I woke yesterday to see something had been digging in my leek bed (leeks are onyl like blades of grass but might come good by end of winter).
Was already suspecting it to be a cat due to size of soil mound.
And on inspection of mound found a lovely turd whch I have disposed of and then filled the soil back into place.
Will probably be another 3 Month before leeks are ready at least.
So the question is? Is cat poo harmull? Will the rain flush any residue from the soil? Will washing vegies which have been pooed on be Ok after washing?
Cat poo can carry toxoplasmosis - that's why women of child bearing age should always wear gloves when they garden.
My understanding is that thorough washing should render your leeks OK to eat.
I agree that by the time your leeks are ready, and after washing the soil off them, they should be fine to eat.
I have a cat who only recently discovered gardening (= digging esp. nice fresh soil and pooing in it) and I find it disgusting - not quite the same as well-rotted horse manure. Apart from the smell they can carry disease, and spotting and removing it from my beds as soon as possible is quite a challenge. We still eat the fruit and veg, though, can't afford to waste anything, as our harvest this year was not brilliant.
Cat poo's nasty stuff, apparently tiger poo will keep them off your patch though. Failing that you could try orange peel.
Cat poo is harmful and we are just about to go to war again with a new cat that uses my wifes flower garden for a toilet, like they say another one will bite the dust ;)
I really wouldn't worry too much unless you are pregnant. Just use common sense ie gloves when handling etc. The veg should all be safe to eat, especially if its going to be cooked first. One way of protecting a new seed bed is to peg down sheets of wire netting over the bed. This should stop the cats, while still allowing your plants to germinate and grow. You can then remove the netting when they are large enough.
KK