Cats and Human Health

CAT 14 Cats and human health The charity dedicated to helping sick, injured and homeless pets since 1897. Cats and human health Owning a pet is one of life’s pleasures that is positively good for children and adults alike. Pet owners have a reduced risk of heart disease and may be less prone to other illnesses – on average they visit the doctor less. Stroking a cat helps with relaxation and stress and pets help children to learn caring and nurturing skills. 2 However, people are sometimes worried Catching an illness from another human that they may pick up illnesses from pets. is much more likely than from a cat. This does not happen very often, and the Simply washing your hands and taking chances of catching an infection from a other routine hygiene measures avoids pet can be greatly reduced by taking a nearly all illnesses from pets. few simple measures. Teach children to More importantly, prevention is better wash their hands after handling animals, than cure, and you are less likely to pick or after playing on ground where up infection from a healthy cat. When animals have been – adults should do you first get a cat, ask the vet for advice the same. on how to keep your cat healthy and There are many different types of continue to take your pet regularly for infections that may, under some check-ups. circumstances, be caught from contact with pets. However, it is not common to Flea, tick and cat bites catch illnesses from pets. Even among veterinary staff, back strain from lifting These are the most common conditions animals is a more common problem that pet owners can catch from their than catching disease. cats. Fleas are not serious but they can cause itchy red spots, particularly around Certain groups of people are more the wrists and ankles. Ask your vet to at risk. Those suffering from diseases recommend a good flea product – shop that reduce immunity (such as AIDS), or bought products such as flea collars and those who are either receiving cancer powder are not effective. You need to chemotherapy or on drugs following treat both the cat and the environment to transplantation surgery, need to be get rid of the eggs. particularly careful to wash their hands or wear gloves after handling pets. They Cats occasionally acquire ticks and if you should also avoid aggressive play with live in an area where ticks are common cats and be wary of petting excitable or (usually areas with deer or sheep) you aggressive cats. If you are suffering from want to discuss the use of a tick repellent one of these conditions, seek specialist with your vet, who can also explain advice. If you are considering getting a how to remove ticks. Tick bites are an cat, it may be better to get an adult, as occasional cause of illness in people kittens are more likely to be a source (Lyme disease). You don’t need to own a of infection. cat to get bitten, but you should consult your doctor if you become unwell after a tick bite. 3 Cat bites are potentially more serious Fleas probably transmit bartonella as there is a risk of infection. Wash well bacteria between cats, and infection may and promptly with soap and water and be more common in kittens. All cat bites consult your doctor for advice, particularly and scratches should be well washed if the bite becomes swollen, infected or is with soap and water and cats should on a joint. Also ensure that your tetanus not be allowed to lick open sores or protection is up to date. Avoid handling wounds. Good flea control is advisable. cats that are frightened or angry and, For this and other reasons, it is best if you have to pick up an injured cat, not to encourage rough play or play remember that cats in pain may bite. with hands. Wrap the cat in a thick towel first and If you own a cat that is sometimes be careful. aggressive, you may be able to learn Bites, as well as scratches, carry a risk to read the cat’s body signals to predict of cat scratch fever. This is usually a mild an attack. Look for tensing, twitching illness with fever and swollen lymph or lashing of the tail. There are many glands, although it can be more severe books available on cat behaviour and, in children and immuno-suppressed if the problem is severe, your vet can patients. It is caused by bartonella recommend an animal behaviourist bacteria, which can be carried by some for advice. healthy cats. 4 Toxoplasmosis To be extra sure, it is better for pregnant women not to change cat litter trays or, if This micro-organism spends part of unavoidable, to wear gloves and change its life in cats and the rest in other the litter at least daily, as fresh eggs in animals, particularly sheep. For most the faeces are not infectious. Young cats cats, infection is harmless, although shed more eggs, so it may be better not it sometimes causes various forms to get a kitten while you are pregnant. of illness. The eggs are passed in cat faeces but fresh eggs are not infectious. Ringworm It takes at least 24 hours before they can cause infection, but they may remain Ringworm is not actually a worm but a infectious for up to 18 months. If infectious fungus similar to athlete’s foot. It produces eggs are eaten by a sheep or other infective “seeds” called spores, which animal, meat from that animal can pass survive for a long time in the environment infection to people. Infection is destroyed and are quite common. They can infect by cooking and preparing meat. Eating skin in all animals, including people and raw or undercooked meat is the most cats. Infection in people is not common common way that people become and it usually just appears as one or infected. Direct contact with cats is two circular patches of red, irritated skin, unlikely to produce infection in humans. but it can sometimes be more severe in children and immuno-suppressed Toxoplasmosis is often a worry to people. If you think you have ringworm, pregnant women, because it can see your doctor. severely damage the unborn child. In other healthy adults, infection usually causes only a mild, feverish illness, but it can be severe in immuno-suppressed patients. Recommended measures for pregnant women include washing hands and cooking utensils after preparing meat, washing fruit and vegetables to remove soil, and wearing gloves when gardening. 5 In cats, ringworm has a number of Intestinal worms different appearances. Some cats look completely normal, others have areas of Most kittens are infected by roundworms, hair loss with a crusty covering, but there caught from their mother’s milk. These are many variations. Young or geriatric worms live in the bowel and their eggs cats, and long-haired cats appear to be are shed in the faeces. Occasionally more commonly affected. people can be infected (by accidentally swallowing the microscopic eggs) Do not let children handle infected cats, causing various problems, including and wear gloves and an apron when – in rare cases – eye damage. giving treatments. Note that some tablets should not be handled if you are Cats can also get tapeworms, either from pregnant. Restrict the cat to one room hunting or swallowing fleas when they until cured, so spores are not spread are grooming, and there have been a through the house. Soft-furnishings and few cases of these infecting humans. carpets should be vacuumed thoroughly Infection with all types of worm is and frequently, or steam cleaned, to easily avoided by washing hands after remove the spores. The vacuum bag handling cats, kittens and litter trays, should be emptied afterwards and the effective flea control, and also by regular contents burned.Other items should be worming of cats (at least four times a cleaned with a disinfectant. Discuss with year, or more often if the cat is a hunter your vet which disinfectants are effective. or regular flea treatment has lapsed). Bedding and toys that cannot be cleaned Kittens should be wormed fortnightly are best burned. from six to 16 weeks. It is best to consult a vet to ensure that you choose a product that is active against everything and to design an effective worming programme for your cat’s lifestyle. “Spot-on” products are now available from the vet for cats who won’t take tablets. 6 Other bacteria Avian flu Finally, there are also some less common There have been a few cases of cats that diseases occasionally caught from have died from avian flu infection. This contact with cats. A minority of healthy is a very rare occurrence, and seems to cats carry some of the common bugs have resulted from eating infected (raw) that cause food poisoning (salmonella, chickens. There is no evidence that cats campylobacter, giardia and others) and can infect people. If there is an avian flu these can be transmitted in the faeces. outbreak, cats should be kept indoors to Again, it is always sensible to wash your avoid the risk of infection. hands after handling cats or changing litter trays. Cats and asthma Some causes of colds, flu and Allergy to cats may be a cause of conjunctivitis in cats (chlamydia and asthma, although some recent studies bordetella) can very occasionally be have suggested that being born into passed on to people. They are easily a family with a cat and/or a dog may avoided by washing hands after handling actually reduce a child’s likelihood of and not allowing cats to rub your face.

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