We won’t belabor this because we have discussed the dangers of the parasites in cat scat many times here. It is good to have CNN discuss it, however.
The next time you step in it, after the standard “Oh S__t!” think “toxoplasmosis.” Disinfect your shoes. The next time the cat sleeps on your pillow, well . . . . ?
Read: Is cat poop dangerous? By CNN Staff. Tue July 9, 2013
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Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan’s Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of “Hiking Idaho.” He also wrote “Beyond the Tetons” and “Backpacking Wyoming’s Teton and Washakie Wilderness.” He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
Comments
OK, so cat poop is scary stuff. People should know the risks and act accordingly. One per cent of all cats are infected at any given time. But the REAL risk to us as a species is not from kitty doo but from factory farming. Gross misuse of antibiotics (80% of all antibiotics sold in U.S. are used in factory farming!), mutating pathogens, massive amounts of toxic manure stewing in over-flowing, leaking lagoons, climate change, did I say mutating pathogens?…and consumers by the millions continue marching to grocery stores to buy and consume the products derived from this toxic filth and animal misery. Sure, it’s easy to wring our hands over cats because a vendetta against them seems to be in vogue right now, but the mother of all pandemics isn’t going to come from Smoky and Fluffy’s litter box…it’s going to be the “reward” our species reaps for its hideous treatment of animals in factory farms.
Truthout.org: “How to stop the next pandemic: End factory farming” http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/13961-how-to-stop-the-next-pandemic-end-factory-farming
Is cat poop dangerous? My dog doesn’t think so!
Kitty roca.
When I first heard about toxoplasmosis I began taking extra precautions when cleaning out my indoor/outdoor cat’s litter box. A couple of years ago I came across some in depth information explaining how Toxo works it’s way from rats to cats and literally alters brain activity. (not to state that rats are the only way a cat acquires toxo)It truly is a fascinating video of an interview with Dr. Robert Sapolsky, a leading researcher into how Toxoplasma affects humans. here is the link. http://tobiastenney.com/2010/06/toxoplasma/
I am much more afraid of the verbal diarrhea that comes from the mouths of our politicians…..& newspapers ect ….the cat poop has some serious competition!
I think there’s more dog poop around than cat’s. The annoying thing I see is that people are starting to pick up after their dogs, but they leave it in the plastic bag to putrify in the hot sun and rain on the walking trails. Now if the dog owners can just learn the extra step of putting it in the trash receptacle!
I think the bigger issue is outdoor and feral cats. The destruction of small mammal, birds and reptiles is greater than thought and has been in the news recently.
It may be thier nature but they are not part of our ecosystem and I would rather see a bobcat take a rabbit than a housecat.
Outdoor cats are akin to pythons in the everglades. Owners need to be responsible and efforts need to be made to eradicate feral cats.
Coyotes are in all 50 states now. I believe feral cats now have an affective predator. However Coyotes have been proven in ineffective against pythons and are just another food source.
Coyotes in Hawaii? Say it ain’t so….
Part (maybe most?) of the reason coyotes (and by implication red wolves) were night hunted in North Carolina is because they are a threat to house cats. Not livestock…..cats. Oddly, I think a lot of cats get young pythons though, from what I’ve heard.
Oops Hawaii is probably still safe. I doubt there are any feral cats left in the Everglades they have disappeared along with the possums, raccoons, squirrels and anything else that uses trees are a safe haven to raise their young.
Coyotes are hunted at night, by bubbas with their new night vision toys. Red wolves and coyotes are almost the same thing so wolves get in the way. I’m not sure cat loses are the only issue. People are freakin out in general about coyotes.