COMMON VIRAL AND ENDOPARASITIC DISEASES IN CATS

CATS SUFFER FROM MANY VIRAL INFECTIONS WHICH ARE FATAL AND THESE CAN BE PREVENTED BY REGULAR VACCINATIONS.

- Prof. Dr S. YATHIRAJ, Dr T Suryanarayana and Dr Sampath Kumar

Before knowing about the diseases in cats, let us understand that cats as pets are very different from dogs. The common belief is that cats are like small dogs, however they cannot be treated like them. Unlike dogs which live in packs, cats tend to be independent and like segregated living.

EVOLUTION OF A CAT AS A PET:
Most animals that have been domesticated by man are either for the purpose of being served as food or as companions for humans. Cats are associated with humans as a source of easier living and access to food which has worked to their advantage. Though the cat originated earlier than humans, their domestication took place much later after dogs, cattle, horses and pigs. Members of the cat family, such as the lion, tiger, leopard and cheetah, had evolved 8 to 10 million years ago which is much before the appearance of humans. It is believed that cats were first domesticated in Egypt during 2600 BC. Research and tracing shows that cats were domesticated in Egypt, France, England, Europe, China, India and Arabian countries and moved to different parts of the world. Cats became popular in Europe in the first century and later gained prominence in the 16th century. During these periods, there were several negative views on owning cats. Scientific discoveries in the mid-1800s renewed the positive outlook towards cats and considered cats as "a clean animal" as they preened themselves multiple times a day. Currently, cats are as popular as dogs if not more, and are increasing in many parts of the world as more and more humans have experienced that the cat is an independent, less needy and a rather self-maintained pet compared to the dog.