Is Scoop Away Cat Litter Able to Be Flushed Down the Toilet?

According to the Clorox Pets Products Co., makers of Scoop Away Clumping Cat Litter, you should never flush the stuff down your toilet. This litter is made to bunch up and cling together. When you flush it, large clumps can cause a blockage in your pipes. You'll wind up with a backed-up toilet and a hefty bill from the plumber.

Clumping litter contains sodium bentonite, a natural type of clay that swells instantly upon contact with moisture. Each granule expands by as much as 15 times its original size, reports VetInfo. While clumps are already full of fluid, they may still have room to expand. Dumping the waste in your toilet bowl forces the litter granules to absorb the maximum amount of liquid. As they swell to astronomical sizes, they'll get heavier and settle right in your pipes. The next time you go to flush, the toilet bowl overflows and you'll wind up with a disgusting mess to clean.

You'll need to find another way to get rid of Princess's waste. Collect your plastic bags each time you go grocery shopping. Leave a stash of these bags in a container near the litter box. Each time you go to scoop, dump the waste in a clean bag and toss it in your kitchen trash or outside garbage barrel. If you're aiming to be more eco-friendly, purchase a small trash container with a solid closing lid designed to seal in odor. Line it with a sturdy bag, empty the clumps into the bin and toss the bag once or twice a week, depending on how many cats you have.

If you'd prefer to flush waste, silica litter might be a better alternative for you. Silica crystals do not clump; rather, they lock in about 40 times their weight from liquid, explains VetInfo. Many types of silica cat litters are safe to flush, just in case some of the litter sticks to the droppings. All you'll have to do is scoop out any solid waste each day, flush it down the toilet and stir the crystals so fluid distributes evenly. In a one-cat home, a pan full of crystals lasts for up to a month. You'll be able to get rid of smelly droppings and flush them without worrying about your pipes.