gaia.smith wrote:
Virtually anyone who has grown veggies, especially out in the country, has UNcomposted cat poo in the beds. WASH/peel your veggies & get a life!
You are exactly correct. If toxoplasmosis survived the composting or non-composting decomposition process, then every cat would have it. Unless you are directly eating raw pork or cat feces, your chances of getting toxoplasmosis are extremely rare. Even if you get the disease, unless you are pregnant or HIV positive, it will probably run its course and you may not even know it.
One of the reasons compost is such a great material is that it converts pathogenic materials into beneficial materials. How? By the action of species which are not affected by the human pathogens. The fungi and bacteria which digest it are not affected by the toxoplasmosis protozoa. Once it is decomposed into amino acids, it is harmless.
Regarding Arm & Hammer cat litter: A&H puts baking soda in every product they make. Baking soda is a non selective fungicide which will kill the beneficial fungi in your compost and soil. I would never use that product if I planned to ultimately compost it or toss it in the garden.
Regarding sodium bentonite: As I understand it the original Kitty Litter product contained calcium bentonite. A few decades later the advantage of sodium bentonite came to the product in the form of clumping litter. Then a cat breeder lost a couple litters of kittens to a mysterious problem. Her holistic veterinarian attributed the cause to clumping cat litter saying the kittens had eaten it. The cause was backed up by a second holistic vet and the Chicken Little effect was set into motion. Since then the breeder has written articles for cat magazines exposing the dangers of clumping cat litter. Interviews with other veterinarians do not back up the idea of clumping kitty litter being a serious issue. Well, maybe kittens can get too curious and start eating a LOT of litter, so for kittens maybe steer clear. But for adult cats, I don't think there would be a problem. However, there are other issues with sodium bentonite. Sodium bentonite is the material they use to line the bottoms of lakes. It is the clay of your worst nightmares. This is the stuff you do not want in your garden, because it can form an impenetrable layer of muck that could ruin your soil's ability to receive water. Calcium bentonite (non clumping) is probably a much better choice if you are planning to compost or dump the litter in the yard.