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Black Cat Appreciation Day & Vet 101

If you love cats, sharing makes us purrrr :-)

It’s a double whammy of kitty goodness today.

cat-water-drinking-cat wisdom 101

black cat appreciation day-black cats-humor

It’s Black Cat Appreciation Day. What better time than near Halloween to celebrate the mysterious beauty of black cats? Often maligned and overlooked from age-old superstitions, black cats have the least chance of getting adopted at a shelter. If you have a black cat and would like to post their photo or to show your support on Facebook go to http://petside.co.uk/petsideblog/2011/10/black-cat-awareness-day—27-o.php
This week’s Vet 101 Q & A with Dr. Richard Goldstein goes down like a cool sip of water. If you have a question for him, send it to [email protected]

cat-water-drinking-cat wisdom 101

Question:

My cat likes to drink from my water glass that I keep by my bed at night. He has fresh water of his own. I don’t mind except when he dips his paw in. Is it safe for me to drink? What if I get pregnant?

Answer:

“Cleanliness is next to catliness.”

We all know that most cats are fastidious cleaners. (I say “most” because I once had a cat that just couldn’t be bothered with grooming himself – the couch potato of cats.) The mouth is a dirty place with lots of bacteria and other organisms floating around. So, it stands to reason that we would want to be concerned about coming in contact with possible things in the mouth of a cat.

According to a 2003 report by the American Association of Feline Practitioners (http://www.catvets.com/uploads/PDF/ZooFinal2003.pdf), the risk of a healthy person contracting a zoonotic (transmissible between animals and humans) disease from a healthy, adult, parasite-free, indoor-only cat is very rare. Mostly, that has to do with the way diseases are transmitted, and the risk of the cat carrying disease. Some diseases require an “intermediate” host (so the “organism” must go from the cat to a flea or mosquito or other animal before it can become infectious to people). Some diseases require certain environmental conditions to be met for transmission to occur. In fact, there is more evidence to suggest that disease transmission to people is more likely to come from exposure to the same environmental risks as cats, rather than from the cats themselves (like eating the same under-cooked meat, or drinking the same giardia-infested water).

But, even though it’s considered “rare” for diseases to be transmitted, it’s not impossible. If you stuck your hand in the toilet, would you then put it directly in your mouth? Now think about where your cat’s paw has been right before it goes into your glass. (I can see the grimace on your face!). So, while it’s very rare to find a report of zoonotic transmission from a healthy cat to healthy person, maintaining good hygiene practices are still recommended.

People who are immunocompromised (including young children, the elderly, HIV and cancer patients), however, may need to take additional precautions when caring for their cats. That’s not to say that folks with a weakened immune system should not have cats. On the contrary! But, a thorough discussion with your physician about safety issues is essential. And if pregnancy is on the horizon, speak with your ob-gyn…and find someone else to clean the litter box.

Bottom line: set out 2 glasses at night – one for you, and one for the kitty.

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