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The recurring claim that schools provide litter boxes for students

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You're probably here because of the Mar 2026 rerun. This is the 11th time since 2022 this story has run. The previous rerun was Apr 2025.

About this story

Since late 2021, people including parents, state and federal lawmakers, candidates, a governor and a podcast host have claimed that schools were putting litter boxes in bathrooms or classrooms for students who "identify as cats" or as furries. Wikipedia describes it as an urban legend spread in 2021 and 2022, and the claim kept resurfacing through 2026. In every case covered here where a school or district was named, it said it had no such litter boxes. PolitiFact reported in April 2022 that school districts in several states had debunked the claim, and an October 2022 NBC News review of statements by at least 20 conservative candidates and officials found that every district they named called the claims untrue. NBC News reported that the rumor appears to have begun among parents on social media. The one documented use of cat litter that NBC and Wikipedia describe is separate from the rumor. Colorado's Jefferson County school district gave some classrooms "go buckets" containing cat litter, for use as a toilet during an emergency lockdown such as a school shooting. NBC reported that this had nothing to do with accommodating students who identify as animals.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

20162026

Mar 2026 Pastor Tony Suarez, FlashPoint broadcast

On March 4, 2026, Right Wing Watch posted a clip in which pastor Tony Suarez said that in eastern Tennessee there are "kitty litter boxes in the public schools for the girls who identify as furries," adding, "This is in the Bible Belt." LGBTQ Nation said he spoke on the FlashPoint broadcast. It also said Suarez claimed knowledge from when one of his children was in middle school. The sources don't show him naming a school or district. In 2022, NBC News reviewed claims by at least 20 conservative candidates and officials. Every district they named said the claims were untrue, and NBC found "no evidence that any school has deployed litter boxes for students to use because they identify as cats." The documented use of cat litter in some schools is different: PinkNews, citing Insider, said some Colorado schools asked parents for buckets of cat litter to serve as emergency toilets during active-shooter lockdowns.

  • peoplefor.org article
    kitty litter boxes in the public schools for the girls who identify as furries
  • lgbtqnation.com article
    There have been zero documented cases of any American public school accommodating litter box usage by student "furries"
  • thepinknews.com article
    There remains no evidence that any school has deployed litter boxes for students to use because they identify as cats.

Sources: peoplefor.org needs a second source · lgbtqnation.com needs a second source · thepinknews.com needs a second source · NBC News reliable

Apr 2025 – May 2025 Texas FURRIES Act committee hearing (HB 54)

Rep. Stan Gerdes (R-Smithville) filed the "Forbidding Unlawful Representation of Roleplaying in Education" Act as HB 4814 on March 13, 2025. Gerdes said Speaker Burrows reassigned it as House Bill 54, which was filed March 14 (Texas Legislature Online; KBTX). The bill bans students from "using a litter box to relieve oneself" (Fox 4). Fox 4 reports that he cited claims that schools were providing litter boxes. Smithville ISD, in his district, said in a public statement that its superintendent had told Gerdes there were no litter boxes for students and walked the campus to confirm (Fox 4; Houston Chronicle). HB 54 was heard in the House Public Education Committee on April 29 and left pending on April 30 (Texas Legislature Online). At the hearing, Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin) asked, "Can you name a school where it has been confirmed that students are using litter boxes?" and Gerdes could not name one (KBTX; Fox 4). Talarico said, "Texas schools are not providing litter boxes" (Fox 4). Gerdes told the committee his office had received "some reports of them" (Houston Chronicle). The Houston Chronicle wrote that school districts in Iowa, Michigan and Nebraska had debunked litter-box claims and that PolitiFact "could not find any credible news reports that supported the claim." Texas Monthly links the bill's roots to the 2022 viral cat-litter claims and notes that a Colorado district that includes Columbine High School said it kept cat litter for students locked in rooms during a school shooting.

  • fox4news.com article
    Burns informed Rep. Gerdes that there were not, but as a courtesy to Rep. Gerdes, Mrs. Burns made the extra effort to walk the campus to confirm that there were no litter boxes.
  • texasmonthly.com article
    Did I go to these school districts and visit and see it with my own eyes? No.
  • kbtx.com article
    Can you name a school where it has been confirmed that students are using litter boxes?
  • capitol.texas.gov statement
    Relating to the display of and allowance for non-human behaviors in Texas schools.

Sources: fox4news.com needs a second source · texasmonthly.com needs a second source · houstonchronicle.com needs a second source · kbtx.com needs a second source · capitol.texas.gov needs a second source · capitol.texas.gov needs a second source

Mar 2025 Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tells pastors about "furries" and classroom litter boxes

While promoting private school vouchers, Gov. Greg Abbott told a group of pastors in Austin that in some rural Texas school districts, "Kids go to school dressed up as cats with litter boxes in their classrooms," according to the Houston Chronicle (as reported by SA Current and The Dallas Morning News). Abbott didn't name the districts. When asked for details, his office gave none: spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris told the Dallas Morning News the governor "has heard from countless parents growing frustrated at the quality of schools," and SA Current reported the office couldn't tell the Chronicle which schools were involved. The Dallas Morning News reported that earlier rumors of furry culture in Texas public schools had been debunked, and that Round Rock ISD publicly refuted a 2022 claim about its cafeterias. KUT described the claims behind the related bill as "debunked." A Dallas Morning News editorial said, "No, there aren’t schools in Texas putting out litter boxes for kids to use."

  • sacurrent.com article
    He continued: “Kids go to school dressed up as cats with litter boxes in their classrooms.”
  • dallasnews.com article
    Abbott referenced two rural school districts but did not name them.
  • dallasnews.com article
    No, there aren’t schools in Texas putting out litter boxes for kids to use.

Sources: sacurrent.com needs a second source · dallasnews.com needs a second source · kut.org needs a second source · dallasnews.com needs a second source

Aug 2024 – Sep 2024 Litter box in school bathrooms rumor: Great Falls, Montana, and Flint, Michigan (2024)

On August 29, 2024, a Great Falls woman claimed on Facebook that North Middle School had placed litter boxes in a girls' bathroom (KRTV). Great Falls Public Schools Superintendent Heather Hoyer told KRTV in an email that "this rumor is entirely false" and that "such items are not present in any of our facilities." She called it a modern-day "urban legend" that "began in 2021 and has impacted schools across the US and Canada since then," and said it "periodically resurfaces, usually around the start of school." On September 17, 2024, outside the venue where Donald Trump held an event in Flint, Michigan (Mediaite called it a town hall; Raw Story called it a rally), a supporter told RSBN host Titus Smith, "These kids are terrified. They have more put into litter boxes in the bathrooms and everything else, instead of teaching our kids." Neither outlet reports her naming a school or district. Mediaite called it "a long-debunked claim" and cited an October 2022 NBC News report in which every school district named by politicians said there was no evidence of litter boxes in its bathrooms. Raw Story wrote that in 2022 "at least 20 Republican politicians falsely claimed" that schools were installing litter boxes.

  • mediaite.com article
    These kids are terrified. They have more put into litter boxes in the bathrooms and everything else, instead of teaching our kids.
  • rawstory.com article
    Ahead of a rally in Flint, Michigan, RSBN host Titus Smith spoke to a woman who said she supported Trump to be "the voice for our children."
  • krtv.com article
    Contrary to a rumor being spread on social media, North Middle School in Great Falls has not "installed" cat litter boxes in bathrooms.

Sources: krtv.com needs a second source · mediaite.com needs a second source · rawstory.com needs a second source

Jan 2024 – Feb 2024 Oklahoma HB 3084 "furries" bill

Oklahoma state Rep. Justin Humphrey, a Republican, filed House Bill 3084 in January 2024. It would bar students "who purport to be an imaginary animal or animal species, or who engage in anthropomorphic behavior commonly referred to as furries" from school activities, and would call animal control if a parent could not pick the student up (bill text as quoted by PopCrush). Humphrey told KJRH that part of the bill was meant to be sarcastic and said, "We can always change the language in that; we should get these kids to some mental health experts." In an interview with Rolling Stone he asked, "Are they allowing those kids to actually use litter boxes?" Rolling Stone reported he had heard "reports" of litter boxes but did not cite a specific incident. PopCrush called the litter-box rumor behind the bill "fake" and cited Reuters as reporting there is "no publicly-available evidence that proves schools are providing litter boxes to self-identified 'furries' anywhere in the U.S." The Advocate cited NBC News' October 2022 investigation, which found "no evidence that any school has deployed litter boxes for students to use because they identify as cats." According to the Advocate, the one instance NBC found was a bucket kept for emergencies that contained cat litter for use in a situation like a school shooting. Only a partial fit: the bill text quoted in coverage does not mention litter boxes.

  • rollingstone.com article
    Are they allowing those kids to actually use litter boxes?
  • popcrush.com article
    Students who purport to be an imaginary animal or animal species, or who engage in anthropomorphic behavior commonly referred to as furries at school shall not be allowed to participate in school curriculum or activities.
  • advocate.com article
    An Oklahoma Republican lawmaker, state Rep. Justin Humphrey, has introduced a controversial bill seemingly targeting students who identify as furries in schools.
  • kjrh.com article
    We can always change the language in that; we should get these kids to some mental health experts

Sources: advocate.com needs a second source · popcrush.com needs a second source · rollingstone.com needs a second source · kjrh.com needs a second source

Aug 2023 – Sep 2023 Montana's schools superintendent says some Montana schools have litter boxes

In an Aug. 15, 2023 radio interview, Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen said "some schools" were putting out litter boxes for children who see themselves as animals. When host Tom Schultz asked if there was evidence of this in Montana schools, she said "Yes sir." Asked if her office was looking into it, she said "Of course we are" (MTFP, Daily Montanan). Her own office then told MTFP the reports "were not investigated because no formal complaints were filed." A spokesperson told the Daily Montanan that the office has no authority over sanitation issues. Miles City Schools' superintendent said the district does not provide litter boxes. Miles City was one of the places callers had mentioned. The Montana School Boards Association, the state health department and the state's largest teachers' union all said they had no reports of it. MTFP's follow-up called around again and found no cat litter use in Montana schools for any purpose. It noted that NBC News had confirmed in October 2022 that one Colorado district, Jefferson County, kept small amounts of cat litter for classroom lockdowns.

  • montanafreepress.org article
    Let's talk about those litter boxes that some schools are putting out for children who want to view themselves as some sort of an animal. Is this where public education should be? I say no.
  • dailymontanan.com article
    Miles City Schools DO NOT provide litter boxes, nor do we have any plans to,
  • thepinknews.com article
    Montana's top state education official has claimed that schools are making litter boxes available for students who self-identify as cats.

Sources: montanafreepress.org needs a second source · dailymontanan.com needs a second source · montanafreepress.org needs a second source · thepinknews.com needs a second source

Oct 2022 – Nov 2022 Don Bolduc's claim about New Hampshire schools, and coverage of Joe Rogan's retraction

CNN reported that Bolduc, the Republican Senate nominee in New Hampshire, told supporters at a Thursday event in North Hampton (Oct. 27, 2022, going by CNN's Oct. 29 publication date): "They're putting litter boxes, right? Litter boxes for that." The Concord Monitor reported that he named Pinkerton Academy in Derry and also mentioned Dover. Pinkerton called his statements "entirely untrue," and Dover's superintendent confirmed there are no litter boxes in Dover classrooms. PolitiFact reported that an NBC News review of claims by more than 20 conservative candidates and officials found that every district they named said the claims were false. NBC found only one case of cat litter on a campus, kept in a "go bucket" of emergency supplies for lockdowns. Coverage of Rogan's Oct. 26 walk-back came during the same days.

  • CNN article
    Guess what? We have furries and fuzzies in classrooms,
  • concordmonitor.com article
    We want to assure our community that Mr. Bolduc's statements are entirely untrue.
  • Yahoo News article
    I don't think they actually did it.

Sources: CNN reliable · concordmonitor.com needs a second source · Yahoo News reliable · PolitiFact reliable

Oct 2022 The Joe Rogan episode and NBC News's count of officials

On his Oct 11, 2022 episode, Joe Rogan told former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard that a school "had to install a litter box in the girls' room because there is a girl who's a furry, who identifies as an animal." He said he heard this from a friend whose wife is a teacher, and he didn't name the school (Media Matters; NBC News). NBC said a clip "quickly began to circulate on social media." On Oct 14, NBC News reported that at least 20 conservative candidates and elected officials had made similar claims that year. It said every school district those politicians named called the claims untrue, and wrote: "There is no evidence that any school has deployed litter boxes for students to use because they identify as cats." NBC found one district that did keep cat litter: Jefferson County, Colorado, which since 2017 had stocked small amounts in classroom "go buckets" for use during a lockdown in a shooting. NBC said that litter "had nothing to do with accommodating children who identify as animals," and that the rumor "appears to have begun among parents on social media."

  • Media Matters for America article
    had to install a litter box in the girls' room because there is a girl who's a furry, who identifies as an animal
  • NBC News article
    At least 20 conservative candidates and elected officials have claimed this year that K-12 schools are placing litter boxes on campus or making other accommodations for students who identify as cats, according to an NBC News review of public statements.
  • today.com broadcast
    A misinformation campaign claims that some school districts are providing litter boxes for students who identify as animals.
  • youtube.com video
    My friend, his wife is a school…

Sources: Media Matters for America needs a second source · NBC News reliable · PolitiFact reliable · today.com needs a second source

Sep 2022 – Oct 2022 Claims by Rep. Lauren Boebert and Scott Jensen

On Oct. 3, 2022, Rep. Lauren Boebert told a Mesa County luncheon that schools were "putting litter boxes in schools for people who identify as cats" and named Durango. The district's public information officer, Karla Sluis, said this was "absolutely not true" (Colorado Times Recorder). On Sept. 29, 2022, Minnesota GOP governor nominee Scott Jensen asked why "some of the school districts" had litter boxes for students who "identify as a furry." His campaign declined to name any school, and the Minnesota Department of Education said it had no evidence this was happening (Star Tribune). NBC News counted at least 20 candidates and officials who made the claim that year and reported that every district they named said it was untrue. The only cat-litter case NBC found on campus was a "go bucket" of emergency supplies for classroom lockdowns (per PolitiFact's summary of NBC's review).

  • coloradotimesrecorder.com article
    They are putting litter boxes in schools for people who identify as cats," Boebert said. "Durango is doing this. This is how extreme it is.
  • startribune.com article
    Why do we have litter boxes in some of the school districts so kids can pee in them, because they identify as a 'furry'?
  • kare11.com article
    Litterboxgate is, in fact, complete nonsense," Superintendent Paul Peterson said in a statement.

Sources: NBC News reliable · startribune.com reliable · durangoherald.com needs a second source · PolitiFact reliable

Mar 2022 – Apr 2022 A Nebraska state senator repeats the litter-box claim in a floor debate, then apologizes

AP reported that Nebraska state Sen. Bruce Bostelman, a Republican, "repeated the false claim during a public, televised debate on a bill intended to help school children who have behavioral problems," saying "now schools are wanting to put litter boxes in the schools for these children to use." The same AP report said one Twitter video of his remarks had more than 300,000 views by Monday afternoon. It also said that hours later Bostelman acknowledged the story wasn't true, after checking with state Sen. Lynne Walz, chair of the Education Committee, and confirming there were no such incidents. Within two weeks PolitiFact rated a separate Facebook version of the claim "Pants on Fire!", noting that school districts in Iowa, Michigan and Nebraska had debunked it.

  • wowt.com article
    "They meow and they bark and they interact with their teachers in this fashion," Bostelman said during legislative debate. "And now schools are wanting to put litter boxes in the schools for these children to use. How is this sanitary?"
  • NBC News article
    His comments quickly went viral, with one Twitter video garnering more than 300,000 views as of Monday afternoon
  • PolitiFact article
    A Nebraska state lawmaker publicly repeated the claim then apologized when he learned it wasn't true.

Sources: wowt.com needs a second source · NBC News reliable · PolitiFact reliable

Jan 2022 – Feb 2022 The Midland, Michigan school-board claim spreads

At the Dec. 20, 2021 Midland Public Schools board meeting, a parent said during public comment that she had "heard" one local school had a litter box in a unisex bathroom "for the kids that identify as cats." She also said she would "do some more investigation." The video went national in mid-January after Michigan GOP Co-Chair Meshawn Maddock shared it on Facebook with the caption: "Kids who identify as 'furries' get a litter box in the school bathroom. Parent heroes will TAKE BACK our schools." Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow responded on Jan. 20: "There is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation! There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools." USA TODAY rated the claim False, citing the superintendent's denial and noting the parent gave no evidence. Snopes rated it "Unproven." Within weeks the rumor had reached Carroll, Iowa, where the superintendent issued his own denial.

  • Snopes article
    On Jan. 20, Michigan GOP Co-Chair Meshawn Maddock shared a video of a Midland Public Schools board of education meeting
  • Yahoo News article
    many who shared the video claimed unequivocally that school administrators were responsible
  • iowacapitaldispatch.com article
    It is very unfortunate that this rumor has been spread over the last several weeks.

Sources: Yahoo News reliable · Snopes reliable · edweek.org needs a second source · iowacapitaldispatch.com needs a second source

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