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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / April 2007Please don't flush your cat poop - Toxoplasmosis and Sea Otters
I just came across this article on Feline Pine's website and am going to stop flushing my kitty poop, even though I'm nowhere near California. If Toxoplasmosis harms Sea Otters, I would guess it's a problem for other water critters. http://www.naturesearth.com/specialalert.html Dear Cat Owners, Nature's Earth has recently become aware of a serious health threat to sea otters living off the coast of California, caused by improper disposal of cat waste. As a company rooted in the mission of cat health and environmental responsibility, we feel we need to help educate the public. Most domestic cats carry a parasite called Toxoplasmosis Gondii (TG). Traditionally, TG has only been a concern for pregnant women handling the litter box (click here for more info). TG has no effect on other family members, including cats, dogs or other pets. However, research has found that TG is making its way to our oceans by way of toilets and storm drains. TG can survive the sewage treatment process and flow freely into the ocean along with otherwise clean treated water. Shockingly, TG is to blame for nearly 20% of all sea otter deaths today. The State of California has already passed a law requiring citizens to properly dispose of cat feces in the trash, with hefty fines for non-compliance. Pressure is being applied to other coastal communities, both east and west, to do the same. While Feline Pine and other alternative cat litter varieties are flushable, and while that aspect may seem convenient to cat owners, we at Nature's Earth strongly urge our customers to dispose of their cat's feces in the garbage-especially if you live in a coastal community. We believe that our customers deserve the facts about TG. Currently, we are in the process of changing all of our packaging to include this new warning. By making this one small adjustment to our cat-care routines, we can help save the lives of innocent marine life and preserve this environment we all enjoy. Sincerely, Nature's Earth Products, Inc.  SignatureLynne > I just came across this article on Feline Pine's website and am going to > stop flushing my kitty poop, even though I'm nowhere near California. If [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > -- > Lynne So are they going to have toilet police lurking in the sewers to catch people flushing cat poop? >> TG can survive the sewage treatment process No, it CAN'T survive PROPER sewage treatment. Almost certainly, all of the toxoplasmosis is entering the sea otter's environment through storm water runoff. That would be from feral cats. Not properly cared for pet cats. Very few indoor pet cats carry toxoplasmosis. "The sky is falling" Puh-leeze!!! > >> TG can survive the sewage treatment process > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Puh-leeze!!! Many cats that are _now_ properly cared-for indoor cats were previously homeless strays and may well carry toxoplasmosis. I got toxo from one of my shelter rescues; I have other friends who've had the same experience. This is not a serious problem for healthy adult humans; it's apparently more of a problem for sea otters (and as Lynne says, likely other water mammals as well.) It may not be a concern that's worth a great deal of trouble--but putting used litter into the trash rather than the toilet is hardly "a great deal of trouble." Lis > Many cats that are _now_ properly cared-for indoor cats were > previously homeless strays and may well carry toxoplasmosis. And a great many people have indoor-outdoor cats who carry toxoplasmosis. > I got > toxo from one of my shelter rescues; I have other friends who've had > the same experience. I have friends who have had the same experience as well. > This is not a serious problem for healthy adult > humans; it's apparently more of a problem for sea otters (and as Lynne > says, likely other water mammals as well.) It may not be a concern > that's worth a great deal of trouble--but putting used litter into the > trash rather than the toilet is hardly "a great deal of trouble." Well said. SignatureLynne > > >> TG can survive the sewage treatment process > [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > - Show quoted text - Your toilet will probably thank you anyway. I've never flushed cat poop. Over time, the amount of litter stuck to it builds up and septic system problems are an expensive nightmare. Even though some litter is flushable now, it's not that big a deal to dispose of it elsewhere and I'm not taking chances. That's sad about the sea otters. It made me think of the zillions of stray wharf cats we saw on vacation, who probably defecate on the beach and are a signficant contribution to the problem also. Sherry > Your toilet will probably thank you anyway. I've never flushed cat > poop. Over time, the amount of litter > stuck to it builds up and septic system problems are an expensive > nightmare. Yeah, our house is 50 years old, I never flush litter even when it says I can. This place is expensive enough to take care of, I don't need extra plumbing jobs. And we're on the municipal sewerage system, I imagine when you aren't you might be in for even worse problems. Re: Please don't flush your cat poop - Toxoplasmosis and Sea Otters > > >> TG can survive the sewage treatment process > > > > No, it CAN'T survive PROPER sewage treatment. San Jose Mercury News - California sea otters' comeback faces ... Cat litter is one source of T. gondii, which survives sewage treatment and ends up in the ocean. Otters pick up T. gondii by eating filter feeders, ... www.mercurynews.com/centralcoast/ci_5522600 - 53k - Cached - Similar pages Post Punk Kitchen Forums: Show us your mitts! / Potty training cats.. Toxoplasmosis is killing otters, and no one knows what to do to save them. ... Our current means of sewage treatment doesn't kill Toxoplasma gondii. ... www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=401810 - 17k - Cached - Similar pages > > Almost certainly, all of the toxoplasmosis is entering the sea otter's > > environment through storm water runoff. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > > > Puh-leeze!!! It seems like Gandalf has Rush Limbaugh parrot disease. Millions of Americans now carry this infectious disease, many even, who have never been dittohead parrots. One carrier is mindless feelsgoodism. Another is FreeLunchism. Another is sheepleism. One of the symptoms is: if it sounds good, and allows one to act or talk like a lazy, uncivilized barbarian, then it must be true. Note here, that "lazy, uncivilized barbarian" is equated with being oh-so manly, while being civilized (polite, caring, considerate, etc) is equated with being wimpy, or worse, a Democrat. Another of the symptoms is: a loud bombastic tone of certainty is evidence of Truth. (Read Gandolf's post again.) Conversely, cautious uncertain scientific lingo is evidence of being wrong, a wimp, or worse, a liberal which is of course, all of the above bad things. Before Limbaugh, all Americans wanted to be civilized, polite, caring, considerate, etc. Being civilized was a good thing. The "lazy, greedy, uncivilized barbarians" stayed in the closet where miscreant slobs and pedophiles belong. Before limbaugh/Gingrich, Republicans portrayed themselves as being a class act. Wm Buckley for example. Now days Limbaugh, O'Rieily, Fox News, Repub leadership, etc depict the perfect Republican as being stinkey-armpit Larry the Cable Guy. That is who they target. Oh my, they are so manly! Perhaps the worst symptom of all is that they distrust all sources of knowledge, even science itself. That's cuz anything which disagrees with RushCo, including even encyclopedias, is in on the Great Liberal Plot. Science, academia, the Media, all traditional sources of knowledge, are all in on this All Powerful Evil Plot. Limbaugh is not crazy, everybody else is! Same with dittoheads! It's been said that the sign of an educated man is not his knowledge, but his ability to find Truth. If so, Limbaugh & Co have de-educated America. For this dispicable crime, they should be hung. > Many cats that are _now_ properly cared-for indoor cats were > previously homeless strays and may well carry toxoplasmosis. I got [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > trash rather than the toilet is hardly "a great deal of trouble." > Lis For these kind of people, acting civilized is always "a great deal of trouble." They think it's wimpy. They are the Second Dark Ages, just waiting to happen. Bringing back torture for a recent example. My, how manly! Poison cat food is only one piece in the larger mosaic. --Doug SignatureWhen one gains a political certainty akin to a loyal sports fan, one has achieved the final tranquility of servitude, a joyous slavery. "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams, August 1, 1776 "Doug Bashford" <playing@always.edu> wrote in message /// psycho-babble flushed//// still can't find your Zoloft Rx Delusional Dougie? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ... >Before limbaugh/Gingrich, Republicans portrayed themselves as being >a class act. Wm Buckley for example. >Now days Limbaugh, O'Rieily, Fox News, Repub leadership, etc >depict the perfect Republican as being stinkey-armpit Larry the >Cable Guy. That is who they target. Oh my, they are so manly! William Buckley WAS a class act. I didn't often agree with him, but he wasn't a hatemonger. Barry Goldwater also wasn't a hater. They were honest conservatives, these guys are fascists. > No, it CAN'T survive PROPER sewage treatment. > > Almost certainly, all of the toxoplasmosis is entering the sea otter's > environment through storm water runoff. You'd think, but apparently that isn't the case. I thought it was a little strange that toxoplasmosis could survive proper sewage treatment... the operative word being proper (as you well know). After doing some research, I learned that there is at least one wastewater treatment plant in California that is NOT properly treating sewage. There may be more, but I didn't dig very deep. The Morro Bay sewage treatment plant is pumping virtually raw sewage into the ocean, and it's apparently operating under some kind of waiver to be able to continue to do so. So not flushing cat poop in California is a very good idea, though I can't imagine they will actually police it. They should fix the friggen treatment plants already. There is a huge push for this all over the country, BTW, with billions of dollars being spent by munincipalities to build and/or upgrade wastewater treatment plants (the company I work for is involved in this). Hell, until very recently, there were raw sewage pipes that fed directly into the Ohio River! It wasn't legal, but it was not uncommon. SignatureLynne On Apr 9, 11:05 pm, impro...@hotmail.com wrote: > > I just came across this article on Feline Pine's website and am going to > > stop flushing my kitty poop, even though I'm nowhere near California. If [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > So are they going to have toilet police lurking in the sewers to catch > people flushing cat poop?- Hide quoted text - I can't quite see how you come up with that out of a commercial company's own advice to its own customers about how to properly dispose of their product once it's used. No police, no government entities, not even any interest groups--just the company itself, making a suggestion to its customers. Lis I'm sorry, but I always flush the poop. One terd and my old cat will go elsewhere. Treatment plants should take care of the toxoplasmosis issue, atleast I'd hope. Maria >> I just came across this article on Feline Pine's website and am going to >> stop flushing my kitty poop, even though I'm nowhere near California. If [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > So are they going to have toilet police lurking in the sewers to catch > people flushing cat poop? > I'm sorry, but I always flush the poop. One terd and my old cat will go > elsewhere. Let's play spot the red herring: No one is suggesting you should leave your cat's litter box un-scooped and un-cleaned. > Treatment plants should take care of the toxoplasmosis issue, > atleast I'd hope. You'd hope, yeah, but the sewage doesn't always get treated; no matter how good the treatment plant is, sometimes the system gets overwhelmed and sewage goes directly into the ocean untreated. Don't count on your treatment plant in a heavy downpour. Lis >> I'm sorry, but I always flush the poop. One terd and my old cat will go >> elsewhere. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > and sewage goes directly into the ocean untreated. Don't count on your > treatment plant in a heavy downpour. It's only a few extra steps to put the scoopings in a bag and the bag in the trash. on Tue, 10 Apr 2007 19:27:15 GMT, "cybercat" <cyberpurrs@yahoo.com> wrote: > It's only a few extra steps to put the scoopings in a bag and the bag > in the trash. Please don't confuse the issue with relevent facts! SignatureLynne >> I'm sorry, but I always flush the poop. One terd and my old cat will go >> elsewhere. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > and sewage goes directly into the ocean untreated. Don't count on your > treatment plant in a heavy downpour. What does a heavy downpour have to do with a wastewater treatment plant? Rainwater runoff bypasses the treatment plant. >I just came across this article on Feline Pine's website/////SNIP////// take this *sh.t* to alt.cat.sh.t >I just came across this article on Feline Pine's website and am going to > stop flushing my kitty poop, even though I'm nowhere near California. If > Toxoplasmosis harms Sea Otters, I would guess it's a problem for other > water critters. I think it's sad that people can be so gullible. The extreme vagueness of the article should tip off anyone with half a brain that there's something amiss with the claim. No quotes from experts? No actual citation of this supposed law? My father operated a treatment plant years ago. Trust me, everything's taken care of. And by the way, stormwater and wastewater are now separated. So unless you dump your cat's poop into the catch basin in the street, there's nothing to worry about. on Tue, 10 Apr 2007 17:36:13 GMT, "Ryan Robbins" <redbird007@verizon.net> wrote: > I think it's sad that people can be so gullible. The extreme vagueness > of the article should tip off anyone with half a brain that there's > something amiss with the claim. No quotes from experts? No actual > citation of this supposed law? Perhaps you should do your own research before you spout off. There's a plethora of information available, from credible sources. From, http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralcoast/Permits/documents/NRDCSubmitta l1.pdf From, Another prominent biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game names “the discharge of primary treated sewage” as a leading factor that may account for the Morro Bay Toxoplasma hotspot.182 In addition, runoff alone does not explain the extraordinarily high infection rates of California sea otters in Morro Bay. Another leading study states that even after accounting for runoff and other factors, “otters sampled at this location were nine times more likely to be seropositive for T. gondii.” 183 Moreover, it is undisputed that the Sewage Plant discharges an average of 1.4 million gallons of freshwater wastewater into Morro Bay every day—500 million gallons per year.184 Dr. Conrad’s 2005 study also recognizes that as currently designed “wastewater treatment practices are not designed to destroy the highly resistant oocysts of T. gondii.”185 > My father operated a treatment plant years ago. Trust me, everything's > taken care of. I'm sure that makes him an expert. > And by the way, stormwater and wastewater are now > separated. So unless you dump your cat's poop into the catch basin in > the street, there's nothing to worry about. Except if it's being pumped into the ocean before being treated properly. SignatureLynne >>I just came across this article on Feline Pine's website and am going to >> stop flushing my kitty poop, even though I'm nowhere near California. If [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >unless you dump your cat's poop into the catch basin in the street, there's >nothing to worry about. Here in NYC we have many combined sewer and wastewater facilities. We also have areas that have them separated. And when it rains heavily, all bets are off as to what gets treated. Most folks don't go in the ocean after a heavy rain in certain areas, except for those of us who go surfing of course. That's when the waves are up! The visit to the doctor for the ear infection usually follows shortly. |
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