pets

Question

How long can I stay with a cat?

Answer

Dear young man,

This is a very good questions, but not an easy one to answer. Two aspects are important: first the risk of infection and second the risk of an allergic reaction to the cat.
Cats can be contaminated by a whole range of bacteria. Many of these bacteria and viruses are typical for the cat and are not transmitted to people. There are a few exceptions. Aspergillus is a yeast. In the cat, it can cause infections of the eyes and sinuses and it can be transmitted to people. For patients with CF this is a risk, since Aspergillus can at times cause major problems. Also infection with Pseudomonas occurs in cats and Pseudomonas is also a potential threat for patients with CF. You should thus avoid cats who are sick, poorly taken care of or very dirty.
Healthy cats can harbor bacteria on their fur, most commonly Staphylococci, Streptococci, E. Coli, but also Stenotrophomonas, Aspergillus, Mycobacterium and again Pseudomonas. Cats that spend a lot of time outside carry more bacteria on their fur than cats kept inside. There is no clear proof that bacteria on cat fur are transmitted to people with CF. It is however wise to practice good hand hygiene after contact with a cat.
The most commonly transmitted disease from cats to people is toxoplasmosis, caused by a parasite present in cat excreta. The cat becomes infected by eating raw meat but is not sick from it. Contact with cat excreta then causes infection in people. Often the disease will be mild but people with a chronic infection can have a prolonged course with fatigue and fever. When cleaning the litter box you should thus wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards.
Allergic reactions to cat are rather common and manifest themselves by sneezing, itchy eyes or nose, sometimes also coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath. If you have any of these symptoms after contact with a cat you should ask the doctor to test for allergy.
It’s certainly not forbidden for patients with CF to have a cat as a pet. However, avoid contact with sick and dirty cats and practice good hand hygiene after you played with the cat. Also when cleaning the litter box, take precautions. There is no limit as to how much time you can spend with a cat, as long as you follow these hygienic instructions and are not allergic. Sleeping together with a cat is however completely contraindicated.
Kind regards
Dr. M. Boon

01.12.2011