Conference misery::feline_v1

    We used to flush it down the toilet.  However, we stopped because our
    toilet was always getting clogged.  We bag it and throw it in the
    garbage; no more clogged toilets.
    
    Ande

    There's a flushable kitty litter but it is expensive!
    
    I use to flush it but it clogged everything up, now it's simply
    scooping.
    

    I too have been flushing it for about 3 years without any serious
    clog-ups.  Sometimes, I try to flush TOO MUCH at once, but it doesn't
    cause a serious clog-up (nothing I can't fix with a second flush).
    
    Now you have me wondering . . .  
    
    My husband works for a construction company and installs septic
    systems.  He did ours too, and his friend did all of our plumbing.
    I would think that if there could be problems with flushing the
    *stuff* that they would have given me a "NO NO" by now.
    
    Pam
    

    I used to...but no more...
    
    Several weeks ago, my toilet backed up, flooded the bathroom, and
    leaked through the ceiling onto my new couch and hand knit afghan
    downstairs.  I was frantic.  The plumber came ($29...pretty cheap
    in Vermont) and snaked the toilet and all is fine.  He found nothing
    obviously wrong, so we suspect it was the litter.
    
    My mother uses litter on her driveway during the winter months.
    A residue of the stuff is just sitting there at the bottom of the
    driveway, as it would be sitting in the toilet's pipes.  It's density
    seems such that it sinks, but is not washed away.  So a little pile
    begins to build.
    
    I can't stress this point enough.  Baggies may be a whole lot less
    pleasant...but they are much less risky.
    
    Don't let the "yes" sayers convince you.  They are just very lucky.
    

    One of the things about good luck is that it tends to be
    short-lived.  We've been flushing the poops down the toilet
    now for >5 years with no problems.  
    
    I would think that the flow of the water would/should be
    adequate enough to pull the residual litter through your
    plumbing pipe and into the septic tank.  A septic tank
    should be pumped every 2 years anyway and pumping supposedly
    removes all the residue from your tank.
    
    Now the previous reply has got me wondering though because
    our down-stairs toilet does not have as much 'suction power'
    as the upstairs.  We've had occasional problems with it not
    flushing properly and smelling, and this is the toilet that
    the kitty poops get flushed down.  The house is only 2.5 years
    old.  Cleaning the septic tank recently seemed to help but
    I wonder if any litter residue is sitting in inside pipes
    and not getting into the septic tank?  Yikes, something else
    to worry about.
    
    Donna

    The kitty litter I use (littergreen) seems to be ok.  This stuff
    expands when it absorbs moisture, and it is not like clay which
    does not absorb.  I would guess, as long I don't flush a whole bag
    down, it is ok.  This stuff doesn't stick to the poop, either, so
    hardly any gets flushed.
    
    Just my two cents.
    
    anna/zildjian/paradiddle
    

    I have always flushed Asia's down, in fact when I change her litter
    box I flush it all down in one flush!
    
    Linda

    We usually use either Litter Green or Yesterday's News and then
    when it gets dirty we just put it on the compost pile and it turns
    back into usable topsoil.
    
    						Geoff

                 
         RE. 9 - USE IT AS TOPSOIL!!
                  I've been told that is very dangerous, as cat and
    dog poop will risk you the danger of contracting toxoplasmosis (sp.).
    And after hearing about several people who did get it because they
    let their babes do their poops in the veggie garden, I now have
    a 3 ft. fence around my garden.
           As far as flushing goes, it definately plugs up my toilet,
    even a little bit.
           However some towns do not take kitty litter waste in their
    garbage pickup. My mother has to disguise hers, so the guys on the
    garbage truck don't know its litter. Apparently they consider it
    hazardous waste because of the bacteria that can be present in it.
    
    
                    Denise

    Was the original question about flusing kitty poop or kitty litter?
    I don't see that kitty poop would be very much different from human
    poop.  So scooping the wastes and flushing them would not seem to
    be a problem, even with the small amounts of litter that adhere
    to it.  
    
    Flushing the litter in large quantities would be very likely to
    cause a problem with clogging.  It is not recommended, especially
    for septic systems.
    
    As for .-1 about kitty litter having to be disguised for garbage
    pickup, I use the empty litter bags themselves as containers to
    hold the soiled litter, and I put them on the curbside every week.
    No disguise there!  They get picked up along with everything else!

    What exactly is  Toxoplasmosis (sp)???
    
    Linda

    Toxoplasmosis (or however its spelled) is a bacterial infection
    found in and transmitted by cat feces.  By itself it is not particularly
    dangerous to humans.  In pregnant women, however, it can cause a
    host of problems for the unborn baby, including blindness, brain
    damage, or even death.  For this reason, almost all cat litter bags
    have a printed disclaimer on them saying that pregnant women should
    not handle the stuff, and that using it as a mulch in vegetable
    gardens in not reccomended.

    Toxoplasmosis CAN BE DANGEROUS to anyone, including the unborn fetus.
    
    Guess what noters -- I've just recently found out that I am pregnant!
    One of my first concerns was finding out whether or not my 4 kitties
    are carriers of toxoplasmosis.  Off to the vet they all went last
    night for blood samples that will be tested at Tufts Veterinary
    Hospital next week.  My chances of them not having this are very
    good because they are indoor cats only, and have been for over a
    year.  My vet is pretty confident that the test results will be
    negative, but I have to know for certain to ease my mind, because
    I forsee the litter box cleaning duty as mine.  Even if I could
    get my husband to do it, I'd still worry about previous exposure and
    would probably hesitate to *cuddle* with them.  How could I survive!
    
    My vet also informed me that a close friend of his lost her sight due
    to this infection.  So, not only can it cause severe birth defects,
    it is potentially quite dangerous for anyone who comes in contact
    regularly with kitty litter/feces.  
    
    Caution should be emphasized, that after scooping or cleaning out
    the box,  WASH HANDS THOROUGHLY!!!  
    
    Pam    
    

    Before we preggos start to panic, be aware that the
    most common method of transmission to humans is
    through the eating of raw meat (for you raw hamburger
    and steak tartar lovers) and working with contami-
    nated dirt (gardening).
    
    You must have direct contact with infected feces.
    How many people come in direct contact with their
    cats feces?!  We all use scoopers.  I always wear
    rubber gloves when washing the box out anyway, but
    if you normally don't, then it's a good precaution
    to take when pregnant.  
    
    My cats are all indoor only so I never really 
    worried about toxo and continued to share litter
    box duties.  I never had them tested for exposure.
    But they had been indoor only for 2-4 years.
    
    
    Actually, I'm just checking my vet book, Diseases of
    the Cat, now, and it says,  "Except in the South, most
    of the transmission occurs in adults from ingesting
    undercooked infected meat."   So it doesn't even have
    to be raw.   It also says, "Epidemiologically, soil
    contact is more important than contact with cats."
    
    Toxoplasmosis is certainly something to be cautious
    of, but keep it in perspective.
    
    Donna

    WHAT!!!!! YOU'RE STILL TENDING THE BOX?????  WHEN YOU HAVE THE PERFECT
    EXCUSE TO HAVE PHIL DO IT???? 
    
    Perhaps the noters of this conference should all send mail to Phil
    and tell him that he shouls be doing the box, not Donna? :-)
    
    Deb

    RE .14
    
    Congratulations Pam!!!
    
    
    
    
    Linda & Asia

    By the way, toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection not a bacterial
    one.
    
    Also I have been informed in the past that if you have been handling
    kitty boxes for any lenght of time you will have acquired an immunity
    to it.  I believe that it is possible to check and see if a person
    shows antibodies to toxoplasmosis in their blood (which would be
    an indication of immunity).
    
    Bonnie

    Gee - My wife is pregnant and I'm stuck with litter duties. Ask
    Phil how he managed it..
    
    :-)
    
    Bryan

    A good friend of mine always leaves a six pack of beer next to her
    garbage can on the days when she has left used litter in her garbage.
    She feels it makes up for the garbage men having to handle the used
    litter.  I thought it was funny when she first told me, but someday
    I may start doing the same, especially if I get anymore cats! 8^)
    
    Jo

    After a 6-pack of beer I'd be likely to use the litter myself...
    
    ;^)
    
    Edd

    A friend in Rhode Island says that she can't leave *any* animal
    waste out for the trash people.  They refuse to take it!  She
    has to disguise her litter very carefully or else she would have
    a serious problem as she is a breeder and has lots of cats.

    We empty our litter box into a big garbage bag, and tie it shut.
    
    The trash man would have to open up all our trash bags, which get
    thrown into the landlords dumpster, to find out that there's cat
    litter in there.