Cat Protection Organization: "The public has nothing to fear"
Recent research has raised concerns about zoonotic diseases (from the Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine at The Ohio State University), Maggie Roberts, director of veterinary services for cats, published the following:
"The organization Cat Protection is concerned that people will stop taking in stray animals or those unwanted by their previous owners. This will be due to concerns about infections transmitted from animals to humans. These fears could lead people to unjustifiably abandon their pets.
Information about the risk of these diseases being transmitted from animals to humans has been known for many years, so we don't believe the new study's findings reveal anything new. In fact, the largest source of infection for humans is other people, not animals.
As for doctors who don't take the risks seriously, they're unlikely to prioritize these diseases, as the risk of infection is generally very low. The incidence of zoonotic diseases is quite low compared to other infections. However, infections are more common in people with compromised immune systems and when necessary hygiene precautions are not observed.
Toxoplasmosis is a feline disease that worries many people, but studies show that cat owners are statistically no more likely to contract the disease than those without susceptible pets. Rather, the risk of infection is higher from uncooked meat. Another common problem for cat owners is fleas, which can be easily reduced by regular veterinary visits and timely preventative parasite treatments (both skin and intestinal).
It's long been known that owning a pet (particularly a cat) can help lower blood pressure and reduce anxiety. Therefore, the Cat Protection Organization believes these benefits outweigh the small risk of infection. Disease is easily preventable by taking common sense precautions, such as maintaining proper food hygiene, not allowing your pet to lick your face, and always wearing gloves when cleaning up litter boxes or other areas.
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