2008-07-11

Response

Since Twitter is supposed to be for short replies I will make this post as a big reply. Ignore this if you don't care about flushing cat poo down the toilet

Q. Should I be concerned about flushing my cats waste?
A. The US Environmental Protection Agency recommends that pet waste be flushed down the toilet allowing waste to be properly treated by sewage treatment plants and septic systems. Not properly disposing of pet waste increases public health risks by allowing harmful bacteria and nutrients to wash into storm drains and eventually into local waterbodies.


What I believe - this is a bit misleading. The EPA are probably talking about dog poo (how else could cat waste that's thrown in the trash migrate to the storm drains) What is harmful is the possibility of toxoplasma (only found in cat poo not dog poo) getting into the drinking supply of humans.

Good on you GCG for training your cat, that is a remarkable task (not being sarcastic). I admit myself I have not seen hard evidence or peer-reviewed studies or papers on the release of toxoplasmosa into the drinking water supply of cities. I will be the first to admit I am wrong if shown otherwise. I guess it also depends on how your city handles its water treatment. I wish I could train my dog to use the toilet but it is just not possible.

Thanks for your response.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just trying to "live the kitty litter free lifestyle" ;-) lol! Nah, I've had cats all through-out my life.. I've been flushing cat poo down the toilet for many years (decades?) without being told different... I figure toxoplasmosa is "passed on" more via people not disinfecting their hands after handling cat poo. What you don't see on those videos is how I have hand sanitiser which I religiously use before and after handling the cat poo. All the foster cats, as well as my own in my life.. nothing has come from me handling cat poo.

I don't know.... yet for now I choose to believe that it is not harmful to myself nor the greater populance to flush cat poo down the loo.

Chris said...

no worries. I admit I dont know all the answers.

again, good on ya for training the cat(s). (or did I read you were in the process of doing so)

I dont have a seismic account.

Here's to Wishing you could send some of that cold weather (maybe not in Bris, but from the S Hemisphere) up here cause its HOT! :)