Sea Otters have been declining up and down the California coast, and cat feces could be to blame. When a cat consumes a rodent infected with Toxoplasma gondii, the infection can live in soil for up to a year. This is a problem when it is washed into the ocean and can cause fatal damage to the Sea Otter population. Toxoplasmosis is the disease in humans that is not fatal, but can cause blindness and birth defects. In otters, the disease causes brain damage, seizures, and makes the animals no longer able to hunt.
Recent Comments