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#1
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Human health risks w/ cat pooping in crawl space?
My house sits atop 3 foot piers making a crawl space the size of the entire
house's floor plan - 1200 sq ft. For a time I allowed him down there (thru a special cat door) so he could have fun playing in the dirt and catching small lizards and gecco's. (He's an indoor cat) He took to preferring the dirt to his cat box, much to my approval. I've closed his door to the crawl space to monitor a health problem that has cleared up, and am considering letting him back down there and stowing the cat box away. Questions a Will the poop decompose down there, in dirt that gets no rain? Is there a health risk to me in the house after a long period of poop build-up down there? I'm thinking, maybe small poop molecules will work there way into the house thru the floor(?). In the 3 months that he was down there, I did not smell anything in the house. I even crawled around there, even over the area he preffered to do his business (of course he buried his stuff). I did smell evidence of his business (only while I was crawling directly over his buried stuff), but it wasn't overly strong. Anyone else allow their cat to poop in the crawl space under their house? Any educated guesses as to possible negative side affects to the humans in the house to the cat pooping down there long-term? Thanks! Hank |
#2
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Hank, I don't know much about this but there are a few things that
occurred to me. First, do you know if your cat carries toxoplasma gondii? Letting stools sit there will put you and your family at risk. Second, after a while, the smell from fermenting poop might become unbearable because of mercaptans (gases containing sulfur released during fermentation). Third, decomposition generates methane, an odorless highly flammable gas. If there's no ventilation down there and this gas builds up, eventually you will blow up your house with something as "harmless" as switching on a light. I don't know how much poop would need to be fermenting to generate enough gas to blow up your house, but it's something I'd be concerned with. |
#3
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Hank, I don't know much about this but there are a few things that
occurred to me. First, do you know if your cat carries toxoplasma gondii? Letting stools sit there will put you and your family at risk. Second, after a while, the smell from fermenting poop might become unbearable because of mercaptans (gases containing sulfur released during fermentation). Third, decomposition generates methane, an odorless highly flammable gas. If there's no ventilation down there and this gas builds up, eventually you will blow up your house with something as "harmless" as switching on a light. I don't know how much poop would need to be fermenting to generate enough gas to blow up your house, but it's something I'd be concerned with. |
#4
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Thanks Liz, these are the kind of comments I'm looking for.
"Liz" wrote in message om... Hank, I don't know much about this but there are a few things that occurred to me. First, do you know if your cat carries toxoplasma gondii? Letting stools sit there will put you and your family at risk. Second, after a while, the smell from fermenting poop might become unbearable because of mercaptans (gases containing sulfur released during fermentation). Third, decomposition generates methane, an odorless highly flammable gas. If there's no ventilation down there and this gas builds up, eventually you will blow up your house with something as "harmless" as switching on a light. I don't know how much poop would need to be fermenting to generate enough gas to blow up your house, but it's something I'd be concerned with. |
#5
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Thanks Liz, these are the kind of comments I'm looking for.
"Liz" wrote in message om... Hank, I don't know much about this but there are a few things that occurred to me. First, do you know if your cat carries toxoplasma gondii? Letting stools sit there will put you and your family at risk. Second, after a while, the smell from fermenting poop might become unbearable because of mercaptans (gases containing sulfur released during fermentation). Third, decomposition generates methane, an odorless highly flammable gas. If there's no ventilation down there and this gas builds up, eventually you will blow up your house with something as "harmless" as switching on a light. I don't know how much poop would need to be fermenting to generate enough gas to blow up your house, but it's something I'd be concerned with. |
#6
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On Sat, 25 Oct 2003 14:55:41 -0500, "Hank" wrote:
Thanks Liz, these are the kind of comments I'm looking for. "Liz" wrote in message . com... Hank, I don't know much about this but there are a few things that occurred to me. First, do you know if your cat carries toxoplasma gondii? Letting stools sit there will put you and your family at risk. Second, after a while, the smell from fermenting poop might become unbearable because of mercaptans (gases containing sulfur released during fermentation). Third, decomposition generates methane, an odorless highly flammable gas. If there's no ventilation down there and this gas builds up, eventually you will blow up your house with something as "harmless" as switching on a light. I don't know how much poop would need to be fermenting to generate enough gas to blow up your house, but it's something I'd be concerned with. I am making a guess that your "smeller" isn't in perfect working order. MLB |
#7
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On Sat, 25 Oct 2003 14:55:41 -0500, "Hank" wrote:
Thanks Liz, these are the kind of comments I'm looking for. "Liz" wrote in message . com... Hank, I don't know much about this but there are a few things that occurred to me. First, do you know if your cat carries toxoplasma gondii? Letting stools sit there will put you and your family at risk. Second, after a while, the smell from fermenting poop might become unbearable because of mercaptans (gases containing sulfur released during fermentation). Third, decomposition generates methane, an odorless highly flammable gas. If there's no ventilation down there and this gas builds up, eventually you will blow up your house with something as "harmless" as switching on a light. I don't know how much poop would need to be fermenting to generate enough gas to blow up your house, but it's something I'd be concerned with. I am making a guess that your "smeller" isn't in perfect working order. MLB |
#8
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On Sat, 25 Oct 2003 14:55:41 -0500, "Hank" dijo:
Thanks Liz, these are the kind of comments I'm looking for. But if there is no rain or other moisture there will be no decomposition and no generation of methane, beyond an infinitesimal amount. Ditto for the smell and other problems. The toxoplasma might become an issue, but I don't know enough about it to venture an opinion. Most harmful bugs cannot survive in a dry environment, and also die if not kept within a specific temperature range. If the cat is infected then it would seem to me you would be even more at risk when the cat is upstairs sleeping in your lap. As for not smelling it, I have a very sensitive nose and sometimes my cat's poop doesn't smell strongly at all. But if he eats garbage from the neighbors he can be a real stinker. As long as the smell isn't a problem upstairs, I wouldn't worry about it. Having said that, if you ever develop a leak in your plumbing and this area becomes flooded, look out! -- Bogus e-mail address, but I read this newsgroup regularly, so reply here. |
#9
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On Sat, 25 Oct 2003 14:55:41 -0500, "Hank" dijo:
Thanks Liz, these are the kind of comments I'm looking for. But if there is no rain or other moisture there will be no decomposition and no generation of methane, beyond an infinitesimal amount. Ditto for the smell and other problems. The toxoplasma might become an issue, but I don't know enough about it to venture an opinion. Most harmful bugs cannot survive in a dry environment, and also die if not kept within a specific temperature range. If the cat is infected then it would seem to me you would be even more at risk when the cat is upstairs sleeping in your lap. As for not smelling it, I have a very sensitive nose and sometimes my cat's poop doesn't smell strongly at all. But if he eats garbage from the neighbors he can be a real stinker. As long as the smell isn't a problem upstairs, I wouldn't worry about it. Having said that, if you ever develop a leak in your plumbing and this area becomes flooded, look out! -- Bogus e-mail address, but I read this newsgroup regularly, so reply here. |
#10
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But if there is no rain or other moisture there will be no
decomposition and no generation of methane, beyond an infinitesimal amount. Ditto for the smell and other problems. DonĀ“t forget moisture in air, condensation on ground, urination, and capillarity of soil. |
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