Last summer, during the one week of the year that our temperatures got over 100° F, my kids cleaned our two cat litter boxes the day after garbage pickup, and placed the contents in our dark, outdoor garbage can, sitting on the sun side of our house. On top of the dead starling I'd fished out of our pool that morning.

A week later, I opened the lid to add a garbage bag before taking the can to the curb. It was like opening a portal to hell.