FAQ
Toxoplasmosis
What is it?
Toxoplasmosis is an infection transmitted to humans through a parasitic organism found in cat feces and raw meat. The infection affects 10 to 20 out of every 100 people in North America by the time they are adults. It isn’t usually harmful to children and adults, but it may cause birth defects in pregnant women.
Just like other family members, your pet can pass disease on to you. Most cats that are infected do not appear infected. The cat’s feces contain the parasite for only two weeks after the cat is infected. However, the feces themselves may remain infectious for well over a year.
How is it spread?
Common ways for people to become infected:
- Cleaning cat litter boxes.
- Eating raw or undercooked meats.
- Drinking un-pasteurized milk.
- Working in gardens or playing in sandboxes that contain cat feces.
What are the symptoms?
The cold-like symptoms of this infection are so mild you probably wouldn’t be aware that you had the infection. Symptoms include:
- Fever
- Sore throat
- Sore muscles and tiredness
- Swollen glands in the neck, armpits or groin
- In some cases the infection can also cause temporary blurred or loss of vision.
Some tips for avoiding Toxoplasmosis from cats:
- Be careful not to breathe in dust when cleaning the cat litter box.
- Avoid cleaning cat litter boxes if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant.
- Wear gloves when cleaning the cat litter box, then wash your hands.
- Place a secure lid on your sandbox to prevent cats from using it as a litter box.
- Wear gloves when gardening, then wash your hands.
For additional information contact your physician.
Sources of information:
- American Academy of Family Physicians
- Kaiser Permanente’s Health Reference
Cat Ownership
Approximately 32% of households (31,400,000) own at least one cat. Cats are nearly as popular as dogs, with over one-half of all pet-owning households (54%) having one cat or more. The incidence of cat ownership has remained stable over the past eight years. This trend is consistent with the trend of overall pet ownership.
Cat owners tend to be older than other pet owners. As such, it is likely that, with the graying of America, cat ownership will continue to rise. The recent trend toward living in smaller homes also favors cat ownership. Cat owners derived many emotional benefits from ownership including companionship, affection, and relative ease of care. Unlike many other companion animals, cats are self groomers, do not need to be leashed or contained, and are easily litter-box trained.
The top five drawbacks of cat ownership are:
- Finding care when away
- Shedding
- Odor
- Damage to furniture/carpet
- Cleaning up
