7 Dangers Of Keeping Cats For Women
Keeping a cat is indeed a fun thing and provides many benefits such as relieving stress, making us laugh with funny behavior, mate, entertaining when we are sad, giving happy and annoying memories and so on.
However, keeping a cat does not necessarily only provide positive things but can also bring negative things such as diseases and other health problems. Of course this also applies not only to cats but to other animals as well.
This will happen when we do not take good care of our pets and pay attention to the health conditions of our pets. Therefore, before starting to raise any animal, including cats, Angora recommends that you have a strong intention to take good care of the animal and understand what risks you have to face when the animal is sick.
Now for those of you who already have a strong intention in caring for cats, you need to know whether cats are dangerous for women or for girls who keep them. Read a full explanation of the dangers of keeping a cat or kitten for women below.
The Dangers Of Keeping Cats For Women
You may have heard rumors in society that it is dangerous for a woman who owns a cat because she will not be able to get pregnant or have children. Well this rumor is just a hoax or a mere myth. Rumors about this had been discussed by Angora in a previous article which you can see here.
The real danger of cats for women or girls who keep cats only occurs at certain times, namely during pregnancy to childbirth and the dangers of certain diseases. The dangers are as follows :
1. Endangering The Health Of Pregnant Women
A woman who is pregnant usually has a very weak immune system compared to women who are not pregnant or adults. When you are pregnant your body becomes very susceptible to disease, one of which is toxoplasmosis.
Toxoplasmosis is caused by the parasite T. gondi which is present in cat feces. This disease is usually transmitted by cats through their feces and fur. Pregnant women who are infected will usually experience :
Fever
Difficulty speaking
Vision becomes impaired
Hearing impaired
Often feel dizzy
Seizures
Muscle ache
Fatigue
Sore throat
2. Can Make Fetus Miscarriage
Besides being able to attack the mother who is pregnant. Toxoplasma can also put a child or a baby in the womb at risk of miscarriage. This disease will first enter the mother's body and attack her then she will attack the prospective baby too.
3. Can Cause Babies Born Defects
Not only can cause death in babies who are still in the womb. Toxoplasmosis disease based on expert opinion can also make a baby who is infected while he is still in the womb at risk of being born with defects.
4. Allergies
The fourth danger is that it can make women who keep cats experience allergies. This occurs due to an allergic reaction that arises from the cat's urine or saliva that may stick to its fur when it urinates or when the cat bathes by licking its body.
Allergic reactions that arise are usually in the form of flu, sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose, sinus inflammation.
5. Cat Claw Disease
Cat Scratch Disease or commonly known as cat scratch disease. This disease usually occurs due to cat scratch and does not show certain symptoms. This disease occurs due to the transfer of bartonella bacteria from cats when we are scratched or bitten by a cat.
These bacteria can also be transferred without going through a cat scratch or bite. For example, transmission can occur after we stroke the cat's head or body and then wipe the eyes using the hand that has just stroked the cat. Automatically bacteria without us knowing it has moved.
The initial symptom of being infected with Bartonella is the presence of small lumps in the early stages in the first 10 days. Not only lumps, other symptoms such as vomiting, chills, body weakness or feeling tired, inflammation, feeling nauseated as well as pain felt in the lymph nodes.
For people with a strong immune system, this disease will have no impact. But it's a different story if those who are infected are those who have a weak immune, the impact can be dangerous.
6. Asthma
Cats can also cause respiratory problems such as asthma, shortness of breath and the like. This respiratory disorder generally occurs due to cat hair loss and our frequent interactions with cats whose fur is falling out. These interactions can be :
Stroking or petting a cat but not washing hands afterwards
Often sleeps with the cat
Cats are often near our heads and their fur is unconsciously and accidentally inhaled by us.
The hair that falls out sometimes gets into food and we don't realize it.
7. Ringworm
The next danger is ringworm. This of course feels very dangerous for those of you who have beautiful and smooth skin. Ringworm or skin disease occurs when we stroke a cat with a fungal infection such as scabies.
Therefore, immediately after treating or treating a cat with a yeast infection, wash your hands thoroughly with soap.
How To Avoid The Danger Of Cat Disease So That Women Can Keep Cats ?
The trick is actually quite easy, namely by taking good care of the cat, keeping it clean and paying attention to its health condition. In addition, some of these things may help your cat stay healthy and not pose a danger of disease for the women who keep it :
Vaccinating cats
Keeping the cat cage clean
Keeping the environment where the cat lives
Provide nutritious and healthy food
Give a drink of boiled water
Regularly bathe the cat at least once a month
Combing cat hair to remove hair loss
Playing with the cat
Pay attention to the cat's behavior when he roams or plays outside alone
Cut cat nails
Take the cat to the doctor when the cat is sick
Can Caring For Cats Well Can Make Us Avoid The Dangers Of Diseases Caused by Cats ?
Angora cannot guarantee one hundred percent that we will completely avoid diseases caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi in cats. But based on my own experience, by taking good care of cats, we will also avoid dangerous diseases.
This is the same as when we take good care of ourselves then we will grow up happy and healthy as well as cats. Angora himself has been taking care of cats for 10 years and so far he has not suffered from a disease that endangers cats.
The ones that attack the most are skin diseases as a result of caring for a cat affected by fungus due to accidental physical contact with a cat and other minor illnesses.
Can A Woman Not Keep A Cat Anymore When She Is Pregnant ?
For women who are pregnant, you don't have to worry that you can't keep a cat for fear of contracting Toxoplasma. You can still keep it. All you need to do is take the cat to the nearest vet and do a toxo check on the cat.
Usually this examination only costs about 200-300 thousand per one cat. After the cat was checked and it was found that the cat was toxo-free. You can freely interact as usual with the cat.
However, if it turns out that the cat is exposed to toxo, you should as much as possible avoid physical contact with cats, cat hair and cat feces which are sources of transmission of the T. gondi parasite.
You can still take care of cats at home, it's just that you have to avoid physical contact interactions such as bathing the cat, petting the cat, sleeping with the cat and cleaning the urine or cat litter in the litter box or anywhere.
For matters relating to caring for cats, you can ask your husband or relatives to take care of the cat. Or you can leave the cat to your family or fellow cat lovers until you finish giving birth.
That's an explanation of some of the dangers of keeping a cat for women and humans. With this article, hopefully it can make you understand the dangers of keeping a cat and make you no longer afraid to keep a cat, increase your knowledge and can be useful for you.
Don't forget to share this article with relatives, friends, other cat lovers and also share it on your social media accounts.
