As a general rule, used cat litter should go in the residual waste. Whether you use clumping bentonite, silica pearls or a plant-based litter, this is the safest and most widespread way to get rid of used cat litter in Danish households. What you should never do, on the other hand, is flush it down the toilet or throw it out in the garden, and most plant-based varieties don't automatically belong in ordinary compost either. In the following, you'll get a concrete walkthrough of how to dispose of litter from the box correctly depending on the type, how often you should change it, and how to keep odour and mess down along the way.
The cat is a creature of habit that appreciates a clean and familiar toilet, and the right routine around the litter box is therefore just as much about the cat's wellbeing as about the practical side. A cat that is met with a clean box and a predictable everyday life is a happier cat, and that makes it easier for both of you when it's time to change the litter.
Where should used cat litter be thrown out?
Used cat litter belongs in the residual waste, and this applies both to the clumps from a clumping box and to the entire contents when you empty the box completely. Wrap it in a tight bag, tie a knot, and place it in the container for residual waste. Residual waste is incinerated, and that is precisely why cat litter fits in here and not in the sorted fractions such as food, cardboard, glass or metal. Cat litter contains both excrement and possible bacteria, and it must therefore be kept out of the waste streams that are recycled.
If you want to minimise plastic, you can collect the clumps several times over the course of the week in a smaller, biodegradable or reused bag and only tie it off at the end. Some use a dedicated small bin with a lid next to the box, so the odour is kept contained between emptyings. Whatever the method, the point is the same: the litter must leave the home in sealed packaging, so that both odour and hygiene are under control.
Always check your municipality's local sorting guidelines if you're in doubt, as the rules can vary a little from municipality to municipality. If there are specific requirements for how residual waste must be packed, it will be stated in your municipality's instructions.
Why you must never flush cat litter down the toilet
Even though a few products are marketed as flushable, it's a bad idea to send cat litter down the toilet. Clumping bentonite litter absorbs water and expands strongly, and it can get stuck in drains and pipes and create blockages that are both troublesome and expensive to fix. Even finer plant-based varieties can clump together in the pipes over time.
There is also a hygienic consideration. The cat's faeces can contain microorganisms that wastewater treatment plants are not necessarily designed to handle, and it is therefore generally recommended to keep the cat's leavings out of the sewer system. The safe solution is the same regardless of litter type: wrap it up and place it in the residual waste.
Can plant-based cat litter be composted?
Here the answer is more nuanced, and it depends both on what the litter is made of and on what it has been used for. Many people ask what cat litter is actually made of, and the answer spans widely: clumping litter is typically made of the natural clay mineral bentonite, other varieties are silica pearls, and a growing group are plant-based and made from, for example, corn, wood fibres, paper or soy. Only the pure plant-based materials can be broken down biologically at all, whereas bentonite and silica are not compostable.
Even when the litter itself is compostable, you should be cautious about putting used cat litter in your own garden compost. The cat's faeces can contain pathogens, and an ordinary garden compost rarely gets hot enough to render them harmless. Litter that has only absorbed urine is less problematic than litter with faeces, but if you want to be on the safe side, you should keep the plant-based litter in the residual waste too. If you have a clumping soy-based variety, you can find a specific product in our selection of cat litter, and the guidance that applies to that particular product is stated on the packaging itself.
In any case, avoid scattering used cat litter loosely out in the garden or in nature. This applies both for hygienic reasons and out of consideration for the environment, and it doesn't solve the disposal problem but simply moves it out into the surroundings.
How often should cat litter be changed?
How often you need to change cat litter depends on which type you use and on how many cats share the box. With a clumping litter, you can remove clumps and faeces daily and continuously top up with new litter, so the layer is kept intact. Even with daily cleaning, you should empty the box completely at regular intervals, wash it and fill it with entirely fresh litter, typically at intervals of a few weeks. If you use a non-clumping litter, the entire contents must be changed more often, because the urine distributes throughout the whole layer.
If you have several cats, consumption rises, and the box gets dirty faster. A good rule of thumb is one box more than you have cats, and more frequent changes when several cats share a toilet. If you use a clumping multi-cat litter, it is developed precisely for that situation, and you can find a specific product for multi-cat households in the range of cat litter. A cat that experiences the box as dirty may start seeking out other places to do its business, and frequent changes are therefore both a hygiene matter and a behavioural matter.
Your nose is a reliable indicator. If there starts to be an odour, even after you have removed the clumps, it's a sign that it's time for a full change. A clean base also means the cat uses the box willingly, which is the whole point of maintaining it.
Why does the cat eat or dig in the litter?
Some cat owners find that the cat tastes the litter or digs unusually much, and this can in some cases be connected to the cat's general wellbeing and diet. Kittens are curious and explore the world with their mouths, and a single taste sample in childhood is not unusual. If the behaviour persists in an adult cat, it's worth paying attention to, and if you notice worrying changes in the cat's behaviour or appetite, you should contact your vet.
A thriving cat with a well-balanced meal is typically calm at the box. At ESSENTIAL FOODS, our cat meals are composed with human-grade ingredients and fresh produce and prepared with care, so your cat gets what it needs in its everyday life. If you want to find a meal that suits your cat's particular life stage and taste, you can explore our cat meals. If you're in doubt about what suits best, ESSENTIAL FOODS' nutrition advisers are ready by phone, chat or email to help you choose the right meal for your cat.
Good feeding and good routines around the box go hand in hand. When the diet is in order, the cat's toilet is clean, and the used litter is disposed of properly in the residual waste, you have created an everyday life where both hygiene and wellbeing are in place, and where the cat can confidently take care of itself at the box.