An infected cat only sheds the oocytes for 2 – 4 weeks. Cats who live indoors and are not fed raw meat and who do not catch mice in the house are not likely to be exposed either. I think Sammy is right about feral cats being the much bigger problem.

I don’t flush the cat litter because my plumbing is close to 100 years old and I can’t afford any major repairs right now.

Sheesh.

s.

The problem is that feral cats(who breed like crazy), outdoor cats and wild cats poop outside and cats are the only animal to shed Toxoplasmosis oocycsts (eggs). The eggs make it to the sea and they are 100% sure that it comes from storm drains and runoff from the above animals. The scientists made an assumption that it must also be from flushing cat waste. Well, flushable cat litter is not a big seller in the area, and surveys show that very few people flush anyway.

Additionally, Cal Fish and Game with the guidance of UC Davis (same scientists that helped craft the law) tested the outflow of the sewage pipes specifically for toxo and it was 100% clean–prior to the new law. The new law does not say you cannot flush cat waste it is perfectly legal.

Now the real problem. Toxo is natural and we will never get of it. The otters are not dying from it they are dying from weak immune systems that come from all of the junk going into the ocean from storm drains etc. Then when they are exposed to toxo, they cannot fight it like we can and eventually they get disoriented and get killed by boats, or predators. Clearly the toxo effects them but, 1) you will never get rid of it, and 2) the toxo is a symptom not the problem.

If more people kept cats indoors and we never had another feral cat, you would see a difference. Flushing or not flushing is not going to help. In fact, your blind passion for this will actually deflect from the real problem. People will run around freaking everyone out about flushing cat waste and the real concern should be keeping cats indoors, eradicating feral populations (not easy or as nice a bumper sticker as not flushing) and working to lobby to stop farmers from dumping pesticides.