Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 23
What Can You Catch
From Your Cat?
Humans have successfully lived with cats for thousands of years, so it
always surprises me when a pregnant woman comes into my office and
tells me she needs to find a new home for her cat. In these situations, I
wonder if her gynecologist has read any medical literature in the last 20
years, because cat ownership is probably one of the smallest risks a preg-
nant woman faces.
Overall, cats are extremely safe pets to own, and they rarely trans-
mit diseases to humans.You are much more likely to contract a disease
from your friends and family members than you are from a cat. Diseases
that can pass from animals to humans are called zoonoses.
There certainly are diseases cats can transmit to humans, and I've
described some of these, such as giardia, rabies and ringworm, in other
parts of the topic. I will shed light on some other transmissible diseases
here, along with the problem facing many people—cat allergies.
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