Cat Diseases: Preventing The Transmission To Humans

Prevention of Transmission of Zoonoses

Cats are not really dangerous creatures to keep in the home in relation to zoonotic diseases. What is important is you know and institute measures in the home to prevent transmission of these cat diseases to humans. Here are measures that can be done to keep you and your family safe.

Pregnant woman refrain from activities near cat — If you are pregnant it is best to refrain from doing activities such as cleaning out your cat’s litter tray.

First of all, persons with weak and compromised immune systems should have minimal contact with animals that may transmit infections. If pregnant or immunocompromised, have other people in the household clean the litterbox in the meantime. If not possible, then they must be especially careful and take measures to protect themselves.

Avoid hugging and kissing a sick pet. Keep in mind that for some cat diseases, even after your cat has apparently recovered from illness, infectious organisms may still be shed in the pet’s feces and body fluids for some weeks. Ask your veterinarian about the risks.

Hands Hygiene

Frequent handwashing is paramount in the prevention of transmission of majority of diseases including zoonotic diseases from cats. Wash hands after touching the cat, handling cat tick and fleas, cleaning the litterbox or gardening. It is best if you wear gloves to protect the bare skin of the hands when performing these activities. When gardening, consciously look out for animal feces in the soil and avoid contact with them.

washing hands to prevent cat diseases — Practice and teach children the importance of handwashing as the first line of protection against diseases.

Indoor and outdoor sanitation

Maintain sanitation in the household. Control the presence of rodents. Place litterbox far from areas in the house where food is stored, prepared or eaten. Likewise do not allow cats to get on tabletops Follow proper food-handling procedures to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious microbes from contaminated food. Do not allow cats on tabletops especially in places where food is being prepared. Do not let the cat lick utensils.

cat on counter top — While cute to look at in photos, from the standpoint of hygiene, it is best not to allow cats on the counter especially where food is prepared.

Avoid pet overcrowding in the home and maintain the correct number of litterboxes – that is the number of cats in the household plus one. Disinfect litterboxes with household bleach regularly. Wash pet feeders, waterers, toys and beddings frequently. If you have sandboxes where children play, cover them when not in use to prevent your cat or other wildlife from defecating on the sand.

children in a sand box microbes and bacterias cat diseases — Always remember to cover children’s sandboxes when not in use to prevent your cat and other wildlife from using it to defecate.

Other important prevention measures for cat diseases

Practice the so-called four Ps – “Pick up Pet Poop Promptly”. Clean the litter box daily. Doing this significantly reduces the risk of humans getting Toxoplasmosis infection because as mentioned above, it takes several days for the oocysts in an infected cat’s feces to develop into the infective stage for humans. Dispose of cat fecal material properly making sure it does not contaminate the water supply or the soil where fruits and vegetables are grown. Handle cat litter gently so particles which may harbor infectious organisms will not float in the air increasing your chances of inhaling them.

Ideally keep all pet cats indoors so they will not come into contact with wildlife and other stray animals potentially carrying infectious diseases. It will also make it less likely for your cats to get into fights with other animals outside and get wounded. Prevent wildlife from entering your yard. Do not allow your cats to eat wildlife and do not feed them raw food.

An enclosed cat patio or “catio” is a good way to keep cats “indoors” while letting them enjoy the outdoors and the sun.

When leaving your cat at the groomers or pet boarding facilities, make sure to give instructions not to share grooming tools or blankets with other pets. This is to minimize transmission of infectious agents especially fungal and parasitic.

Veterinary visits regularly for cat diseases

Maintain a regular schedule for your pet cat’s veterinary visit. Keep all vaccinations, especially that of Rabies, up to date. Even if you have solely indoor cats, have them vaccinated and protected against rabies to prevent problems if in case they escape and get outside.

veterinary visit cat injection disease — Keep all of cat’s required core vaccinations updated especially that of Rabies.

Antiparasitic preventives must likewise be kept updated to protect your pet from getting external and internal parasites. Have a regular fecal examination and deworming schedule for your cat. Control of ticks and fleas is very important as well. This will remove potential intermediate hosts that may transmit many disease-causing organisms to your cat.

cat check for diseases — Maintain and follow a regular deworming schedule to protect your family against worms that the cat may pass to humans.

A regular veterinary check-up will also help to catch diseases early as they develop. Seek immediate veterinary consultation when you have a sick cat, especially when you see lacerations or puncture wounds. This may indicate that a wild animal possibly bit them and at risk for rabies.

Care for cat with diseases

Handle cats gently so as not to startle them and make them scratch or bite you accidentally. In case of cat inflicted wound must immediately wash it thoroughly with disinfectant soap and running water. This will physically remove as much of infectious organisms or material as possible. Seek immediate medical consult if you suspect that your cat may have acquired Rabies or if there is swelling, pain and discharges from the wound. Avoid letting cats lick pre-existing wounds or abrasions.

Educate all members of the household on how to properly approach and handle cats. Majority of cat bites and scratches result from startling the cat.

Having cats as pets is not dangerous in terms of zoonotic cat diseases. What is important is for cat owners to educate themselves about this. Unfounded fear from uninformed or misinformed owners leads to abandoning many cats and leaving them homeless. Many resources are freely available to read and inform yourself about cat diseases. This is a part of responsible pet ownership.