Questions about the disposal of cat litter fillers are relevant to all owners of these animals. Of course, not a single person will begin to lower small solid “pebbles” into the sewers, but almost all cat owners think about whether to flush wood filler into the toilet.
What are the fillers for the tray?
It’s not a secret to any of the animal owners that filling the tray can be done with fillers that are completely different in consistency and appearance. However, far from all can answer the question of what exactly is the difference between these means. Meanwhile, how to clean a cat toilet with a filler depends on the composition.
Manufacturers of pet products today offer cat owners three types of excipients:
- mineral;
- woody;
- silica gel.
Each of them has both advantages and disadvantages. And, of course, they differ not only in the composition and nuances of use, but also in the ways of disposal.
About mineral fillers
The mineral type filler is made from such substances:
- bentonite clay;
- vermiculitis;
- zeolite.
These substances have good adsorption properties and, in addition, perfectly absorb odor. Their advantages over the others do not end there. These fillers are convenient in that the "waste pebbles" clump together. That is, they can be easily and simply removed using the scoop from the tray.
The disadvantage of such means for the cat's toilet is the dust remaining on the legs of the animal and, of course, the difficulty in disposal. Under no circumstances should this type of filler be drained into the sewer; it must be thrown away. Flushing in small portions is possible, but it can lead to blockage.
About wood fillers
As the name implies, this type of tray cleaner is made from wood waste. As a rule, sawdust is the raw material for the filler. They are pressed, shaped into granules. Various fragrances can also be added to them. It is to this variety of tools for pet trays that the popular Cats Best filler belongs. It is produced in Europe from recycled wood.
The indisputable advantages of this type of cat litter are considered:
- environmental friendliness and naturalness;
- lack of components that can provoke the development of an allergy in a pet;
- low cost;
- ease of disposal.
Wood filling, small and waste, can be lowered into the sewer. However, it must be understood that even granules that are completely soaked and crumbled into dust are wood, not a biological substance. In other words, you cannot flush large volumes of filler into the toilet at a time. If you act in this way, then it is unlikely to avoid the occurrence of clogging and calling the plumber.
About silica gel fillers
This is the most modern type of toilet facilities for pets. As its name implies, the filler granules are made of silicone, and when they come in contact with urine, they transform it into a gel and hold it inside. The mechanism of action of these granules is completely similar to the device of modern feminine hygiene products.
The indisputable advantages of fillers of this type are:
- complete hypoallergenicity;
- Absolute absorption of both liquid and odor.
But the main advantage of fillers of this type is the clean legs of the animal, the cat will not bring dust from clay or dust from sawdust to them in the chair or bed after visiting the toilet. For this reason, many owners of furry pets prefer to purchase just such funds for trays, despite their rather significant cost.
As for disposal, if the owners of the animals the question arises as to whether the wood filler can be flushed into the toilet, and for those who use silica gel, there is no such dilemma. Under no circumstances should these funds be drained into the sewers. Such an action is equivalent to flushing a plastic bag into the toilet.
In what cases is a sewage blockage likely?
In addition to the composition of the means used by the owners of the animals for their toilet, the initial state of the sewage pipes plays an important role in the question of whether the wood filler can be flushed into the toilet, or whether or not.
For example, if the drains in the old house have not changed for several decades, then the likelihood of clogging increases at times, even if only a wood product is lowered into the toilet and done in small volumes.
Also, there is a high probability of clogging of sewer pipes with the simultaneous flushing of a large amount of spent filler. The toilet is quite complicated, there are specific bends in the drain. The design is made in such a way in order to prevent the release of unpleasant odors and the rise of wastewater from the pipes. If you lower a full tray of spent filler into the toilet at a time, then it will inevitably “tightly stand up” in one of the bends of the drain or behind it, in the pipe.
What happens when flushing wood waste into the sewers?
Questions about whether it is possible to flush wood filler into the toilet and how to do it, arise mainly due to ignorance of what happens when trash enters the sewer.
As soon as the filler material is in water, it begins to swell. Existing wood pellets are no exception. They soften and swell to a state of gruel. It is this property that makes it possible to flush material into the sewer. It also becomes the cause of blockages.
When flushing a small amount of filler, the softened sawdust easily passes through all the bends of the toilet bowl and pipes into the collector. But if a large volume of wood dust descends into the sewer at a time, the amount of water from the tank is not enough to “push” the material into the general house drain. The spent filler remains in the bend of the toilet drain. Its volume swells unevenly. Inside the total mass of dust remains dry, areas with air form in it. This leads to the appearance of a kind of cork, which becomes the cause of blockage.
What to do when a blockage occurs?
If the toilet is clogged with cat-like wood filler, there is no need to panic. Such a blockage can be completely eliminated independently. In the event that the wood dust forms a cork in the toilet itself, it is removed mechanically, that is, manually. This process is quite unpleasant, however, it is necessary, because the longer the spent mass of the filler is in the drain hole, the denser it becomes.
Of course, it is better to prevent the occurrence of blockage, but if the toilet is clogged, how can I clean it? The procedure is as follows:
- put on high and tight rubber gloves, in the event that there are none, you can replace them with bags;
- extract the contents of the blockage from the toilet drain and discard it;
- press the flush, if the water leaves poorly, “punch” the remains of the dust with a plunger;
- Pour into the drain any cleaning agent that is sold in stores in household chemistry departments.
As a rule, these actions are enough to correct the situation.