Why Can’t I Flush Cat Poop?

It Spreads a Parasite

Cats are frequently infected with a parasite called toxoplasma gondii. The parasite causes an infection called toxoplasmosis. It is usually harmless to cats. The parasite only uses cat poop as a host for its eggs. Otherwise, the cat’s immune system usually keeps the infection at low enough levels to maintain its own health. But it does not stop the develop of eggs. These eggs are tiny and surprisingly tough. They may survive for a year before they begin to grow. But that’s the problem.

Our wastewater system is not designed to deal with toxoplasmosis eggs. Instead, most eggs will flush from your toilet into sewers and wastewater management plants. After the sewage is treated for many other harmful things in it, it is typically released into local rivers, lakes, or oceans. Here, the toxoplasmosis eggs can find new hosts, including starfish, crabs, otters, and many other wildlife. For many, this is a significant risk to their health. Toxoplasmosis can also end up infecting water sources that are important for agriculture, which means our deer, pigs, and sheep can get infected too.

Is There Risk to Humans?

There can be a risk to human life from flushing cat poop down the toilet. If you do so, the parasites from your cat’s poop can end up in shellfish, game animals, or livestock. If this meat is then served raw or undercooked, the people who eat it can get sick.

In fact, according to the CDC, 40 million people in the United States are infected with toxoplasma gondii. They get it from exposure to infected seafood, or from some kind of cat poop contamination, like drinking from a stream that is contaminated or touching anything that has come into contact with cat poop. That includes just cleaning a cat litter box.

Most people who get infected with these parasites will not develop any symptoms. However, for pregnant women or for those with compromised immune systems, the parasite can cause severe health problems.

How to Handle Cat Poop

The best way to handle cat poop is actually to clean the box more often. The eggs that the parasite sheds will not become active until one to five days after the cat poops. That means that if you clean daily, you’re much less likely to come into direct contact with infectious eggs.

That said, always dispose of cat poop in the garbage and not down the toilet. Wash your hands before and after you clean the litter box, and bring the bag of poop right outside to your garbage bins.

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Why You Should Never Flush Cat Poop Down the Toilet

A rose by any other name might smell as sweet, but not all poop is created equal. Toilets, and our sewage systems, are designed for human excrement, not animal waste. It might seem like it couldn’t hurt to toss cat feces into the loo, but it’s not a good idea to flush cat poop in the toilet.

First and foremost, assuming your cat uses a litter box, any waste is going to have litter on it. And even the smallest amount of litter can wreak havoc on plumbing.

Over time, small amounts build up, filling up your septic system. Most litter sold today is clumping; it is made from a type of clay that hardens when it gets wet. Ever tried to scrape old clumps from the bottom of a litter box? You know just how cement-hard it can get!

Now imagine just a small clump of that stuck in your pipes. A simple de-clogger like Drano isn’t going to cut it. And that means it’s going to cost you big time to fix it.

Parasitic Contamination

Believe it or not, your healthy kitty may be harboring a nasty parasite. Only cats excrete Toxoplasma in their feces. Yet it rarely causes serious health issues in the cats that are infected. Most people will be fine too if infected. Only pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems are at risk. (If you’ve ever heard how women who are expecting are excused from litter cleaning duty, Toxoplasma is why.)

But other animals may have a problem if infected with the parasite. And human water treatment systems aren’t designed to handle it. As a result, the systems don’t remove the parasite before discharging wastewater into local waterways. Fish, shellfish, and other marine life — otters in particular — are susceptible to toxoplasma. If exposed, most will end up with brain damage and many will die.

Depending on the species of fish, they may end up on someone’s fish hook and, ultimately on someone’s dinner plate. If that someone has a chronic illness, they’re at risk.

Skip the Toilet Training

We know there are folks out there who like to toilet train their cats. And we give them props, it takes a lot of work. But thanks to the toxoplasma, it’s not a good idea.

https://www.keepingitpawsome.com/never-flush-cat-poop/

Why You Should Never Flush Cat Poop Down the Toilet

A rose by any other name might smell as sweet, but not all poop is created equal. Toilets, and our sewage systems, are designed for human excrement, not animal waste. It might seem like it couldn’t hurt to toss cat feces into the loo, but it’s not a good idea to flush cat poop in the toilet.

First and foremost, assuming your cat uses a litter box, any waste is going to have litter on it. And even the smallest amount of litter can wreak havoc on plumbing.

Over time, small amounts build up, filling up your septic system. Most litter sold today is clumping; it is made from a type of clay that hardens when it gets wet. Ever tried to scrape old clumps from the bottom of a litter box? You know just how cement-hard it can get!

Now imagine just a small clump of that stuck in your pipes. A simple de-clogger like Drano isn’t going to cut it. And that means it’s going to cost you big time to fix it.

Parasitic Contamination

Believe it or not, your healthy kitty may be harboring a nasty parasite. Only cats excrete Toxoplasma in their feces. Yet it rarely causes serious health issues in the cats that are infected. Most people will be fine too if infected. Only pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems are at risk. (If you’ve ever heard how women who are expecting are excused from litter cleaning duty, Toxoplasma is why.)

But other animals may have a problem if infected with the parasite. And human water treatment systems aren’t designed to handle it. As a result, the systems don’t remove the parasite before discharging wastewater into local waterways. Fish, shellfish, and other marine life — otters in particular — are susceptible to toxoplasma. If exposed, most will end up with brain damage and many will die.

Depending on the species of fish, they may end up on someone’s fish hook and, ultimately on someone’s dinner plate. If that someone has a chronic illness, they’re at risk.

Skip the Toilet Training

We know there are folks out there who like to toilet train their cats. And we give them props, it takes a lot of work. But thanks to the toxoplasma, it’s not a good idea.

https://www.keepingitpawsome.com/never-flush-cat-poop/

Why You Should Never Flush Cat Poop Down the Toilet

A rose by any other name might smell as sweet, but not all poop is created equal. Toilets, and our sewage systems, are designed for human excrement, not animal waste. It might seem like it couldn’t hurt to toss cat feces into the loo, but it’s not a good idea to flush cat poop in the toilet.

First and foremost, assuming your cat uses a litter box, any waste is going to have litter on it. And even the smallest amount of litter can wreak havoc on plumbing.

Over time, small amounts build up, filling up your septic system. Most litter sold today is clumping; it is made from a type of clay that hardens when it gets wet. Ever tried to scrape old clumps from the bottom of a litter box? You know just how cement-hard it can get!

Now imagine just a small clump of that stuck in your pipes. A simple de-clogger like Drano isn’t going to cut it. And that means it’s going to cost you big time to fix it.

Parasitic Contamination

Believe it or not, your healthy kitty may be harboring a nasty parasite. Only cats excrete Toxoplasma in their feces. Yet it rarely causes serious health issues in the cats that are infected. Most people will be fine too if infected. Only pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems are at risk. (If you’ve ever heard how women who are expecting are excused from litter cleaning duty, Toxoplasma is why.)

But other animals may have a problem if infected with the parasite. And human water treatment systems aren’t designed to handle it. As a result, the systems don’t remove the parasite before discharging wastewater into local waterways. Fish, shellfish, and other marine life — otters in particular — are susceptible to toxoplasma. If exposed, most will end up with brain damage and many will die.

Depending on the species of fish, they may end up on someone’s fish hook and, ultimately on someone’s dinner plate. If that someone has a chronic illness, they’re at risk.

Skip the Toilet Training

We know there are folks out there who like to toilet train their cats. And we give them props, it takes a lot of work. But thanks to the toxoplasma, it’s not a good idea.

https://www.keepingitpawsome.com/never-flush-cat-poop/