Feral cats can carry infectious diseases which can be transmitted to native animals, domestic livestock and humans. Feral cats are the same species as domestic cats, however they live and reproduce in the wild and survive by hunting or scavenging.
Free-ranging and feral cats can contract and spread a wide variety of diseases, such as feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV or feline AIDS), feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), rabies, and distemper, to other domesticated animals.
The presence of feral domestic cats (Felis catus) creates negative consequences for humans and wildlife. Only by removing these cats from the landscape, rather than maintaining them in feral cat colonies, can communities create a healthier and safer environment for all. gondii, which causes toxoplasmosis.
Allowing your cat to roam freely outdoors comes with risks. When outside, cats face dangers such as being hit by a car, being harmed by another animal or person and certain diseases and parasites. Additionally, your cat may cause conflicts between neighbors and injure or kill wildlife.
Outdoor domestic cats are a recognized threat to global biodiversity. Cats have contributed to the extinction of 63 species of birds, mammals, and reptiles in the wild and continue to adversely impact a wide variety of other species, including those at risk of extinction, such as Piping Plover.
In addition to a dramatically shorter life expectancy, cats who roam outdoors face an increased risk of disease. Feline leukemia, feline AIDS, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), toxoplasmosis, distemper, and rabies can be difficult to detect and, in the case of FIP and distemper, impossible to test for.
You can also take comfort knowing feral cats are happy and healthy outdoors. You may hear some individuals or groups claim that community cats are suffering. In reality, feral cats live full, healthy lives outdoors.
Feral cats live short, hard lives on the streets. They never die of “old age.” Contagious diseases such as herpes viral conjunctivitis, feline AIDS, leukemia, and infectious peritonitis are common in cats left outdoors.
Petting or touching a free-roaming cat puts you and your pets at risk of diseases like rabies and bacterial infections like cat scratch fever. It's a good idea to avoid picking up a free-roaming cat altogether, even to rescue them.
Stray animals can harm humans and other pets by spreading disease, biting and causing injury or leaving their feces in yards or near water sources. On the other hand, stray animals are also in danger themselves as they are defenseless animals and can be at risk around wild animals or get hurt in a traffic accident.
Cats can transmit Toxoplasma to people through their feces, but humans most commonly become infected by eating undercooked or raw meat, or by inadvertently consuming contaminated soil on unwashed or undercooked vegetables. The symptoms of toxoplasmosis include flu-like muscle aches and fever, and headache.
Unfortunately, street cats can face trauma and abuse that cats in loving homes do not. “Friendly cats that are on the streets, unlike ferals, will approach people for food,” Cross says.
2 Feral cats will attack humans and pets.
“Unless they are forced into a situation they cannot escape from, feral cats generally avoid human interactions,” she says, adding that some can even become “friendly” toward caregivers who feed them. Robinson agrees. “These cats are absolutely not a danger,” she explains.
If you love letting your cat lounge outside, you may feel tempted to stop reading, but AHS experts want you to know that your outdoor kitty isn't any happier than it could be indoors.
Free-roaming cats are an important source of zoonotic diseases including rabies, Toxoplasma gondii, cutaneous larval migrans, tularemia and plague.
Although cats are great companions, cat owners should be aware that sometimes cats can carry harmful germs that can cause a variety of illnesses in people, ranging from minor skin infections to serious illnesses.
Good hygiene should always be maintained with pets. Wash your hands with soap and water after petting cats, cleaning food or water bowls, and after scooping litter. Stray cats are best handled only by appropriately trained professionals.
Cats carry disease.
You could be exposed to zoonotic diseases (diseases spread from animals to humans), or you could expose your cats at home to feline diseases when you pick up a stray cat or handle any cat with an unknown background.
Though they may form a bond of trust with the caretaker(s) that regularly feed and care for them, they will typically actively avoid contact with other people if at all possible. As a cat lover, you should leave these cats alone if you are not one of their caretakers.
Yes because stray animals pick up diseases of all types. They get parasites like ticks, worms, and fleas. They can contract rabies. They may have other diseases that can be transmitted to humans or to your own pets.
Feral cats do have harder and shorter lives than our pets. They have to find their own food and water and shelter, and this isn't easy.
Cats can be kept indoors or go outdoors in a purpose built enclosure which allows them to explore the outdoors without the risk of roaming.
Some people believe that letting cats go outside gives them a better quality of life. But most experts agree that staying indoors is the healthier choice for cats. If you want to give your cat the best of both worlds, you can try leash-training your kitty with a specially designed cat harness to help keep them safe.
How abandonment impacts individual pets Humans often do not realize that animals, especially domesticated dogs, cats and other small animals, can feel a host of emotions similar to those experienced by people. Fear, pain, abandonment and longing are all things which pets are capable of experiencing.