There are an estimated480 million stray cats in the world(yep , that ’s a lot ) , which signify your prospect of interacting with one are jolly gamey . Before you cuddle one or wreak one into your home , it ’s important to have it away what diseases stray cats can carry . Some of these illness can put you or your own pets at risk , but knowing how to take precautions — and what put on the line you ’re unforced to take — can help keep everyone happier and healthier .
Can Stray Cats Carry Diseases?
" Stray catsare typically more prone to disease than the average mansion cat , " reportsDr . Ann Hohenhaus , DVM , DACVIM ( SAIM , Oncology ) , Chairman of the Department of Medicine at The Animal Medical Center of New York . Why ? " A stray is more likely to have never beenvaccinated . Malnutrition also weakens a bozo ’s ability to fight off infections and illness , " she say . Stray cats are also more likely to encounter other cats and other animate being who carry disease compared to an indoor - only felid .
How Can You Tell if a Stray Cat Has a Disease or Infection?
Many isolated cats are healthy , but it ’s toilsome to tell by just looking whether this is the cause . While certain skin conditions , likemange , may be more obvious , conditions likefeline immunodeficiency virus ( FIV)can be present without visible symptom . If you ’re considering handle a isolated khat — or even rescuing one — it ’s a great idea to do so by taking precautions , and to get your raw feline companion seen by a veterinary as soon as possible . Your veterinary surgeon can more - easily recognize signs of malady , and will probably want to do origin , urine and toilet examination to mark for anything that ’s not obvious .
Can Stray Cats Give You Diseases?
A lot of isolated cats are actually very healthy , but there are a few conditions and infections cats can have that are transmissible to multitude as well as other creature . Most zoonotic diseases ( a.k.a . conditions that masses can get from animals ) are n’t that easy to get , but people with compromise resistant systems are especially at risk of exposure . That said , many computerized axial tomography - rescuers who have dampen immune system and workplace with stray cats are capable to be around the cats with a few extra precautions . If you ’re handling stray cats , be certain to value the risks for yourself and , when in doubt at all , talk to your doctor .
Some examples of diseases and conditions to protect yourself against include :
" stray are scupper to a number of health risks on a day-after-day ground , " Dr. Hohenhaus says , which is one great understanding they ’re more likely to have diseases versus an indoor - only theatre quat .
Can a Feral Cat Make My Cat Sick?
Humans are immune to a spate of other condition , which your resident house kat is at jeopardy to catch if you bring a stray into your dwelling house . Dr. Hohenhaus also notes , " In my opinion , FeLV / FIV retroviral infections , which are related to genus Cancer and immunosuppression , are some of the most predominant diseases notice in isolated cat population . " If you ’re consider bring a stray or ferine bozo home , it ’s crucial to separate them in a private expanse , away from other animals and children until a veterinary has block out them .
Some conditions that cats can pass to other guy admit :
Feline leukemia virus(FeLV ): This well transmitted viral infection is passed through saliva and blood and can be deadly to other CAT .
Feline immunodeficiency virus ( FIV ): It ’s important to note that FIV is not the same virus as HIV in mankind and is not familial to people .
Feline enteric coronavirus ( FeCV ) andFeline infectious peritonitis ( FIP ): FeCV is highly contagious and , while most cats will shed the infection without trouble , others can develop FIP as a result . FIP is almost always disastrous in cats .
How Can I Prevent Disease Transmission From Feral and Stray Cats?
In realism , many people do by isolated cats all the clip without result . However , diseases like rabies , toxoplasmosis and q fever can have serious , long term or even fateful consequences , so it ’s always better to be secure . Many isolated cats are healthy , but contract precautions when handling a stray or ferine khat will help you and the computed tomography go off on the good mitt .
Any cat-o'-nine-tails fancier with a compromise resistant arrangement should talk about pet ownership with both their physician and veterinary surgeon before deciding whether to adopt a cat that is ill .
Trap, Test, Vaccinate, Alter, & Release (TTVAR) Programs
If you discover a isolated cat in your locality but ca n’t bring them in as a pet , that ’s OK . There are still ways you could aid to reduce stray cat diseases and the homeless pet universe . TTVAR programs focus on catching , vaccinating , and sterilizing ferine cats , and then returning them to the streets . According to Dr. Hohenhaus , " Happily , there do not seem to be any major adverse effect for cats in TTVAR programs . Current studies reportlow risk of exposure of anaesthetic knottiness and no major untoward reactions from vaccination . "
Stray and Feral Cats Need a Place to Go
Stray qat will persist in to be an result in the foreseeable future tense , although TTVAR syllabus have made strides in reduce the universe and increase the turn of vaccinated feral computed tomography . If you ’d care to learn more about work to reduce the cat overpopulation problem , visit theAlley Cat Allies ' website for resources . Of course , if the isolated cat in your neighborhood is vying for a compfy spot in your plate , check out thesetips for what to do when you line up a stray .
