Please don't flush your cat poop - Toxoplasmosis and Sea Otters

"Lynne" wrote in message
m...
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"
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/centra...s/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.

--
Lynne

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
wrote in message
oups.com...
On Apr 9, 9:27 pm, Lynne 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
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.

--
Lynne

So are they going to have toilet police lurking in the sewers to catch
people flushing cat poop?

On 10 Apr 2007 06:07:20 -0700, Lis said about:
Please don't flush your cat poop - Toxoplasmosis and Sea Otters

On Apr 10, 2:21 am, g.gand (Gandalf) wrote:
On 9 Apr 2007 20:05:28 -0700, wrote:


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. ...
http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum...php?pid=401810 - 17k - Cached
- Similar pages


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!!!

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
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

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




--

When 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

On Apr 10, 2:26 pm, "Marissa" wrote:
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

"Lis" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Apr 10, 2:26 pm, "Marissa" wrote:
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.


It's only a few extra steps to put the scoopings in a bag and the bag in the
trash.

"Doug Bashford" wrote in message
/// psycho-babble flushed////


still can't find your Zoloft Rx Delusional Dougie?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

on Tue, 10 Apr 2007 19:27:15 GMT, "cybercat"
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!

--
Lynne

On Tue, 10 Apr 2007 19:11:10 GMT, (Doug Bashford)
wrote:

....

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.

On Tue, 10 Apr 2007 17:36:13 GMT, "Ryan Robbins"
wrote:


"Lynne" wrote in message
om...
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.


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.