8 Diseases Cats Can Give You, A Mini Guide For Your Safety!
Here’s your guide to diseases you can catch from your cat and how to prevent illness, thanks to Taylor Starc…
Although there are very few diseases that can actually be passed on to humans from animals, you still have to stay careful. And, of course, the people who own pets and stay in close quarters with different animals are at a higher risk of catching these diseases.
Don’t Panic! If you maintain proper hygiene and keep your pets healthy, then the chances of getting diseases from your pet are extremely rare.
But still, a majority of pet owners aren’t aware of the diseases that can be caused by pets and how you can stay safe from them. The more information and a better understanding of pet transferred diseases that pet owners have; the better are their chances of keeping their pets and themselves safe.
The diseases that are transferrable from animals to humans are generally classified as zoonosis. Zoonosis is more common in people who stay in close contact with animals and their fecal matter. Most of the time, different sorts of bacteria, fungus, viruses, or parasites are responsible for causing several zoonotic diseases. Overall, scientists have discovered close to 250 zoonotic organisms which can cause diseases in humans, about 40 of which are transferred from cats and dogs, which are the most common pets in the world.
Different kinds of birds, reptiles, wildlife, and mammals are responsible for the transfer of the remaining 210 zoonotic organisms. Most of these zoonotic diseases can be easily avoided if you keep a hygienic environment for your pet and take your pets to the vet for regular check-ups.
According to a report by the website health24, very few diseases can actually be transferred from animals to humans. Common diseases like distemper, colds, flu, hookworm and feline AIDS cannot be passed on to pet owners.
In any case, if you develop some unexplainable symptoms, or you notice some unusual behavior in your pets, take them to a vet immediately and get yourself to a doctor as well. This post is targeted to explain the diseases that are caused by cats, so here is a list of some common diseases that you should be aware of to keep your cat and yourself healthy and safe from any disease.
- Toxoplasma Gondii
Toxoplasma gondii is a common disease that is transferrable from cats to humans. Toxoplasma gondii is actually a parasite that can also be caused in humans by eating bad undercooked meat. Toxoplasma gondii is more commonly known as Toxo among cat owners.
According to the CDC, there isn’t much to worry about if your pet is an indoor cat and you feed good quality cat food to it, but if you let your cat out and it roams around, it can end up eating from garbage cans and trash. If your pet cats venture outside, they will also end up eating dead birds and mice, which are the main causes of Toxo in cats.
The report by the CDC also wrote that mostly no medication treatment is required for people who are affected by Toxo, and mostly the affected people don’t even experience any symptoms. But in some cases, if the parasite infestation is serious or the person has a weak immune system, it can cause serious problems like blindness and brain abscesses.
Another report published by Scientific American Magazine informed that Toxoplasma gondii could change the behavior of the people affected and even induce psychosis in the infected people. The report also said that pregnant women should be vigilant around cats because the Toxo parasite can be very harmful to an unborn child.
- Cat Scratch fever
Cat-scratch fever is one of the most common zoonotic diseases cats can cause for humans. Cat scratch fever is classified as a bacterial infection. In a report about cat scratch fever, which was published by the CDC, it was explained that a pet owner could get cat scratch fever if an infected cat licks on an open wound or scratch.
Cat bites and deep scratches that cut the upper surface of the skin can also cause cat scratch fever. The common symptoms of cat scratch fever are redness and swelling around the wound or scratch, headaches, decreased appetite, nausea and of course, as it is evident from the name, a high fever. If you own a cat and you notice any of these symptoms, visit the vet and the doctor as soon as possible.
- Campylobacter Infection
Campylobacter infection is an infection in the digestive tract or intestines. Campylobacter infection can actually be caused by eating bad or raw undercooked meat. If your cat eats such meats like roadkill or mice, it can also develop this infection, and it can then be transferred to the owner of the cat during grooming.
Campylobacter infection is most commonly caused when handling the litter of an infected cat in an unhygienic way. You should always use a scooper to remove the faeces from the cat’s litter box and wash your hands with anti-bacterial soap afterwards. Campylobacter infection is commonly caused during the phase the cat isn’t properly trained to use the litter box, and it defecates in other places.
Always disinfect such area properly afterwards. The common symptoms of Campylobacter infection are fever, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. If you notice any of these symptoms in the cat or yourself, it’s time to give the vet and the doctor an immediate visit.
- Giardia
Giardia is also a parasitic disease, and it is accompanied by diarrhea. Giardia is actually one of the most common intestinal parasites that humans are infected by, and it can be caused by many reasons, including cats and other pets. So, if you notice that your cat has diarrhea, take it to the vet immediately to make sure the problem isn’t severe, and throw away the litter from the cat’s litter box to avoid any more infections.
- Ringworm
Ringworm is a very common fungal infection that can be caused because of numerous reasons, including unhygienic pets. According to WebMD, the hair, skin, and nails of your pet and yourself can be infected by Ringworm, and it is quite commonly transferred from animals to humans. The common identifiers of the infection in your cat are circular skin lesions on the ears, head or forelimbs.
If you find any small patches of such infection on your skin or the pet’s skin seek treatment ASAP because ringworms spread very quickly and they are contagious. The only cause of ringworms is an unhygienic environment; so, it can be avoided by a little effort and awareness.
- Rabies
If you have properly vaccinated your cat, then it is highly unlikely that anyone could catch rabies from it. However, if you didn’t get your cat from a store or it is a rescue, and you aren’t sure if it has gotten the right vaccinations you should be careful, because stray cats most of the time are infected by rabies.
Also, if your cat roams outside a lot, it can accidentally eat the meat of rabid animals like rats, bats and raccoons which is also a major cause of rabies. Rabies is fatal for animals almost all the time, and if a human catches it, it is also very serious for them.
- Salmonella
Salmonella is also a disease that is commonly caused by raw, undercooked meat. And if your cat eats bad meat, it is also at risk of developing salmonella, and an infected cat can then transfer the disease to their owners.
Salmonella is more common in cats that roam outside and may eat dead birds, or rats. So, if you have an indoor cat, which you feed good quality and commercially produced cat food or cooked foods you shouldn’t worry about salmonella.
Salmonella is usually transferred to humans while cleaning out the kitty litter. So, make sure that you follow hygienic protocol to keep yourself and your pet safe. And of course, if you counter any symptoms visit the doctor immediately.
- Scabies
Though it is quite rare, cats that are affected by scabies can actually transfer the disease to their owners as well. Scabies is like tiny mites that can cause a lot of itchiness, and irritation on the skin, and it can even lead to the creation of lesions on the skin.
If you are affected, you should visit the doctor and also thoroughly clean up the house because these mites can re-infest your skin from the environment. This disease is also caused due to an unhygienic environment. If you keep your cat clean, then the chances of scabies are very rare.
About the Author:
Taylor Starc is an animal behaviorist and a certified pet trainer. He has been working at Animal Training Academy in Montreal for ten years now. Apart from his professional life, he likes to read and write blogs in his leisure time. You can read some of his best pieces at Obey My Cat.
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