Six diseases that your cat can transmit to you

Preventing diseases is easy, but we must know them. | Roberto Herrero

They are few, but you must know them to know how to prevent them and, if necessary, cure them. Here we tell you everything about it.

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Nothing is further from our intention than to dissuade you from adopting a cat and from having a happy coexistence with an animal that has fascinated the human being from the most remote origin of time. But as the Spanish proverb does not fail and it says that know is prevent, we go on the following lines to delve into what are the diseases that a cat can transmit to a human. And of course also how to prevent them and, in the unlikely event of infection, cure them. By the way, the transmission of diseases from animals to humans has a curious name; zoonoses.

There is a myth too inflated about the diseases that can infect animals, as if these were terrible incurable diseases. Simply having the animal is enough well kept -with all the vaccines updated- and, obviously, maintain a space of hygienic coexistence. In spite of everything, we are going to see what bacteria and infections we could (remotely) share with our friends the kittens. And, as always, it is essential to be alert to any anomaly in the behavior and health of our colleagues.

Parasites

Yes, it is the most common. Also the least specific, because there are a few parasites. Basically they are insects that can lodge in the body of the cats (well, not only of the cats) and that they need of them for their survival. The most common, of course the dreaded intestinal worms, the pinworms, the tapeworm or tapeworm and one that you may not know, giardia. This parasite it feeds on the intestine of the animal and causes vomiting and diarrhea. It also affects us and, if we do not treat it, it can cause serious damage to the intestinal flora.

Another one more specific of the cats is the call echinococcus that, when it happens to our body, the doctor indicates it like hydatidic cyst and usually lodged in the liver and the lungs. How to avoid it? Well … preventing our cat from eating infected viscera.

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Toxoplasmosis

You've probably heard about it. It is transmitted through contact and contagion with the cat's feces. And although we have our cat perfectly controlled, the best thing is that when we go to clean your sandbox we do it using gloves and discarding the faeces and the most visible remains of urine in the toilet.

Campylobacteriosis

The thing is getting complicated, but do not panic. His name is, of course, that of his evil (or evil) protagonist, the bacterium campylobacter. Like the previous one, it can reach our organism through the contact with stool infected of the feline. It produces strong abdominal pain (slightly similar to nephritic colic) and high fever. Erythromycin and / or ciprofloxacin are the antibiotics that our doctor (and only our doctor) can prescribe to annihilate the unwanted invader.

Lyme's desease

If you are a gatunoadicto level advance You probably sound this ailment. It is a bacterial infection that is acquired by the bite of an infected tick. First, the rash (although not all people present it), and then a mysterious fever It takes us to leave. And no, it's not exclusive to cats, this tick can perfectly survive on many other animals.

Ankylostomiasis

If the cat is vaccinated and dewormed, do not worry about this chapter. And if it is not (bad!) Try to avoid walking barefoot in the same areas that the cat travels and where it can relieve itself. Because the parasite, if it exists, has the bad habit of penetrate through the soles of the feet, can cause fever, loss of appetite, anemia, chronic fatigue, cough … and it is difficult for a doctor to notice that the symptoms may be due to the contagion of this unwanted parasite.

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Sporotrichosis (or cat scratch disease)

Those who are in contact with cat shelters and feline colonies will have heard that this disease can be easily transmitted by the bite or the simple scratch of a cat contaminated with the fungus that causes it. Visibly, the kitten who suffers can have wounds that do not heal. The good news is that medical treatment is very effective, and usually involves the use of antifungals such as thioconazole.

Once the theory is known, now what you have to do is take your minimal friend to the veterinarian with regular assiduity, wash your hands with soap and water after having spent a lot of time playing or interacting with him, be careful when handling your stool using gloves and change the sand regularly.

Read also: Autumn is coming, how to take care of my cat?