Pennsylvania is home to many unpredictable weather events, and as the winter brings the cold and snow, it brings shivering felines who find safety hiding in plain sight. Cats seemingly choose their owners, they await discovery under car hoods, inside crawlspaces and dumpsters, or at the front door of your home. Yet, where do these cats come from?
Cats have been given titles of “indoor” or “outdoor” to distinguish between those locked inside and those who seem to have no limit to consequences.
Some owners believe cats will live their best lives roaming freely around the neighborhood. Yet, these cats have unmonitored access to otherwise dangerous environments, as wild animals and automobiles threaten the 15-pound critter who knocks glasses off the counter.
An important part of being a pet owner is understanding the risks an animal can face when left to fend for themselves.
Cats often transmit bacteria through their saliva. Behavioral issues and territorial disputes, especially common in cats that have not been neutered, can spread certain life-threatening viruses through bite wounds. This is often the case for cats infected with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, aptly named feline AIDS, or the Feline Leukemia Virus.
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus is spread primarily through bite wounds rather than mutual grooming or sharing dishes. Very rarely a mother will spread FIV to her kittens, and transmission through sexual contact is also uncommon. Feline Immunodeficiency Virus is a part of the same viral family as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV, where the T cells that help defend the body from harmful bacteria are destroyed. This makes the body susceptible to viruses that a normal immune system could fight off easily.
Unlike FIV, the Feline Leukemia Virus is spread through prolonged periods of close contact such as mating, grooming, and in some cases, sharing dishes or litter boxes. Yet the Feline Leukemia Virus, often abbreviated to FeLV, is often infectious during the progressive stage, where cats typically show clinical signs of the disease. Although the prognosis will vary, according to the Cornell Feline Health Center, the median survival time after diagnosis is 2.5 years. FeLV often causes cancers such as lymphoma, but can also cause anemia, where the body doesn’t produce enough healthy red blood cells. FeLV can also suppress the immune system similar to FIV, which leaves the cat susceptible to common infections.
Unfortunately, FIV and FeLV are not the only diseases. According to the Veterinary Centers of America Animal Hospital, chlamydial conjunctivitis, feline panleukopenia, feline herpes viral conjunctivitis, herpesvirus infection (feline viral rhinotracheitis), and toxoplasmosis are all infectious diseases cats can suffer from and are at risk of contracting when in contact with other infected cats.
Although any cat is at risk, it’s important to understand the necessity of neutering and spaying your feline friends as well. Cats that have not been neutered are more likely to roam and get into territorial fights due to the hormones produced by their intact reproductive organs.
By keeping your feline friend indoors, the risks of these infections as well as the risks of human interference from vehicles or poisons are cut. But what happens if the cat gets out? The duties of being a good cat owner also require neutering or spaying your animal. This cuts down the chance of infection as sexually intact cats are more likely to attack and spread infections, but it also prevents roaming behaviors that might accidentally make your indoor cat into a runway stray. By spaying or neutering your cat, there is no fear of unwanted litters that only add to the stray animal problem. There is no set age to get your cat spayed or neutered but your vet may recommend it at the age of 4 – 5 months. The Humane Society in Pennsylvania offers cheap and accessible spaying and neutering for cats and dogs at clinics in Reading on Tuesdays and in Lancaster on Thursdays. For cats, a spay/neuter clinic appointment with Human Pennsylvanian includes the initial surgery, pain medication, rabies vaccine, FVRCP vaccine, nail trim, microchip, microchip registration, and topical ant parasitic that controls roundworms, hookworms, ear mites, and fleas, as well as an injectable tapeworm treatment.
It’s important to look out for your pet and understand the risks that come with having one, but many organizations can help in keeping animals safe. It’s our job as pet owners to prevent animals from spreading infections and their spawn, and to look out for any strays that may wander to you.
