At some point, you may have heard that pregnant women should not clean litter boxes. Is this an urban legend, something made up by the person trying to get out cleaning the litter box, or is it actually based on fact?
Fact: there are several diseases that can be transmitted from cats to humans. These are referred to as zoonotic diseases. The one that may affect pregnant women is called toxoplasmosis, pronounced “tok-so-plaz-MOEsis.” It is an infection with a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii1 and is often referred to as simply “T. gondii.” A microscopic single-cell organism related to coccidia,2 T. gondii is one of the most common parasitic diseases and infects nearly all warm-blooded animals, including pets and humans.3 It is an extremely well-adapted parasite yet rarely causes significant disease to the individuals it infects.2 “Out of all the zoonotic diseases which humans can get from cats, toxoplasmosis is the most well-known and publicised one. However, there is a huge amount of misunderstanding about this disease, and also about the role the cat plays in human transmission.4
How Common is Toxoplasmosis?
T. gondii occurs worldwide, and infection in cats is widespread.2 So why is there not more mention of it? Probably because many more cats are infected than show symptoms. Very few infected cats show significant clinical signs.2 The disease is also more prevalent in outdoor or stray cats than indoor-only cats. It is seen most often in cats that are active hunters or those that are fed undercooked or raw meat.4 In contrast, infection is uncommon in pet cats that do little or no hunting and are fed primarily or exclusively commercial cat foods.2
Denne historien er fra December 2023-utgaven av Cat Talk.
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Denne historien er fra December 2023-utgaven av Cat Talk.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Checklist For What to Look For in Your Club's Next Show Venue
Show Manager To Ring One, Please
Tonkinese
When You're Well and Truly Tonked
AVOIDING The Kitten Fear Period
Young kittens seem fearless.4 As soon as those eyes open and they can get their legs under them, they are off to see the world if their mama and humans let them.
No Milk For You!
Milk Issues and Kittens
Fostering Kittens
When asked if I would be interested in fostering a queen and her eight newborn kittens, I volunteered without question.
Do You present ? Polish! OR DO YOU
IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS!
No Kitten! Cats Are Part of the Military!
Felines have graced the decks of boats and ships back nearly to the beginning of time, roaming freely on passenger ships, war vessels, and merchant schooners, keeping vermin at bay.
Feline Summer Movie Fun!
School is almost OUT! Huzzah! But raindrops are plunking against the window, the amusement and water parks haven’t opened yet, camping is out, and roasted hot dogs and S’mores are another month away.
Kittens Are Special...
...and so are some of the show rules for them:
Genetic Pleiotropy and the Risks in Breeding Recessive Mutations
Nearly everyone loves what’s rare and unique. A slight defect in the minting process of a coin can create a demand and a value well beyond the face value of the coin. The coin is functionally no different than its perfectly minted counterpart, but its scarcity and uniqueness alone make it more desirable than the rest.
