Comments on: Pet-friendly homes, earth-friendly litter

By: Kim

Kim — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 16:09:32 +0000

I’ve been using Pine litter (Feline Pine repackaged for Trader Joe’s) for the past few years, because with my arm/neck problems I couldn’t scoop ‘scoopable’ litter any more (6 cats was a lot of scooping)

And, I JUST realized I’m allergic to it, and it’s the reason for my hugely-increased asthma over the same period. Yikes. Thousands of dollars in asthma medicine later, countless sleepless wheezing nights, and it was the frickin pine litter! (Yup, I’m allergic to pine, had stopped buying live christmas trees, but just didn’t put two and two together.)

Spent the last 2 nights with my inhaler under my pillow (other asthmatics know that one), moved the box outside this morning and was better in 10 minutes!

So. I am going out today to buy something different, one of the corn-based ones sounds good. My cats now get to ‘go’ outside most of the time, but I do need something to keep inside for those times I just can’t get off the floor to take them out, or when it’s raining during monsoon season. (Rain is fine, but the lightning and thunder keep them inside)

Anyone have any specific recommendations?

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 15:43:38 +0000

The papers I’ve read and the talks that I’ve seen on the topic indicate that sewer is a source of T. gondii in the environment in addition to runoff. (If you are interested in my sources, Journal of Parasitology among others and the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Annual Meeting).

Personally, I think it is better to be safe than sorry and would recommend that people not flush cat litter.

By: Pat

Pat — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 21:37:00 +0000

Many years ago we upgraded a basement laundry room. Among the improvements were an ordinary $99 bathtub mounted on a raised wooden framework to a convenient “dog bathing height”. A regular spray attachment such as you find on a kitchen sink got plumbed into the piping, and readily-available cabinet doors fronting the wooden framework underneath made for a neat space to put dog shampoo, towels, etc.

Rounding it out was a light fixture directly overhead so it was always easy to see what you were doing.

By: nancy

nancy — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 20:41:29 +0000

Your selcome Gina! Maine Today also hit a mega home run with this Peep PSA on the front page all day.
Check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....y%2Ecom%2F

By: Gina Spadafori

Gina Spadafori — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 16:06:41 +0000

Actually, it’s a tad more complicated than that. The toxoplasmosis is tied to run-off into the drainage and storm sewer system (i.e., gutters going straight to creeks, rivers, etc.), from feral cats and pet cats allowed to roam freely.

It isn’t clear that cat waste put into the sanitary sewer system (i.e., flushed) is a problem.

More studies needed, etc.

By: Karen

Karen — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 15:50:38 +0000

Just a comment about flushable litter, there has been a rise in Toxoplasmosis among marine mammals, ostensibly due to the flushing of cat litter. I’m not sure why this doesn’t get treated out but for some reason it doesn’t. Flushable cat litter seems like a better alternative, but for now, it’s safer to put in the trash.

(Toxoplamsa gondii is a parasite that many cats carry. It is a problem for pregnant women and those with compromised immune systems, and apparently also seals and otters.)