Everyday I go outside to feed some stray cats and I will pet them.. if they have a disease and I pet them then come in around my cats will it give them a disease?
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transport diseases
- Thread starter peppersmommy
- Start Date
Peppersmommy...since you are unsure of the history of these cats..I would recommend using hand sanitizer and changing clothes if you let these cats brush up against you. I volunteer at a feral cat clinic and I always change out of my clothes, take a shower and wash my clothes that I wore at the clinic BEFORE I even greet my cats. I also swear by hand sanitizer when working with the rescue kitties at the adoption events.
I have volunteered with them for over a year and have never given anything to my owned cats. I do also recommend that your cats are UTD on all their shots.
BTW...are you working with any group to have these cats fixed so they do not end up having litters of their own. If not, I do recommend you get in contact with a TNR group or your local shelter to try to get them all fixed.
Katie
I have volunteered with them for over a year and have never given anything to my owned cats. I do also recommend that your cats are UTD on all their shots.
BTW...are you working with any group to have these cats fixed so they do not end up having litters of their own. If not, I do recommend you get in contact with a TNR group or your local shelter to try to get them all fixed.
Katie
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
No, they aren't my cats.. and since I have rescued 4 others already.. my husband wont let me bring them in the house nor will he pay to have them fixed. He does buy them their own cat food for me to feed them though, and I put a box with a blanket under my house for them to stay warm during winter.. I have emailed shelters about getting a low cost spay for them, but since I don't live in their town they wont let me.
Peppersmommy..did you contact the Best Friends Network?? I would contact them and state that you have been feeding these strays but cannot get anyone to help you with getting them fixed and are there any network members in your area willing to help trap them and get them fixed and you will continue to feed them.
Here is the email addy:
[email protected]
Here is the email addy:
[email protected]
I would second the advice to observe good hygiene practices. Particularly if any have open wounds or you are likely to have some of their saliva on your hands or clothes. Although the dangerous viruses can only exist out of the cat's body for a short amount of time that may be enough time to pass it to one of your cats.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #6
My cats all have their shots.. will they protect them from diseases or can they still get them? If they can still get them.. what are the vaccines for anyway? I will try to contact that network. I can trap them.. they trust me. I go out and pet them everyday and they follow me around.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #7
Do they have a best friends network in every area? I have never heard of them.
It's a national outreach program....there are members throughout the USA:
http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehom...ts/thenetwork/
http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehom...ts/thenetwork/
Thank-you TNR1 for posting the link to Best Friends. I'll investigate it. According to my vet we're the only ones managing a feral colony in our town but I know there are rescue groups in other parts of the state.
Peppersmommy, I believe there are rescue groups in Arkansas also so Best Friends might be there too, please give them a try.
About the vaccines and diseases; I'll let more informed people answer your question but I think some vaccines are abt 80% effective. And others 100%..
Peppersmommy, I believe there are rescue groups in Arkansas also so Best Friends might be there too, please give them a try.
About the vaccines and diseases; I'll let more informed people answer your question but I think some vaccines are abt 80% effective. And others 100%..
About the disease question: Most areas vaccinate for just Rabies (required) & distemper, and you often have to request vaccinations for anything else (like FeLV). Depends upon the standard of practice in the area. And Zinc is right - effectiveness is not 100% for any vaccine. Some are better than others. Rabies is about 98% effective. However the vaccine for FIP is only about 65% effective.
There was a parvo virus outbreak in the county this summer. All shelters were quarantined until no animals tested positive for the virus for two weeks and the shelters had certified that everything (and that means the lights, walls, airconditioners and cabinets, etc.) had been sterilized. It is a highly contagious disease, easily transmitted, and the virus can infect an animal for something like up to six months. It can be on a cat hair that has shedded, and another cat can get the disease just from coming into contact with that hair.
Whenever we've been in contact with strange cats (like visiting a shelter or anything), we take our shoes off outside, wipe them with an antibacterial before bringing them inside. We take off our clothes and bag them as soon as we're in the house. We clean ourselves and put on new clothes before interacting with our cats. Because cats constantly clean themselves and roam the floors, we don't want to run the risk of shedding anything off of our shoes or clothes that could potentially kill them, cause them to become seriously ill - or even just sick.
It was the parvo outbreak that alerted us to the importance of the "no contact" aspect of good hygiene practice. And since then we feel VERY strongly about being "better safe than sorry." !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There was a parvo virus outbreak in the county this summer. All shelters were quarantined until no animals tested positive for the virus for two weeks and the shelters had certified that everything (and that means the lights, walls, airconditioners and cabinets, etc.) had been sterilized. It is a highly contagious disease, easily transmitted, and the virus can infect an animal for something like up to six months. It can be on a cat hair that has shedded, and another cat can get the disease just from coming into contact with that hair.
Whenever we've been in contact with strange cats (like visiting a shelter or anything), we take our shoes off outside, wipe them with an antibacterial before bringing them inside. We take off our clothes and bag them as soon as we're in the house. We clean ourselves and put on new clothes before interacting with our cats. Because cats constantly clean themselves and roam the floors, we don't want to run the risk of shedding anything off of our shoes or clothes that could potentially kill them, cause them to become seriously ill - or even just sick.
It was the parvo outbreak that alerted us to the importance of the "no contact" aspect of good hygiene practice. And since then we feel VERY strongly about being "better safe than sorry." !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ringworm is another easily transmitted disease from cat to cat or even human.
Ooops! Forgot about the second issue - low- or no-cost spay/neuter clinics. You can click on the link in my signature line to help you search for something that may be in your area. You can also use this link: http://www.pets911.com/organizations/organizations.php to help you find other people or organizations in your area that may help or may know of someone or a clinic that can help. Just type in your zip code, and it'll pull up a list of organizations and shelters in your area. There will likely be quite a number that you didn't know existed, even if you think you've tried everything within driving distance. You can call or e-mail to tell your story, and see if you can find either someone to help, or an affordable (or no cost) spay/neuter service - or someone who knows of an affordable or no-cost service.
Although the Best Friends Network has always been very helpful each time I've tried to help someone living outside of the area we work in. I expect they'll be able to help.
And though it's one of the links you'd reach if you click on that link in my signature, you can always call SpayUSA at 1-800-248-SPAY. They have people available from 9:00am to 4:30pm EST Mon-Fri. They provide low-cost spay/neuter certificates if there are vets in your area that are part of their network, but they can also call a local vet to negotiate a rate. And they may know of a no-cost spay/neuter clinic that you can get to. Worth a call!
Good luck, and thanks so much for caring for these kitties!
(BTW - you might try explaining to hubby that if these kitties aren't fixed, these few cats will likely turn into a MUCH larger group of cats this spring, and either your food bills will go up substantially, or the kitties will die of starvation or disease or some other horrible death. Spaying and neutering saves money in the long run, and is certainly the only humane option).
Although the Best Friends Network has always been very helpful each time I've tried to help someone living outside of the area we work in. I expect they'll be able to help.
And though it's one of the links you'd reach if you click on that link in my signature, you can always call SpayUSA at 1-800-248-SPAY. They have people available from 9:00am to 4:30pm EST Mon-Fri. They provide low-cost spay/neuter certificates if there are vets in your area that are part of their network, but they can also call a local vet to negotiate a rate. And they may know of a no-cost spay/neuter clinic that you can get to. Worth a call!
Good luck, and thanks so much for caring for these kitties!
(BTW - you might try explaining to hubby that if these kitties aren't fixed, these few cats will likely turn into a MUCH larger group of cats this spring, and either your food bills will go up substantially, or the kitties will die of starvation or disease or some other horrible death. Spaying and neutering saves money in the long run, and is certainly the only humane option).
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