Diseases & Sickness from Cats

Handling a cat is very safe but there are several kinds of diseases that a cat can carry.
Some of these diseases could be transmitted to humans. By following simple health tips,
you can be even safe-against cat-related diseases.

There are some common cat related sicknesses that can make a person sick, such as cat
scratch disease (or cat scratch fever), and others such as plague (play-g), are rare.
Toxoplasmosis (TOX-o-plaz-MO-sis) is a disease that can come from cats, but people are
more likely to get it from eating raw meat or from gardening. Be careful of rabies, cats
can carry this deadly viral disease.

There are other diseases that an individual is more likely to catch. A person's age and
health status may affect his or her immune system, increasing the chances of getting sick.
People who are more likely to get diseases from cats include infants, children younger
than 5 years old, organ transplant patients, people with HIV/AIDS, and people being
treated for cancer. Below there is some special advice for individuals who are at greater
risk than others of getting diseases from animals.

To protect yourself from cat-related sickness & diseases,

* Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and running water after touching cat feces (stool)
* Avoid cat scratches and bites
* If you are scratched or bitten by a cat, wash the area with soap and running water right
away
* Vaccinate your cat against rabies.
* Many organizations support the health benefits of pets. These groups provide
information on the healthy benefits of animal companionship for people.