Can I Flush My Indoor Cat’s Poo?
Raise a Paw
Back in December and January, I posted about toxoplasmosis and why you shouldn’t flush cat poop down the toilet. Well, Pawesome cohort tipped me off that there’s been some discussion about whether it’s OK to flush cat litter/poo if your cats are indoor cats.
First let’s backtrack a little and remind you all about toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that is often found in birds, small mammals like mice, and all those things that cats like to kill and eat. Although all mammals (including humans!) can be carriers of the toxoplasma gondii protozoa, cats are the only animals in which the parasite can reproduce. Toxoplasmosis, or the condition of being affected by the parasite, can be dangerous for humans, but mostly only in people with weakened immune systems or women who are preggers who haven’t already been exposed to the parasite.
As for the hubbub about flushing cat poop down the toilet: the toxoplasma parasite has been especially fatal for California sea otters. The population of those cute, furry, swimmy things has been affected by exposure to toxoplasma gondii, most likely from cat poo that’s been flushed and/or entered via runoff into storm drains.
So back to whether it’s OK for you to flush indoor cat poop…
The reason that some people say it’s OK to flush is because indoor cats are less likely to come into contact with toxoplasma gondii. Since they aren’t killing/eating the carriers of the parasite and/or coming into contact with an infected cat’s poop — they contend — their poo is probably parasite free.
That may be good enough of a green light for you, but I personally would still err on not flushing cat poop/litter down the toilet. Call me a cat party pooper, but there are other ways for indoor cats to come into contact with toxoplasmosis. Cats that are fed a raw food diet, for one, can come into contact with toxoplasma gondii. And indoor cats can sometimes catch random prey that enter the house (I am still traumatized by the baby mouse that P. and Biggie killed in my last apartment). If you’ve adopted your cat and/or taken in a cat whose history you don’t know, it may be a carrier of toxoplasma gondii. Sure, it’s less likely that an indoor cat will be infected by the parasite, but in this case, why not be totally safe than sorry. The otters will thank you for it!
(Image: trainedcat)
Many important parts are missing here – cats only shed Toxoplasmosis for 10-14 days in their entire lifetime if they even have it at all. You can also test for Toxoplasmosis at your local vet if you are concerned that your cat may be a carrier..
Municipal sewage run-off has been found NOT to be the source but rather freshwater run-off. The outdoor/feral cat population in California is a far more likely the source for this issue, not indoor cats.
It’s a shame indoor cats across the country have to take the brunt of this issue. We all should educate ourselves more before blaming them.
Many important parts are missing here – cats only shed Toxoplasmosis for 10-14 days in their entire lifetime if they even have it at all. You can also test for Toxoplasmosis at your local vet if you are concerned that your cat may be a carrier..
Municipal sewage run-off has been found NOT to be the source but rather freshwater run-off. The outdoor/feral cat population in California is a far more likely the source for this issue, not indoor cats.
It’s a shame indoor cats across the country have to take the brunt of this issue. We all should educate ourselves more before blaming them.
Hi Ted, Thanks for the comment and the extra info. My past posts about Toxoplasmosis that I link to in the post above (http://www.pawesome.net/2009/12/toxoplasmosis-and-your-cat/, http://www.pawesome.net/2010/01/hey-dont-put-cat-poop-in-the-toilet/) touches on some of the facts you mention (including that most cats only are carriers of the parasite once in their lives). I didn’t want to recap all the info since I link to both my earlier posts for more detailed info. A recent study by the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine states that cat feces from municipal sewage is a possible source of toxoplasmosis (http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/whatsnew/article2.cfm?id=1176) and the California Sea Otter Research site says that it’s still not clear whether it’s domestic cats or feral cats who are putting most of the parasites into the environment (http://www.seaotterresearch.org/braindisease.shtml#). I still stand by what I say above, because as I state, I’d rather be safe than sorry.
Hi Ted, Thanks for the comment and the extra info. My past posts about Toxoplasmosis that I link to in the post above (http://www.pawesome.net/2009/12/toxoplasmosis-and-your-cat/, http://www.pawesome.net/2010/01/hey-dont-put-cat-poop-in-the-toilet/) touches on some of the facts you mention (including that most cats only are carriers of the parasite once in their lives). I didn’t want to recap all the info since I link to both my earlier posts for more detailed info. A recent study by the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine states that cat feces from municipal sewage is a possible source of toxoplasmosis (http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/whatsnew/article2.cfm?id=1176) and the California Sea Otter Research site says that it’s still not clear whether it’s domestic cats or feral cats who are putting most of the parasites into the environment (http://www.seaotterresearch.org/braindisease.shtml#). I still stand by what I say above, because as I state, I’d rather be safe than sorry.
I completely agree with Ted.
We have no signs of pests, a strictly indoor cat, and a vegan household (except for the cat kibble), so our toxo risk is extremely low. Even if our cat came into our household as a carrier, she couldn’t even reinfect herself during that 10-14 day period because the eggs are only viable after a minimum of 24 hours and a twice daily cleaning of the box would negate that risk. The problem is feral and outdoor populations.
I completely agree with Ted.
We have no signs of pests, a strictly indoor cat, and a vegan household (except for the cat kibble), so our toxo risk is extremely low. Even if our cat came into our household as a carrier, she couldn’t even reinfect herself during that 10-14 day period because the eggs are only viable after a minimum of 24 hours and a twice daily cleaning of the box would negate that risk. The problem is feral and outdoor populations.