agk@ihuxq.UUCP (Andy Kegel) (06/05/84)
Alan Silverstein (hpfcla!ajs) mentiones that he puts cat litter on his compost heap. I'm not sure that is such a good idea. Pregnant women should avoid cat "litter" as it *may* contain some germ that can cause serious problems (I've forgotten all the details, but it has to do with cats that have eaten raw meat, including those that go out-of-doors to get fresh bird meat). I throw all sorts of things on the compost pile (pulled weeds, rhubarb leaves, unfinished birds left by the cats, spoiled fruits and vegatables, citrus rinds, grass clippings, and leaves). I also apply grass clippings directly to the garden as a mulch (up to three inches thick). But I draw the line at cat litter (unless sterilized like the bovine stuff in the garden stores) and grass clippings from lawns recently serviced by the lawn chemical people (or owners). -andy kegel
kcs@CS-Arthur (Kevin C Smallwood) (06/05/84)
I don't know exactly what Alan Silverstein (hpfcla!ajs) had in mind, but I use "kitty litter" of sorts. That is, I use alfalfa meal as an organic fertilizer and good compost starter. Alfalfa meal is high in nitrogen (I believe it is a legume) which is slow-released so it won't burn plants; it is also good "food" for decomposing-organisms in a compost heap. The reason I call it "kitty litter" -- a commercial kitty litter, Litter Green, is primarily made up of alfalfa meal; I just buy alfalfa meal directly in 50 pound bags from the Co-op. I read about this in "The Joy of Gardening", and I have had very good results so far. I agree in that I would not put "used" kitty litter in my garden or on my compost heap. Kevin C. Smallwood Dept. of CS -- Purdue purdue!kcs; kcs@Purdue
annej@hammer.UUCP (Anne Jacko) (06/08/84)
The "germ" mentioned in the original article about kitty litter is actually a parasite called toxoplasmosis. It can have very bad effects on a fetus of any age. Pregnant women are advised to have another household member clean out the cat box if possible, or else wear gloves and avoid breathing any dust from the litter while doing it. Toxoplasmosis is nearly harmless to extra-utero humans, and a person may be infected and never notice any symptoms. Cats can get it by eating infected rodents, birds, or other raw meat. Pregnant women are also advised to avoid raw or undercooked meat. Another thing pregnant women should do is wear gloves when gardening, since cats consider the garden to be Nature's gift of an outdoor litter box. -- A. Jacko, Tektronix
rbc@houxu.UUCP (R.CONNAGHAN) (06/09/84)
The cats in question are indoor house cats and never had the chance to eat fresh killed meat or any raw meat for that matter. The question is : Should I consider these cats to be less at risk of getting this parasite toxeo-whatever then an outdoor cat? -- Robert Connaghan AT&T Bell Labs - Holmdel, N.J. houxu!rbc