health anxiety

[yasmincittaa]

This is a different type of post because its not about my cats current health. My cats are doing well, eating and going to the bathroom just fine but im the one thats having issues. So for some background info, I was going to adopt another kitten, she was rescued at just a few mins old and we were waiting till she was a little older to bring her home (her mom passed during birth so she was being bottle feed and thats something ive never done so someone else was taking care of her) The baby passed and ever since then I have been having so much anxiety over my cats. The vet said that they believed the kitten to have FeLV but they wouldnt test her so i have no idea what she really had.

How do you guys deal with the scary part of having pets, not knowing if they'll get sick with some disease? Both my cats are vaccinated so I know they have some level of protection and they are only in door cats but i worry I am unknowingly bringing something back home. I've pretty much got rid of everything i touched after being with the kitty (we named her Maya) and i watch my cats like a hawk.

I understand why my mom was always so protective.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi
This concern is the main reason I've been donating to cat shelters rather than actually volunteering, to try and avoid the risk to my cat. But it sounds as though you're doing everything to keep yours safe

 

[stephanietx]

I just take one day at a time and live my life with my kitties to the fullest. I love them well so that when they do get sick or come to the end of their life, they know they were loved. I have 2 cats with chronic issues, so I know they will have issues and their lives may be shortened because of their health issues, but I treasure each and every day I have with them. I don't live in the "what ifs" or "this might happen".

 

[misty8723]

Hi
This concern is the main reason I've been donating to cat shelters rather than actually volunteering, to try and avoid the risk to my cat. But it sounds as though you're doing everything to keep yours safe

When I first started volunteering I was concerned about that, but I think it's pretty safe. As far as FeLV goes, we have a kitten at the rescue that tested positive. They're waiting to test her again. I asked the director if it was safe for me to tend to her and she said perfectly safe, the virus does not live outside the cat, as long as I put a gown on and washed my hands good afterward. One of the other volunteers said she always pours disinfectant on her hands. When I get home, I take my shoes off in the garage and don't touch my cats until I go up and take a shower. Clothes go right in the wash. When I first started volunteering there, I avoided doing the FIV cats, but now it doesn't bother me at all.

Several years ago I adopted a young cat (6 months) from there and just adored her. We had her for maybe a month before she got sick. It turned out to be FIP. I freaked out, I thought I probably killed my other cat by bringing her in my home. But I did a lot of research, talked to vets, talked to people at the rescue and it's not contagious. Sadly, she passed, but my other cat was fine.

I do donate as well, but nothing like the hands on experience, and I just love the place and the people.

 

[misty8723]

I worry but not as much as I used to. My RB kitties had some serious health issues. My Cricket has what the vet says is probably the beginning of kidney disease, so I'm worried about that, but vet says I shouldn't do anything different yet, and so far she seems fine. She'll go back in October for her 6 month checkup, and we'll see where we go from there. It's scary, especially since she's such a fussy eater and I worry about trying to feed her new food. Austin is very healthy, thank goodness.

 

[neely]

I just take one day at a time and live my life with my kitties to the fullest.

I completely agree.

We adopted/rescued almost all our cats and realize some did not have the best start in life. Our present guy came from a hoarder in deplorable condition. My husband was hesitant to adopt him because of his background but that is what drew me to him. He was so affectionate and endearing that I wanted to give him his forever home not knowing what the future might bring. I think that is true for most of us, i.e. we cannot predict what the future holds so we love and cherish them as well as comfort them for as long as they are with us.

 

[cassiopea]

You are not alone in dealing with anxiety, that's for sure! Oh boy, queen of anxiety and overthinking here....

As cliché as it sounds, just try to enjoy them as is and not think too much about the future. Why worry about something that doesn't exist or hasn't happen yet or at all? When they do pass someday (Which won't happen for a very long time, promise!) you don't want to realize you wasted your time you had with them by worrying all the time.

You are taking very good care of your kitties as is, they seem well loved, protected and happy. Thank you for vaccinating! That is awesome. You are doing everything right as is. The odds of something bad happening to them are very low. Just don't let it consume you either


If it is any consolation, humans cannot spread FeLV from one cat to another:

6 Common Myths About Feline Leukemia Virus - Cat Healthy.

"FeLV Myth #2 – FeLV can be transmitted from infected cats to other animals or people.
FeLV is highly species-specific, and cannot be transmitted to humans or other species. The virus does not survive outside of a cat’s body, meaning there is no risk of transmission to people or other animals through high touch surfaces or cuddling or petting a FeLV positive cat."

Transmission between cats is usually via saliva - Like sharing food, grooming and bites for instance. Or, from mother to kitten. It is still good to disinfect in any case for good measure when it comes to other concerns, but at least with FeLV it is isn't much of a factor.

There was also an academic study on Reverse Zoonotic Transmissions. While it does happen, it is quite rare.
Reverse Zoonotic Disease Transmission (Zooanthroponosis): A Systematic Review of Seldom-Documented Human Biological Threats to Animals
Reverse zoonosis: Can you make your pet sick?



Hope that proves reassuring!

 

[KittyFriday]

It's hard. I have HA for myself, and it transfers to my pets pretty easily. My cat, thankfully, is in good health but my dog has had some health issues the past few months that they haven't been able to get to the bottom of. So there is a fear that something bad is coming up the pike, and on top of that I'm always stressing about making sure he has the right foods, and with all of the stuff coming out about flea/tick meds that's an additional level of stress. I just cannot fathom the idea that if he did fall ill, that it could be because I did something wrong.

Honestly, I think the internet is really terrible for this kind of stuff, because we are constantly bombarded with news and gossip, and it's not always super factual but it's there to scare us just the same.