Keeping a dog or cat has its own joys and sorrows. One of the downsides of having either of these pets is the fact that they both generate poop which you need to dispose of at regular intervals. You don’t want to mix dog pop or cat litter with the kitchen garbage due to the smell and the fact that it’s just not hygienic, primarily because it is in the kitchen where food safety issues are concerned, and kids are likely to be in and out of the kitchen, as well. Putting pet poo in your bathroom trash can isn’t a great idea either for similar reasons.
Pet feces contain harmful toxins and bacteria…actually one gram of dog contains 23 million fecal coliform bacteria, which can cause diarrhea and other intestinal issues. So there are definitely valid health reasons why you want to dispose of your pet waste properly.
In this article, we bring you a few great products to make the job easier and help keep your pet-friendly home tidy. These trash cans are specially designed for disposing of pet waste and eliminate odors as well.
Although we consider the best trash can for dog poop and cat litter the Pet Genie Pet Waste Disposal System for large dogs and the Litter Genie Plus Ultimate Cat Litter Odor Control Pail for cats and small/medium dogs, we have included some other options below as well to give you a more extensive choice.
Several of our readers have also recommended the PawPail Pet Waste Station, a more heavy-duty (although more expensive) solution for pet waste.
Best Trash Cans For Pet Waste
Pet Genie Pet Waste Disposal System Review
The frequency of emptying will depend on the number of pets you have, and their size – (larger dogs, more poop!) You can use this odor-free pet poop disposal system for dog poop as well as cat litter.
If you have large dogs or a number of them, you may find keeping this garbage can for a week a bit of a challenge, so you may have to empty it twice or even three times a week depending on to your needs, the number of pets in the house and the size of the dogs you have.
Another issue that you may face is having to push the garbage bags manually into the can. Six refills are provided with the initial purchase. You will have to set a system in place for ordering further refills regularly.
Pros
- Eliminates unpleasant poop smell
- Hygienic disposal
- Easy to use
- Lightweight and portable
- Can be used for both dog poop and cat litter
Cons
- Capacity not suitable if you have large dogs (have to empty often)
- You have to put the poop bags in the garbage can manually
- Rather expensive
Read Customer Reviews of the Pet Genie
PawPail Pet Waste Station (Reader Recommendation)
Since we originally published this article, we’ve noticed that the “Pet Genie” is often out of stock and/or hard to find refills.
Several readers have mentioned this other solution: PawPail Pet Waste Station.
The system is more than just a waste pail, it stores and dispenses the brand’s own “PawBag” leak-proof dog poop bags. The storage spindle for the bags holds of the bags which makes it convenient, eliminating the need to restock the bags often. The interior
The container also features a patent-pending “DualVent” technology designed to control odors and eliminates the need for liner garbage bags. This, along with its perforated basket that holds the poop bags allow air to circulate without spreading smelly odors. The pail also comes with an Activated Carbon Air Filter to trap odors.
Not only does this reduce the cost of having to line the pail it helps reduce plastic waste. While you can, of course, place it on the floor, there is a mounting system that can be purchased separately if you want to store it in a more discrete place or somewhere out of the reach of children (garage wall, etc).
This waste system does come at a high cost than others on the list but it’s more of a complete solution compared to some of the more affordable, yet simple and less complete options available.
The product is relatively new on the market but there are already quite a few positive reviews here on Amazon.
Pros
- Stores and dispenses bags.
- No need for an internal liner.
- Good ventilation.
- Carbon filter for odor control.
- The optional mounting system for practical placement.
Cons
- More expensive than other waste pails.
- Need to buy replacement poop bags from the same company.
Doggie Dooley Large Pyramid Dog Toilet Review
Doggie Dooley: Black part is buried underground in your yard, the green lid would be level with the grass, has a foot pedal to raise the lid.
Here is an innovative pet waste disposal system if there ever was any!
Keep your living area odor-free by using the Doggie Dooley Large Pyramid Dog Toilet. This is for people who are squeamish about storing pet poop in the house – it is a mini septic tank for dog poop.
This product is not suitable if you live in an apartment as you need to install it underground. The system will not work in clay ground – the soil has to be porous.
The operation is quite simple – just dig a hole of about 4 feet deep and bury the Doggie Dooley tank only the opening protruding. Now, all you need to do is add water and digester tablets (sample pack provided with the product).
The tablets are similar to the enzymes you put into a septic system to help the natural “good bacteria” flourish and break down the dog poop naturally.
Just add your doggie-doos as you collect them and forget about it, as the system dissolves the poop into a liquid which the soil easily absorbs. One important thing to consider is that to keep the system efficiently breaking down the waste (and prevent it from filling up with solids, you need to buy the tablets.
This is something you’d want to factor into the cost of the waste system. The tablets come in a bottle of 36 and the recommend dose is one tablet per week, so realistically the cost is really not that high but if you want to check you can see the current price of the tablets here on Amazon. There are also some generic enzyme tablets that may work. On the contrary, if you are bagging your dog poop in plastic bags that also would incur a cost (i.e. buying replacement bags for the Pet Genie System we reviewed above.
Pros
- Reasonably-priced
- Maintenance-free
- Easy to install and use
- Environment-friendly, no plastic bags.
- Foot-operated lid, so hands-free use and hygienic
Cons
- Hard to dig whole in clay soil terrain.
- Not for apartments (need back yard where you can dig a hole).
- Need to buy enzyme tablets and use one per week.
Litter Champ Premium Odor-Free Cat Litter and Pet Waste Disposal System Review
The ‘continuous’ durable liner refill lasts for 2 to 3 months without having to replace it. The instructions are self-explanatory. The operation is hands-free with a foot pedal, and the actual container is triple-sealed, keeping all the unpleasant odors inside.
Pros
- User-friendly
- Hands-free operation
- An innovative continuous, durable liner
- 100% biodegradable plastic liner
- Aesthetically good to look at
Cons
- Flimsy trapdoor
- Triple seal gaskets sometimes faulty
- Small-sized litter scoop
Litter Genie Plus Ultimate Cat Litter Odor Control Pail Review
The Litter Genie Plus Ultimate Cat Litter Odor Control Pail comes equipped with a nifty scoop for poop and is comfortable and convenient to use.
The pail has anti-microbial agents that keep the unpleasant smell contained within, and a seven-layer refill bag further reinforces this. You can store up to two weeks of pet waste for two average-sized cats.
Pros
- Efficient elimination of pet poop smell
- Easy and convenient to use
- Antimicrobial-treated plastic
- Easy to store out of sight
- Economic and easily-available refills
- Can be used for small/medium dog poop as well
Cons
- The thin plastic material can deteriorate over time
- Some complaints of smell even when closed.
Buyers Guide: What to look for in a dog waste disposal system
- Need to Eliminate Odor: Pet waste smell shouldn’t escape from the garbage can
- Antimicrobial action: Desirable for maintaining hygiene
- Should be easily storable: Likely places are under a kitchen sink, bathroom, under a kitchen counter, and so on.
- User-friendly: Should be easy enough to use without having to rely too much on confusing instruction manuals.
- Cost considerations: The product shouldn’t add too much to your pet maintenance expenses.
- Readily-available refills: Refills should be economically-priced and readily available
- Dirty cat litter ready to put in a trash can.
Why not just buy flushable cat litter and flush down the toilet?
This sounds like a great solution and many companies are now marketing flushable options. These new products are marketed as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional clay-based litter. However, there is another side to this story.
There are many medical journals and studies showing that city sewers are designed for human waste and not for processing cat litter (mixed with cat poop). Cat feces is known to carry many pathogens, including the Toxoplasma gondii parasite.
While healthy humans that are infected can usually fight it off, the elderly, children, and others with weak immune systems can come down with aches and fever similar to the flu and can even — or people can develop the disease toxoplasmosis (you can google it if you want to know the symptoms- but it’s not pretty).
The point is, pet waste is a serious issue and it contains bacteria that can cause serious health issues if not handled properly. Although a lot of advertising dollars go into these convenient “flushable” cat litters, I think conscientious pet owners would probably want to use a trash can rather than flush it down the toilet. Click here for more details on why you shouldn’t flush kitty litter down the toilet (especially if you have a septic tank)
Final Analysis
As you can see, we have covered a wide range of different types of pet waste disposal systems. We chose the Pet Genie Pet Waste Disposal System for dogs and the Litter Genie Plus Ultimate Cat Litter Odor Control Pail for cats and small/medium dogs as our top picks for dogs and cats respectively.
This is because they meet the requirements – they contain pet waste smells, they are user-friendly, and can be easily stored in a convenient place in your home. Both of these garbage cans are reasonably-priced, and economically-priced refills are readily available. However, the other two products mentioned here can meet your needs as well, depending on your specific requirements.
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