Is Cat Poop Good Fertilizer? Benefits And Risks

Using cat poop as fertilizer in your garden may seem like a great way to reduce waste and improve your soil.

However, there are important risks to consider before using cat feces to fertilize plants, especially those intended for human consumption.

In this post, we’ll explore the potential benefits and drawbacks of using cat poop as fertilizer so you can make an informed decision for your garden.

Why Cat Poop Contains Beneficial Nutrients

Cat feces contain nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other nutrients that plants need to grow. Here’s a breakdown of the key nutrients in cat poop:

• Nitrogen: Promotes leafy green growth and overall plant vigor. Cat poop is relatively high in nitrogen.

• Phosphorus: Important for flower, fruit, and root production. Cat poop contains moderate amounts of this mineral.

• Potassium: Supports plants’ immune systems and responses to drought, temperature changes, and disease. Cat feces have lower potassium levels than nitrogen and phosphorus.

• Micronutrients: Cat poop contains trace amounts of iron, magnesium, calcium and other minerals that contribute to plant growth.

So in theory, cat poop can provide a nutritional boost to your garden soil and plants. The feces break down over time, slowly releasing nutrients that plant roots can absorb.

Composting cat waste with other organic materials like plant debris or cardboard can further enrich the feces with nutrients and beneficial microbes.

Dangers of Using Cat Feces as Fertilizer

While the nutritional benefits of cat poop are clear, there are also good reasons to avoid using cat feces as fertilizer, especially for edible plants.

Health Risks

Cat poop may contain parasites like toxoplasma gondii or disease-causing bacteria like E. coli and salmonella. These pathogens can persist in soil and contaminate fruits and vegetables grown in the area.

Eating produce contaminated with cat feces can cause dangerous gastrointestinal illnesses or even birth defects if pregnant women are infected. Children playing in contaminated soil are also vulnerable.

Odors

Fresh or improperly composted cat waste can give off an unpleasant ammonia odor. This may deter you from spending time in the garden.

Environmental Damage

Applying too much cat poop can overfertilize plants and leach nutrients into groundwater. Phosphorus and nitrates from feces can trigger algae blooms that negatively impact water quality.

Pet Health Risks

Some parasites shed in cat feces can spread between cats, infecting your own pet if they access and ingest contaminated soil.

Safely Using Cat Poop as Fertilizer

If you want to use cat waste as fertilizer, keep these precautions in mind:

• Pick an outdoor spot away from edibles: Designate an area of your lawn, flower beds, or non-edible landscape plants to fertilize with cat poop. Never use it near fruits, vegetables, or herbs.

• Compost thoroughly: Compost cat poop safely by heating the mixture to at least 140°F for several weeks to destroy pathogens. Turn the compost frequently.

• Prevent leaching: Only apply composted cat waste to small areas of soil at a time to prevent nutrient leaching. Don’t overload any single area.

• Wear gloves and wash up: Always wear gloves when handling cat feces or litter. Wash your hands thoroughly afterward.

• Keep pets away: Don’t allow pets to access areas fertilized with cat waste to prevent them from ingesting potential parasites.

• Wait before harvesting: If fertilizing non-edible plants like flowers, wait at least a year before planting edibles in that soil.

With the proper precautions, you can potentially use cat poop to boost your ornamental gardens, lawn, trees, and non-edible landscape plants. But steer clear of vegetable patches and herb gardens.

Choosing the Best Cat Litter for Composting

If you want to compost cat waste, you need to choose the right biodegradable cat litter. Avoid standard clumping clay litter, crystalline silica litters, and any litters containing chemicals, fragrances, or antimicrobials.

Good options for compostable cat litter include:

• Paper litter made from recycled paper, cardboard, or newsprint

• Pine pellet litter made from compressed sawdust without additives

• Wheat litter made from ground wheat straw

• Corn, wheat, or grass seed litter

• Litter made from compressed wood products

Stick to unscented, chemical-free varieties of these biodegradable litters. They’ll break down through the composting process rather than remaining intact forever like clay.

Hot Composting for Safe Cat Waste Compost

To destroy toxoplasma, E. coli, and other pathogens in cat poop, the compost pile must maintain a temperature of at least 140°F for an extended period. This requires careful maintenance of your compost pile.

Follow these tips for hot composting cat waste:

• Build a large compost pile, at least 3 feet tall and wide. The mass helps retain heat.

• Mix in coarse materials like wood chips to improve aeration. Turn the pile frequently.

• Monitor the temperature of the pile regularly. Add water if it gets too dry.

• Allow at least 6 months for the compost to cure after heating it.

• Don’t add cat poop to compost that will be used for food crops. Fertilize only ornamental plants.

With hot composting, you avoid the risks of applying fresh cat feces to your garden. The heat eliminates bacteria and parasites, leaving only safe, nutritious compost.

The Takeaway on Cat Poop Fertilizer

Cat poop contains nutrients that may benefit your garden soil and plants. However, fresh cat feces can also transmit dangerous parasites and illnesses if used to fertilize edible gardens.

Only use cat poop to fertilize non-edible ornamentals after hot composting the waste properly. Mix cat poop with biodegradable litter and other organic materials to produce a safe, nutrient-rich compost fertilizer.