close it inside the tub. If I left it hanging over the edges Miss Patchwillow would be eating it.
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post #3 of 24
2/3/11 at 3:54pm
My daily scoopings used to go into a pail like GoldyCat but to many of them now. I scoop the kittens/one mom and bag thier waste in a white trash bag(cheapest scented I can find)then scoop my cats into a few of the whites all the white bags go into a black bag and it goes outside. Where it sits a WEEK! cause town went to one time a week pick up(few weeks AFTER we moved in

So far no ones complained of smell and during summer I move it out back where its shaded.

I miss my apartment where I would walk every am with that ams waste and any bombs(those OMG somethign died poop smell) i would flush as barely any litter coated to it and entire time I was there no major plumbing issues. humans clogged it more if you caatch my drift
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post #4 of 24
2/3/11 at 4:29pm
I just use plastic grocery or produce bags, empty bread bags, and other bags that I come across. I actually keep them for a few days, twisted up tight after scooping into them, then toss the full bags in the trash outside. Maybe that sounds gross, but I don't see it as any worse than the bag in the old tidy cats tub, same thing pretty much.
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post #5 of 24
2/3/11 at 5:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkMavis View Post
I just use plastic grocery or produce bags, empty bread bags, and other bags that I come across. I actually keep them for a few days, twisted up tight after scooping into them, then toss the full bags in the trash outside. Maybe that sounds gross, but I don't see it as any worse than the bag in the old tidy cats tub, same thing pretty much.
I used to do that. The only difference I noticed is that the Tidy Cats tub contains the smell better.
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post #6 of 24
2/3/11 at 7:16pm
I use a good brand of large freezer bags, the kind that tie. I live in an apartment and the dumpsters are at the basement level of my building, at the far end. I tend to take my trash out once, maybe twice a week, so I need to use bags that don't let scent travel through. After trial and error with a variety of bags from grocery to regular trash bags, I decided to try the large freezer bags. They work great! Of course you don't need to use the large size, you can use smaller ones. I just find that the large ones work well for me for a days scooping. At the end of the day I tie it up tightly and put it into my regular trash bag.
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post #7 of 24
2/4/11 at 2:12am
I use bio degradable nappy (diaper) sacks, then out to the rubbish bin outside. Since I use wood pellets I'm just scooping out poops, so I don't need a large bag even with a number of cats & kittens.
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post #8 of 24
2/4/11 at 3:03am
I used plastic bag, but we now have a campaign not to use a plastic bag. I have the same problem now, maybe I have to dig a hole at the backyard and bury those poops!
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post #9 of 24
2/4/11 at 5:42am
Thread Starter 
Problem with burying it is that right now the ground is frozen hard as stone, plus covered with several inches of snow topped with a layer of ice.

Years ago I did know someone who had a doggy poo digester. It was a sort of septic system for dogs - think of a can buried in the ground with a flip up lid. Shovel the poo into it and sprinkle something that was supposed to digest the poo more quickly.

The issue I see with cats is the litter that adheres to their waste. Bentonite clay can be used to seal a garden pond so it isn't going to break down very quickly, if at all.

Like Mystery Cat I'd like to reduce my use of plastic bags which is why I'm using brown paper lunch bags at least some of the time. If I scoop all the litter pans and then promptly dispose of bag + contents in the big garbage can in the garage (we also have once a week trash pickup) there's no problem with contents leaking out as I carry it there, or smell.

Of course it is really cold in the garage right now. Summer may be a different story.
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post #10 of 24
2/4/11 at 10:34am
I do what Dark Mavis does. It's really the only reason I still take plastic bags from the grocery store and Target. I feel bad about it, though. I'd like to find another way.

I did try a small garbage can with a plastic bag liner. But it smelled too much.

Putting it in a grocery bag every day (poop and clumped urine), and tying it tight, seems to contain the odors just fine in the tall kitchen garbage can under the sink. This bag goes out once or twice a week. I also have once a week garbage pick-up, but the garbage goes in big wheeled bins (that my town provides) and they (one for garbage and one for recycling) contain odors well.

I must add, though, that with the high quality food I use, and the chick feed litter (substitute for high cost WBCL), the smell is minimal, in the first place.

I'd consider biodegradable bags, but I'd still have to place them in a plastic bag for garbage pick-up (required). I do put some waste from one litter pan (the only one on main floor, others in basement) down a toilet. No problems with that, but there is too much to do it will all of it, I think.

Robin
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post #11 of 24
2/4/11 at 10:41am
I use a Litter Locker, which is emptied once a week. I've never had a problem with odor and usually end up with one medium-sized "bag" worth of waste.
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post #12 of 24
2/4/11 at 11:42am
I just buy the puppy pooper scooper bags - and scoop into that. Tie it off and at the end of the day take the bounty out to the bin.
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post #13 of 24
2/4/11 at 9:13pm
We use plastic grocery bags.
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post #14 of 24
2/25/11 at 8:08pm
we buy our bags from a store called "Smart and Final" - they're called T-shirt bags (the same as the plastic bags from the grocery store - only with no holes).

we get a box of them, and they last a long time - even with 8 cats
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post #15 of 24
2/26/11 at 8:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoldyCat View Post
I have an old Tidy Cats plastic tub with a tight fitting lid (I don't use this brand any more, but the tub is handy). I line it with an OdorShield plastic garbage bag. I just open the tub and scoop more in until it's full, then carry the whole thing out to the dumpster. The only time I have a problem with it smelling when I open it is if I dumped really fresh poop into it the last time. It works well if I let the poop set long enough first so the litter absorbed some of the stink. I do have to fold over the top of the plastic bag and close it inside the tub. If I left it hanging over the edges Miss Patchwillow would be eating it.
Why didn't I ever think of that!!! GREAT idea and I have one I can start using. I too use the odor shield garbage bags, but just use a tall garbage can with lid to place poop bags in.

I use those doggie poop pick-up bags. I buy them in bulk and they are just perfect for scooping cat pans.
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post #16 of 24
2/26/11 at 9:17am
Doctors Foster and Smith sell a "Litter Champ Disposal System," that is suppose to control odors. It looks like a sort of waste basket with a foot pedal, childproof lock, and rubber seal on lid. It comes with biodegradable bags (best idea of all) that are supposed to last 2-3 months (I suppose until full) for one cat - 4 gallon capacity. However it costs $33.99 (on sale - 20% off) and the refill bag is $8 on sale.

I've been flushing litter more and more, since I use the chick crumble. It works fine, as long as I don't overload the toilets. My basement litter pans (3 of them) are just steps away from the toilet down there. However, it can take 3 or 4 flushes a day. The litter pan upstairs is kept in the room next to the bathroom.

For using plastic bags, Target bags are great - strong and no holes. For grocery store bags, I've often has to use 2 of them together because of holes.

Another idea is that Gardeners' Supply Co. sells biodegradable bags for collecting compost in the kitchen before taking out to compost bins. I've considered before buying them for that purpose. But they may also work for placing in a plastic bin. When full they could be tied off and put in regular garbage. At the landfill, they'd break down fast and be much better than plastic bags. I don't know how big they are, though.

Robin
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post #17 of 24
2/27/11 at 11:18pm
Get a flush-able litter and never worry about that again.

Never once had a overflow/clog even doing all four litterboxes at once, as the clumps tend to break up when in water, and cat poo is tinsy compared to humans for which the system is designed.
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post #18 of 24
2/28/11 at 8:27am
Thread Starter 
We have a septic system. Biodegradable or not, the less it has to deal with, the better.
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post #19 of 24
2/28/11 at 7:22pm
I buy the cheapest brand zip-lock sandwich bags, box of 50. A bag lasts 1 1/2 days and when it's full I fling it in the trash. I only have one cat so a box last two months.
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post #20 of 24
3/2/11 at 10:49am
I, too, use trusty Tidy Cats litter pails along with odor-shield garbage bags.

I have numerous litter boxes throughout the house. And, I tend to scoop a minimum of two times a day, per box. I used to use leftover grocery store bags -- tossing them into the litter pail once I was done, but they did not control odor as well as I'd have liked. And, they became bulky and took up too much space. So, that is when I switched to lining the litter pail with odor-shield garbage bags. I just scoop the waste into the bag, fold the bag into the pail, and snap the lid back on. I have one of these set-ups downstairs and another upstairs. The bag usually gets filled in a week's time and then I take it outside to the trash for pick-up. That same day, I wash the litter pail (I have amassed quite a number of them so always have a spare or two on hand) and set it out to dry for at least 24 hours. That also helps cut down on odor.

Since I've started with this method, I have had no issues with smell or mess. It's really worked well for me in my situation and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for an inexpensive way to keep up with waste, but who also want to ensure that their home remains sanitary and odor-free.
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post #21 of 24
3/2/11 at 11:57am
One really big issue for me is that I don't want to add more plastic to the landfills. So flushing, as long as it is kept to a minimum, is good, in my opinion. I'm gradually getting away from taking plastic bags at stores. If I decide to use biodegradable bags for cat waste, I'll be tying them off and then throwing them in the garbage, but not within a plastic bag.

Robin
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post #22 of 24
3/2/11 at 12:23pm
I use Biobag doggie poop bags. One large poop bag is big enough for a day or 2's worth of 2 cats' waste. I knot the end and toss it into a Diaper Genie that's lined with a kitchen size Biobag. That gets thrown in the regular trash ever week. I feel good that the waste is in biodegradable bags that can break down in a landfill with ease. And, the Genie contains smell really well, an added bonus.
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post #23 of 24
3/2/11 at 1:10pm
Thread Starter 
Very little biodegrades in a landfill. There is so much "stuff" that everything compresses. No air, no decomposition. There is, in fact, a college-level subject called "garbology." They excavate, wearing scuba type gear to prevent asphyxiation.

Here's the Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbology

and a very basic article about biodegradation in landfills: http://environment.about.com/od/recy...degradable.htm
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post #24 of 24
3/4/11 at 2:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Catapault View Post
Very little biodegrades in a landfill. There is so much "stuff" that everything compresses. No air, no decomposition. There is, in fact, a college-level subject called "garbology." They excavate, wearing scuba type gear to prevent asphyxiation.

Here's the Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbology

and a very basic article about biodegradation in landfills: http://environment.about.com/od/recy...degradable.htm
Thanks for the link.

I will continue to use corn-based biobags however. I'd rather send those to the landfills than plastic grocery bags, which I can recycle at my local supermarket.
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