Posted on 09/05/2008 5:10:10 PM PDT by Radix
WEST BRIDGEWATER — No, it isn’t a scene out of “The Simpsons” — the town of West Bridgewater has been charged $2,000 for radioactive kitty litter found in a trash Dumpster.
A trash bag filled with the contaminated litter was discovered during a scan for radioactive material at the SEMASS waste facility in Rochester.
It is believed to have come from a West Bridgewater cat receiving radiology treatment for cancer whose owner neglected to properly dispose of the litter.
The scans for radioactive material became mandatory for SEMASS after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Brian Adams, a spokesman for the MSPCA–Angels of Boston, said many veterinarian oncologists will allow an animal to remain at the hospital until it tests clean for radioactivity.
Some pet owners choose to take their animals home, he said, but are given explicit directions on how to deal with the waste.
To handle the cat litter properly, the owner should have placed the contaminated material in an unoccupied section of the house for 80 days — until the substance was deemed not hazardous.
Ummm...are they now scanning regular trash for radioactivity?
Interesting implications if true.
But was it radioactive Viking kitty litter?
=P
Dutch medical isotopes unavailable until end of October, company says
Cancer patients in Europe, and possibly worldwide, may face a longer wait for diagnostic tests and treatments as a nuclear reactor in the Netherlands that supplies medical isotopes extended its shutdown for potential safety reasons.
... ...
All Viking kitty litter is radioactive. Interesting side effect of farting lightning.
Just what the world needs, poop that glows in the dark. ;-(
oic
Yikes! And I thought cleaning our cat box was a nasty chore to begin with, let alone dealing with radioactive poop!
Pssssst. I love mine, but they’re JUST cats! No need to put them through that; we will NEVER run out of cats. Trust me on that. Do you need a cat because yours is near death? I can get you a new one. For free! ;)
I read elsewhere today that it costs $16,400.00 on average to have a pet dog from puppy to age 11.
My dogs should be VERY glad that I’ve never added it up!
... I SOLVE WURLD ENERGY PROBLEMZ
There ya go, using common sense again.
I suspect the issue is that unless one takes periodic measurements of radioactivity over a period of time or has a priori knowledge of what exact isotopes are involved, it isn't possible to tell whether the radiation will fall sufficiently within 80 days or even 80 years.
[Grab the seizure meds]
Yes, the dump at my township, which is used both by township trash trucks and private citizens, has a radiation detector at the entrance. If you drive in there with anything radioactive, theoretically it will immediately detected, before you have a chance to dump it.
This may give the Terrorists ideas for a real nasty “Dirty Bomb”.
The most common use of radioactive products in cats is for hyperthyroidism, which is just caused by a benign overgrowth of the thyroid gland. Radioactive iodine treatment is a virtually 100% effective cure. It can also be treated with pills, but over time the cost of the pills can top the radioactive iodine treatment cost AND damage the liver and cause other negative side effects http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/methim_ad.htm I opted for the pills with a 15 year old cat I adopted from a shelter, figuring at his age it wasn’t worth doing the radioactive iodine treatment, but I ended up wishing I had. Next hyperthyroid kitty I have is definitely getting it. http://www.radiocat.com/
When my cat was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, we started with the pills but she had a bad reaction to them – lost all the fur on her ears and developed scabs all over her head.
So we did Radiocat – it was expensive but it worked like a charm.
When I picked her up after her treatment, the tech gave me instructions about her “radioactivity” – over the next 24 hours don’t handle her a lot, keep her away from the other cats and use a disposable litter pan with a plastic liner and flushable litter. She said you can’t throw the litter out in the trash because of environmental regulations.
I said so you can’t throw it out in the trash but you can flush it down the toilet?
She laughed and said - “yeah. Silly isn’t it? I wear a radiation badge and in all the years I’ve worked here and cared for cats post treatment it has never gone off but one day I forgot to take it off when I went to the tanning salon and as soon as I walked in the front door it went off”.
Some people don't lump them in one category. People who really love their pets find it hard to replace them. Just like some people.
What took you so long to find me today, Fawn? LOL!
Do I know you? Maybe you are referring to another poster? Fawnn with 2 N’s?
Aren’t you the crazy cat lady who feeds feral cats and always comes down on the side of the animals when it’s animal against wo/man and is compelled to correct me and change my ways on any animal-related thread? ;)
If not, I apologize.
If so, you misjudge me. I LOVE my dogs and cats and I am an awesome Pet Mom.
However, I don’t assign them anthropomorphic qualities that don’t exist. Call me a realist. I’m secure in my place at the top of the Food Chain. :)
Wow....you are really an angry person. I don’t remember specifically talking to you....I am pinged to animal threads and I just answer anyone and everyone I feel like without memorizing them. I’m flattered you remembered me....even with the name calling, I see I have obviously hit a nerve. I am against animal cruelty...and I do think normal people deeply care and love their ‘specific’ pets— enough to not just throw them away for another when they get sick. To me, those kind of people lack a huge part of being human...they are flawed.
On a serious note, though, that kitty looked scared. :(
One of the uses for this type of radioactive poop could be used to scare the trolls away via use by the Viking kittehs. =^..^=
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