Toxoplasma gondii – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20120702/cat-litter-parasite-may-raise-suicide-risk – WebMD – 2012 July 3
Recent findings of a correlation between human suicide and toxoplasmosis (infection with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii) coupled with past findings linking toxoplasmosis to schizophrenia and fetal damage raises a number of questions.
How do we keep cats from getting infected?
Do raw meat cat food producers test for T. gondii? Does the USDA requires testing for T. gondii?
For how long is T. gondii viable in cat feces? Is the only normal transmission mechanism inhalation of feces particulate? If yes, then is dryer feces more of a problem? Does T. gondii combine with litter dust, and if yes, then does a dust-free litter reduce the risk of infection? Are the vectors for transmission the same for cat-to-cat as for cat-to-human? And for cat-to-dog? How about human-to-cat?
What impact does toxoplasmosis have on an adult cat? On a feline fetus? On an immunocomprised cat (e.g. a cat with FIV)? What are the signs of infection in a cat?
How much and what kind of washing is required to remove T. gondii from vegetables? What about fruit, nuts, and grains? Is rodent feces in a grain silo a transmission vector?
Is digging in gopher runs a problem (human contact with gopher feces), or is gopher flesh consumed by a cat the problem?
Tanya,There are more options, but to run thgourh your options:1. Give cat away: Great idea, but who would take a cat guaranteed to wake you at 5am to eat, only to finish the cycle by shitting on your bed where he originally woke you to eat that which he just shat? Nobody. 2. Find the closest Chinese joint: You couldn’t even make a sandwich outta’ that little crap factory. The only party who would be interested in eating that cat (if that’s what you’re driving at) would be someone like me who could find further value beyond just eating.3. Let son take car of him: Good idea! He’ll learn the folly of having a pet. And his relative inexperience may result in the early demise of this curse upon our household. In short, of the three options you laid out, #3 is the sweet spot. There are others, but acknowledging them would undermine my plausible deniability.