A common challenge that many cat owners will inevitably deal with is the smell of kitty droppings. Cat feces have a foul smell, which can easily disrupt the air quality in your home. So, letting your cat go to the bathroom outside can save you the trouble of cleaning up and dealing with the smell of cat poop.
Even though it’s easier, you might think it’s better for your cat to poop on your plants outside. But can cat poop hurt your plants? Yes, it can if the plants aren’t composted or aged properly.
Are you curious how cat poop can damage your plants? Read on to find out more!
Pet waste contains nutrients that could potentially fertilize plants and enrich soil. This leads many gardeners to wonder – can cat poop be used as fertilizer for flowers? The idea of repurposing waste especially from a beloved pet, is appealing. However there are risks associated with using cat feces in the garden. In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons of using cat poop as fertilizer for your flowers.
An Overview of Cat Waste as Fertilizer
Like most animal waste, cat feces contain nitrogen phosphorus and potassium – three primary nutrients plants need. Cat poop also contains organic matter that can improve soil structure and moisture retention when added to soil.
At first glance, this makes cat feces seem like a viable organic fertilizer. However, there are some big risks to consider before amending your garden soil with cat waste.
Potential Benefits of Using Cat Feces Fertilizer
Here are some of the potential benefits that make cat poop fertilizer tempting for gardeners:
-
Nutrient Content – Cat feces contain moderate levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are directly usable by plants.
-
Organic Matter – Cat waste adds organic material to soil which improves structure and nutrient holding capacity.
-
Free and Convenient – Pet waste is always abundant and free for the taking. No need to purchase commercial fertilizers.
-
Reduces Waste – Repurposing cat feces keeps waste out of landfills and gives it a useful purpose.
-
Pet Owner Appeal – For cat owners, using kitty poop in the garden can feel like a meaningful way to recycle waste from a beloved pet.
Risks and Downsides of Cat Feces as Fertilizer
However, there are some significant risks that must be considered before using cat waste to fertilize your garden:
-
Health Hazards – Cat feces can contain dangerous pathogens harmful to humans including Toxoplasma gondii, Campylobacter, Salmonella and parasites.
-
Pet Hazards – Many weed and grass seeds pass intact through cat digestive systems. Using cat poop risks spreading weeds and grass in garden beds.
-
Soil Contamination – Feces may contain heavy metals, pharmaceutical residues, and environmental toxins that accumulate over time with repeated applications.
-
Odors – Cat waste has an extremely strong, unpleasant odor even when composted. The smell can linger for weeks in soil.
-
Weed Seeds – Cat feces often contain seeds from grasses, weed and other plants the cat has ingested. These seeds can germinate and take over garden beds.
Overall, the risks seem to outweigh any potential fertilizer benefits from cat poop. But what if you compost cat waste first before applying it?
Composting Cat Waste for Use as Fertilizer
Some gardeners assume composting cat feces will make it safe to use on edible plants and flowers. However, many risks remain even after composting:
-
Composting does not necessarily kill all pathogens or weed seeds in cat waste.
-
Pharmaceutical residues and environmental contaminants are not broken down through composting. These can accumulate and damage soil health over time.
-
The unpleasant odor associated with cat feces persists through composting due to the mix of proteins, fats and acids.
-
As carnivores, cat digestive systems are not optimized to break down plant material and produce nutrient-rich manure suitable for composting.
The United States Composting Council states that cat manure should never be added to compost intended for food gardens, even when thoroughly composted. The risks simply outweigh any small nutrient benefits.
Best Practices for Safe Use
If you do still wish to experiment with using cat waste as fertilizer, here are some best practices to reduce risks:
-
Only use feces from your own healthy, parasite-free indoor cat to avoid contamination. Never use waste from an unfamiliar cat or outdoor cat of unknown health.
-
Only apply composted cat feces to ornamental plantings like flowers, trees, shrubs etc. Never use on edibles that are directly consumed by humans.
-
Double compost cat poop by composting first, removing from finished compost, then composting a second time in a new batch before using.
-
Always wear gloves and wash hands/tools thoroughly after handling cat feces or compost containing cat poop.
-
Apply composted cat waste as a thin top dressing and immediately work into soil instead of direct contact between feces and plant leaves/stems.
-
Have soil tested for nutrient levels and avoid over-applying so nutrients don’t accumulate to excessive levels over time.
In most cases, the risks seem to outweigh any small fertilizer value from cat feces. While the nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter look attractive on paper, the dangers from pathogens, odors, weed seeds and contamination usually make cat poop a poor choice to fertil
What Makes Cat Poop Dangerous?
Besides having a bad smell, fresh cat poop can be harmful because it can change the chemistry of your soil and cause health problems.
Cat poop is essentially similar to cattle poop in the sense that it contains nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium. The elements found in excrement are the primary ingredients in organic fertilizer. The reason why fresh cat feces can harm your plants is the amount of nitrogen present. If you add cat poop to soil, it has almost twice as much nitrogen as cattle poop, which can burn and hurt plants.
In addition to having a lot of nitrogen, fresh cat poop may also have bacteria, pathogens, and parasites that are bad for plants and could infect and hurt them.
Animal waste from your cat can hurt your plants, and leaving it in the garden can also be bad for your health in a number of ways. Humans can be at risk of diseases, such as Toxoplasmosis, Salmonella, E. coli, and roundworms, if the excrement is not disposed of properly and left to decompose in the soil.
Toxoplasmosis is caused by the Toxoplasma gondii parasite, which is transmitted through cat feces. While most infected may not experience symptoms, pregnant women pose the highest risk, as toxoplasmosis is considered a common cause of congenital hearing loss.
Another parasite that can be passed to humans through feces is roundworms, which can also cause serious illness. Salmonella and E. coli are two types of bacteria that can be transmitted through cat feces. Both bacteria can cause gastrointestinal infections and fever.
Cleaning Your Cat’s Poop
It is very important to clean up your cat’s waste because it could hurt your plants and your health. To prevent contamination, wear thick rubber gloves and a dust mask when cleaning your cat’s feces. Take the poop out of the ground with a shovel, along with any soil or food that it touched. Try to dig up to two inches deep into the ground from where the cat poop was to make sure you got rid of everything.
With cat urine, you don’t have to worry about any harmful effects on the soil, plants, or humans. Even so, you should still wash any urine off of plants or soil with water to get rid of the smell and keep your plants from getting hurt more.
