[EviesEarth]

I am not sure, but I have heard that cat and dog poop should not be used in compost. Unless of course, you are just composting to throw it out, not for a garden.

[rubybeetle]

I've heard that too, and also not to use it in earthworm beds. We do use goat crap in the garden, but the goats eat grasses and alfalfa so it's actually good for the garden and it doesn't smell.

We live in the country, between the hot sun and the dung beetles, the dog crap doesn't stick around long, lol.

[mollyL]

When we had a compost bed, the dog "stuff" just got thrown in with that.
That's a good point about cat crap, that if it gets buried in cat litter, would that be bad for composting. There has been this cat litter at Kroegers that is like little pellets and smells of pine. I think it is all biodegradable, so that should pose no problem, wouldn't it? My granny used to just rake the crap around her rose bushes and I never asked her why she did that.

[Roguegal]

Well, if I could use it to make compost I might start using lettering used dirt. Compost is a lot better for your plants and a lot of those chemicals are.

[Green-Moo]

Originally Posted by Stepper

and here is a discussion about vermicomposting it:
anyone vermicompost dog poop? - Vermicomposting Forum - GardenWeb

Fascinating discussion Stepper. Thankyou.

My dogs spread their crap over a fairly wide patch so I don't worry too much about it. It breaks down on the spot & soon vanishes. Only if it's concentrated in one area do I worry about removing it. In those cases I bury it in a hole & cover over.

My cats use a litter tray at night, but I use only earth from the garden in it so when it needs changing I again pop it into a hole & cover.

[ACCER]

I have 2 tea cup pomeranians. Their crap isn't big enough to worry about, so I don't. But i have also heard that cat and dog feces are bad for composting....no one ever explained why though.

[Green-Moo]

Ordinary composting may not heat the faeces to a high enough temperature to kill pathogens. If you subsequently used this compost on your vegetables it could theoretically spread the pathogens around. I've never worked out how a plant could absorb these from the soil and pass them back to you (sounds like crap to me haha) but that is the 'official' advice.

I suggest you follow the links provided earlier in the thread. There are some very knowledgable people talking.

[Green-Moo]

There's an article in the online version of Mother Earth News, but to be honest I'd have expected more from them.

Better Options for Pet Poop

[mollyL]

One thing I didn't see covered was what to do if you are an apartment dweller. Is there any way out besides bagging it and throwing it in the dumpster?

[RFL1986]

There really aren't too many options for those of us who live in apartments because there aren't too many hygienic or non-repugnant ways to compost pet waste in such a small area. I've been trying to find a good way to deal with my cat's poop aside from just throwing it in the dumpster.