In ancient times, people considered cats to be magical creatures. Black cats were valued for their ability to protect the house from evil spirits, red cats for attracting material wealth to the family, white cats for their ability to treat various bodily ailments, and gray cats for providing peace of mind. Three-colored pets were held in even greater esteem, since they protected the house from thieves and fires, and generally ensured good luck for the owner in all endeavors. Unfortunately, these days few people pay attention to ancient beliefs. Moreover, many are sure that cats should not be owned at all, as they can cause harm to health. In this article we will figure out whether a cat is dangerous for humans.
Strangle a child
In March of this year, in the Ukrainian city of Ostrog, a cat strangled a baby. According to the Rivne Regional Center for Emergency Medical Care, a four-month-old boy was lying in a stroller without signs of life. When his parents found him, a cat was sleeping on the baby's face.
“Apparently, in this case there was no direct aggression from the cat to the child. Cats kill their victims - rodents and birds - with a bite to the neck. Here the baby slept, and the cat lay on him and blocked the access of oxygen to the respiratory tract. The child could not roll over and scare the animal by screaming. Cats are not as intellectually developed, they do not understand cause and effect relationships, and we should not expect this from them. There are also frequent stories among people when parents crushed their children while sleeping on the same bed. Sleeping adults, especially when intoxicated, have poor control of their body and are often insensitive to their surroundings,” says veterinary neurologist and behavioral medicine physician Lyudmila Konikova .
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Many cats love to sleep with children. They are attracted to the warmth and smell of milk, sometimes it is just curiosity.
“Usually cats are sensitive to the condition, especially children. But anything can happen: either the cat is young and not smart enough (like people, cats are different). She’s warmed up and doesn’t want to leave, or the child is sick, and she heals him with her vibrations (while purring),” says Tamara Emelyanova, president of the International Feline Association “Rus” (FARUS).
Even if a cat slept on a child, this is not always the direct cause of his death.
“There is sudden infant death syndrome. An autopsy shows respiratory arrest. If there was a cat nearby at that moment, she will be blamed. There were cases when a child was strangled by a father who was tired of screaming, and then blamed it on the animal, says animal engineer Anastasia Kalinina . — Leaving any pet alone with a child under two years of age is not recommended. A child may unknowingly hurt the animal, and it will scratch or bite him.”
Dangers to humans
There are breeds of dangerous cats that are naturally susceptible to various diseases. Cats are capable of carrying various types of diseases. Diseases from cats are transmitted to humans and pose a great danger to them. In particular, this applies to pregnant women, small children, allergy sufferers and people with weak immune systems.
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Unexpected aggression
Cats can be dangerous for the owner even if they behave aggressively. But, as a rule, cats never attack just like that. This is due to either illness or improper interaction between the cat and the person.
“In most cases, aggression in cats occurs due to fear, which is a consequence of a stressful situation. For example, if you stepped on a cat’s tail, it got scared, hissed, and when you tried to calm it down, it attacked. The stronger the fear, the stronger the aggression, the more serious the injuries it can cause. The best thing we can do in such a situation is to leave the cat alone, give it time to calm down and come to its senses,” explained zoopsychologist, felinologist, veterinarian, specialist in cat behavior correction Elena Melnikova .
Question answer
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Aggression can also be associated with protection of offspring, pain or play habits.
“A cat can protect her offspring and, if a person reaches out to her kittens, attack him. This reaction is due to the release of oxytocin. Aggression can occur when we pet a cat against its will. And this is not always obvious to the owner. The cat can come to him to lie next to him on the sofa. The owner will begin to stroke, and the cat will begin to bite in response. It's like if we went to a cafe with a young man and he started kissing. We just wanted to chat, we weren’t ready for intimate touches, so we reacted negatively. Cats are very self-sufficient and watch their boundaries. They do not like stroking from strangers and have a certain limit of touching even from their owner. Sometimes aggression is associated with pain. For example, an older animal may have pain in the joints, back or head. It may have difficulty seeing and begin to bite if it is suddenly and unexpectedly touched or picked up. Occasionally, the causes of aggression are diseases of the thyroid gland (hypothyroidism), types of epilepsy or brain tumors. “Play” aggression is often encountered: a cat has been taught since childhood to play with its arms and legs, and it perceives them as a toy and hunts for them. To prevent this, you need to play with animals with teaser rods and provide them with sufficient physical activity,” said Lyudmila Konikova.
Ways of infection with worms from cats
Parasite eggs enter the human body orally (through the mouth). All you have to do is pet an infected cat, pick it up, and not wash them afterwards. Many cat lovers don't even need their hands to do this - they just kiss the cat on the nose. Thus, the worm eggs reach their final destination. The human gastrointestinal tract is an ideal place for their habitat.
But even following the rules of personal hygiene will not protect against infection if your cat is a carrier of worms. After all, she touches our things, sleeps in our place, therefore, parasite eggs end up on these surfaces. A pet with worms in almost all cases guarantees their transmission to all family members, with possible serious consequences.
Helminths are transmitted from cats to humans in the following ways:
Disease carriers
Another danger that can come from pets is various infections and diseases.
“Cats can carry diseases that are deadly to humans, such as leptospirosis and rabies, so animals must be vaccinated annually and prevented from straying and their contact with street relatives. The likelihood of contracting worms from a cat is low. For prevention, especially after the summer season or when living in rural areas, it is worth giving anthelmintics for round and simple worms every 3-6 months. There is also toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease that is especially dangerous for pregnant women and people suffering from immunodeficiency. Cats are the final hosts of this parasite (it multiplies in their bodies), and intermediate hosts can be people, rodents, birds and livestock. You can become infected through contact with soil, through unwashed fruits or vegetables, undercooked meat, eggs, blood or saliva. Kittens are often carriers of ringworm. It is fairly easy to diagnose and treat. Cat scratch fever is caused by bacteria. First, the scratch site becomes inflamed, then the infection travels through the bloodstream to the lymph nodes, and the temperature rises. Prevention - trim the claws or put caps on them, treat scratches and bites with an antiseptic. People may also be allergic to the saliva and epidermis of cats,” says animal engineer Anastasia Kalinina.
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Why are cats really dangerous?
In nature, perhaps, there are no absolutely safe animals: a wasp can sting painfully, an elephant can be trampled, a snake can be poisoned. And cats, of course, are no exception; you can expect tricks from them too. Let's look at how these pets can be dangerous:
- Allergy to cats
. There are quite a few people who suffer from allergies to cat hair, as well as saliva, secretions of sebaceous and sweat glands, and even the urine of domestic mustaches. Symptoms of an allergy to cats are quite unpleasant: excessive watery eyes and redness of the eyes, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, difficulty breathing, severe itching of the body, rash and redness on the skin, dizziness, increased heart rate, nausea and diarrhea. Even Quincke's edema cannot be ruled out. Thus, domestic cats, regardless of the length of their fur (including representatives of hairless breeds) can be dangerous for allergy sufferers. - Injuries
. Cats have very sharp claws and equally sharp teeth. No matter how peaceful an animal is, it can easily injure its owner during play. What can we say about those cats who are aggressive by nature! Scratches on the skin always hurt and can become seriously inflamed. What if your pet's claw gets into the eye? You could easily lose your sight that way. Young children are especially often injured while playing with cats, because it is not so easy to explain to them that they should not consider the animal their toy. - The danger of cat fleas
. If an owner forgets to take preventive measures to prevent a cat from developing a flea infestation, he should be prepared for various troubles. No, cat fleas will not live on a human body, but they can easily bite him. And at the time of the bite, parasites can infect their victim with various unpleasant diseases, for example, salmonellosis, tularemia, listeriosis, brucellosis, anthrax and other infectious diseases. By the way, flea saliva also causes allergies in some people. - Helminthiasis
. A cat that has parasitic worms in its body can easily infect its owner. Most often, enterobiasis, alveococcosis and toxocariasis are transmitted from animals to owners. Such diseases cause disruption of the intestines, stomach and pancreas, liver and kidneys, lungs, and brain. It should be noted that most often children become infected with helminthiasis from cats because they forget to wash their hands after handling the animal. But only a cat that is not regularly given deworming agents as a preventive measure can be dangerous. - Infectious diseases
. Cats that are vaccinated against the most common infectious diseases will not be able to transmit viral or bacterial illnesses to their owners. For example, kittens are vaccinated against rabies as early as 3 months. But, unfortunately, there are also ailments for which vaccines have not yet been invented. For example, those who are wondering whether cats are dangerous for pregnant women should know that the answer to the question is yes. Thus, the most common infectious disease that can be contracted from cats is toxoplasmosis. Why is this disease most dangerous for pregnant women? The fact is that in utero, the mother very often infects her child. The consequences in such a situation for the fetus are very serious: deafness, meningoencephaly, hydro- and microcephaly, convulsive syndrome, and stillbirth is possible. But such sad consequences of toxoplasmosis occur if a woman becomes infected while pregnant. If the infection occurred, for example, several years before pregnancy, then the risk to the life and health of the fetus is minimal.
Toxoplasmosis, by the way, can cause serious complications in men and women with impaired immune systems. Most often, the disease causes problems with the functioning of the cardiac and respiratory systems. In people with good immunity, toxoplasmosis usually occurs in a mild form, asymptomatic and without dire consequences.
Symptom of cat scratches
Statistically, this is the most common problem. Cat owners experience scratches very often. It's common for small kittens to scratch. Traces of their claws can provoke the development of itching and redness. If bacteria enter damaged skin, an inflammatory process begins, which is accompanied by :
- high temperature;
- joint and headaches;
- fatigue;
- enlarged lymph nodes.
The majority of people recover from scratches fairly quickly.
The benefits of cats in the house
American scientists claim that cats are good for human health, their purring relaxes and calms. A domestic cat has a beneficial effect on the human nervous system and psychological state. It relieves stress well and improves mood. Affects blood vessels and the heart. Reduces the risk of heart attacks, strokes, hypertension.
If a child grows up next to a domestic cat from childhood, then antibodies against fur arise in his body. In the future, this reduces the risk of developing allergic diseases, bronchial asthma and other respiratory diseases. The benefit of cats for humans also lies in their pain-relieving effect. Lovers of these animals claim that when the stomach hurts, the pet lies down there, begins to purr, and the pain goes away. This applies to pain anywhere. That is, cats have a pronounced therapeutic effect and cats bring enormous benefits.
Content Rules
A fluffy dog with a long coat should be combed daily by its owner.
Cats are very useful for humans and do not require special care. If the animal has long hair, then you need to comb the hair regularly. It is also necessary to carry out daily hygiene of the oral cavity, ears, nose, and eyes. Bath as needed. Monitor the cat's health. You need to trim your nails at least once a week. For active animals that will grind them down themselves, install a scratching post. Before you get a kitten, you need to purchase the basic items for comfortable keeping in the house. Buy more toys, a scratching post, a house in which the pet will rest, a tray, bowls for food and water.
In order for your cat to bring only benefits, you need to get vaccinated on schedule. The first vaccination is at 8-12 weeks, after 1 month - revaccination. Then repeated vaccinations annually. They protect cats from various diseases. They need to be done even if the pet does not walk outside. Because the owner can bring the infection home on his shoes.
Ringworm
A type of fungus that the owner becomes infected with from a cat, resulting in a skin infection as a reward. An animal usually picks up a fungus in a house if several pets live in it . They endure the disease for a long time. However, the cat itself does not show any symptoms. It is quite difficult to recover from ringworm. Cats can infect a person with a fungus, and the owner will not even guess where the disease comes from.
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A sick cat should be isolated. After the course of treatment, in the absence of pathological symptoms, the room must be disinfected.
Salmonellosis
A specific disease carried by cats. The causative agent of salmonellosis is the Salmonella parasite. Microorganisms live in the cat's body if cats eat raw foods. To protect your cat and house residents from salmonellosis, you will need to feed your pet exclusively processed or carefully prepared foods. You should also keep the animal indoors and not let it go outside to hunt. When cleaning the cat litter, it is recommended to wear gloves and wash your hands with soap after the procedure.
