LETTER: Cat mess a bigger issue than dog’s

I would begin by saying that the vast majority of dog owners do clean up after their pets but as in every walk of life there are people who are ignorant and bloody-minded. We could put it down to human nature.

Dog mess is unpleasant and smelly to step in but there is no direct contact with the Toxicara canis larvae. This is not the case with Toxicara cati as cat faeces pollute every open area including school playing fields, playgrounds, sports fields and private gardens.

These are the places that you and your children are most likely to make the hand to mouth transfer of the larvae.
I cannot offer any solution as I have found that cat owners have an entrenched closed mind attitude to the damage that their fluffy little kits inflict on the environment.

Peter Barnes
via email