Cats and Kittens

Cat owners at times may wonder if their feline friends may share with them more than just companionship. It happens very often that somebody catches a cold and wonders if it is just a coincidence that their kittens has the sniffles as well. The question “Can my cat transfer his sickness to myself” is a very legitimate one that concerned cat owners ask their veterinarians quite often. It is reasonable after all, because truth is, there are some diseases that effectively may be transmitted from felines to humans.

A disease that crosses species barriers is known as a “zoonoses”. A species specific disease, on the contrary is a disease instead that belongs only to a species and does not cross boundaries. There are a few zoonoses that cause humans to get sick because of their cats. Here are a few:

Ringworm

Does your cat or kitten have some hairless round patches of skin? If yes, you should be concerned about ringworm, a skin disorder caused by a fungus. Owners should therefore, practice hygienic measures to avoid transmission. This is best done by careful hand washing and by having the cat treated as soon as possible before the environment gets too much contaminated. Affected cats are treated by medication or special Lyme dips, while humans that have developed red, scaly and itchy patches of skin are treated with a topical antifungal cream.

Cat Scratch Disease

Also known as Cat scratch fever, this disease is caused by a bacteria called “Bartonella”. As implied, the disease is transmitted mainly via scratching, but it is not unknown of being transmitted also via bite. Affected humans develop a series of annoying symptoms such as: fever, fatigue, headaches, eye infections, unexplained muscle pain and swollen lymph nodes. Other more complications may arise in those with a lowered immune system.

Toxoplasmosis

In order for a cat to transmit this disease, it must ingest an infected animal and then expel the oocysts in their feces. When humans then get in contact with the cat’s feces they may then become infected as well and develop flu like symptoms or no symptoms at all. The immune system of the affected person makes a big difference on how the body responds. Pregnant women are particularly at risk because their fetus may suffer serious damage.

Salmonella

This mainly is transmitted from cats that consume raw meat or those that tend to prey on wild birds. The offending bacteria is found in the cat’s feces and therefore, owners must be very careful when cleaning

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Buying cat toys can be overwhelming with all the choices made available to us in the stores. After buying many toys that my cats havn’t touched, I have found the best toys are the ones right in our our own homes. Since playtime is important for our beloved felines, it is important to have the right toys for them to play with.

Different sized balls are great. Some balls come with the option to put cat-nip inside and this will help attract your cat to the ball, or any other toy you put catnip on or in. I have put catnip inside of a sock and knotted it and my cat played with it for days. The ingredients in catnip create a frisky, high feeling for your cat. They may appear dazed after receiving some and that is common.

The ball of yarn we’ve seen cats chasing in cartoons is also a favorite. If a ball of yarn isn’t handy, any long string or rope can be used for the cat to chase and catch. Holding it up in the air for your cat to jump after is fun for your cat too.

A paper garbage bag or small shopping bag (from Wal-mart is good) is a good choice too. It’s the combination of noise the bag makes and playing hide-n-seek that draws a cats attention to this favorite.

Hair-ties are another toy that cats love to chew on and chase around the house. The stretch aspect of the hair-tie and the light weight make this great for practicing reflex strategies for your cat.

Mice toys are popular in stores too. In real life cat’s chase mice but I haven’t found a particular mice toy that stands out. Putting some catnip on it made it more interesting for my cat, but the shopping bags and hair-ties are much more popular.

Also, keep in mind that when buying cat toys the colors and for the cat owners eyes only. Cats are colorblind so whatever color you pick it will not make a difference to your cat.

A scratching post is not actually a toy, but a necessity for a cat. This will save your furniture from damage and let you cat do his clawing that comes naturally to him.

I

n hindsight of purchasing many toys for my cats, I realized it was the much simpler items that pleased my cat, and the fact I was interacting with them that mattered most, not how many toys they had a choice of.

Remember, a happy cat is a playful cat.

Happy toy hunting.

Cats are more than just “pets” to most owners. A cat is a four-legged friend, a furry companion, a comic, a curtain-shredder, and most importantly-a member of the family. It is only natural to want to give the best care we possibly can to our beloved felines. Unfortunately, there are many diseases that can afflict cats, both young and old. The good news is that there are preventative measures that cat owners can take to ensure the health of their pet.

Some of the most dangerous and often fatal diseases that can befall cats are infectious diseases that cats can transmit through nose to nose contact. Diseases such as Feline Leukemia and FIV can ravage a cat’s immune system and cause him to become very sick in a short period of time-even a young kitten. It is imperative that all new cats-whether a stray, a kitten, or an older cat-be tested for these diseases before you bring them home. Your veterinarian can perform a simple and quick blood test, usually right in the office, that will let you know if a new pet is carrying one of these deadly diseases. This is especially important if you have other cats in the household. Some diseases, Feline Leukemia in particular, can be vaccinated against if your cat is negative.

Vaccinating your cat is the next step at keeping them disease-free, especially if you plan to let him or her outside, or have other cats who venture into the big, bad world. Most veterinarians will vaccinate for Rabies, “distemper” (often referred to as FVRCP or FVRP-an acronym for the various diseases it prevents against) and Feline Leukemia. If you are 100% positive your feline will never come in contact with a stray cat, you may choose to opt out of the Leukemia vaccine. But since this disease is very contagious, if you live in an area with a lot of stray or feral cats around, you may want to consider the vaccine anyhow. It would be heartbreaking for your pampered kitty to escape the house for the day and return home with a deadly disease.

Another surefire way to improve the odds of your cat staying healthy is to spay or neuter it. Besides being the responsible thing to do, altering a cat can eliminate the chance of diseases, particularly in females, such as mammary tumors or uterine infections. A cat that is fixed is going to be less anxious to escape outdoors and less likely to run away and get into trouble.

But what about the diseases that seem to befall cats as they grow older…heart disease, diabetes, or even arthritis?