Honestly, I wasn't kissing my cat. He tried to chew on my pen while I was writing. I have a habit of chewing pens too so I stuck it in my mouth without thinking and ewwwwww!! It tasted like his tuna breath. What's going to happen to me now?!!
2007-01-24 16:36:17 · 14 answers · asked by mj_indigo 5 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Infectious Diseases
Jason P, thanks for that truly disgusting story! :)
2007-01-24 16:48:44 · update #1
There are tons of potentially deadly bacteria in a cats mouth IF you get it into your bloodstream through a wound (that's why people working at vet clinics have to get medical and antibiotic attention right away if a cat bites them... and believe me, I saw a fair number of really bad infections that hospitalized co-workers). But besides that there are only two things that should be considered -- worms (especially tape worms), and a protist that can be found in the urine if you are pregnant (in most people our body creates a cyst around the protist and you're never harmed, but in a developing fetus, the protist travels into its developing brain and causes brain damage of the child). The tape worms are easily treatable, and ussually you'll know if you cat has them by the signs of little wiggly white rice-like things expelled from the cat's anus or in the feces (these are actually egg cases with >1000 eggs).
If you've got an indoor cat that has been fully vacinated (this takes care of rabies, which is the viral disease that is transmittable... but really, you'd know if your cat was rabid) and dewormed don't worry about anything. If its an outdoor cat and you start loosing weight, have stomach upset and diarhea... just go to a doctor, get tested, and swollow deworming meds.
In general -- no worries. I eat sashimi all the time, I haven't run into any problems... and yet I'm fully aware that theres a much higher chance of contracting worms from it (and if I do? no biggy... they're easy to deal with, and some parasites during your life span is actually better for your immune system).
2007-01-25 10:06:06 · answer #1 · answered by Saphire Aurora 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are only a few diseases that can be passed from felines to humans and NO, AIDS is not one of them. Cat mouths are actually about the same number of bacteria as human mouths, sometimes cleaner. As long as your cat has been vaccinated against rabies, and is generally current on his/her shots, you probably have nothing to worry about. Just be sure to always wash your hands after changing the litter box.
2007-01-24 17:09:46 · answer #2 · answered by userafw 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I've never heard of anything from cat spit. As long as your cat is current in their vaccinations and hadn't just been licking their butt, I think you should be just fine:)
And to the poster about Cat Scratch Disease, you get that from a scratch, not drool:)
I should know, I got it:( It sucked, had a lump the size of a softball under my chin three months before my wedding!! I was pis**ed. One MD said it was a cyst and wanted to lance it, another said it was cancer and the 3rd one figured it out and removed it...lol I felt like Frankenstein after surgery, walking around with stitches sticking out of my neck:(
2007-01-25 16:11:17 · answer #3 · answered by patti_jim_reynolds 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tomorrow you will wake up meowing and dreulling when you see mice. LOL. No. Really, you should be fine. I once accidentally sucked a dead mouse into my mouth through a gravel vaccuum while cleaning a fish tank (The poor little guy got stuck inside the tube and had been dead for about a week and evaded my detection) and I lived to tell about it. jason
2007-01-24 16:43:55 · answer #4 · answered by Magic Mouse 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Rinse your mouth out with a good mouthwash. Antiseptic. Throw the pen away, but i think it is the claws that can harm you. Don't worry. And phone a vet. and ask. Cat spit has never harmed me.
2007-01-24 16:40:42 · answer #5 · answered by swamp elf 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your cat is up to date on his kitty shots, probably nothing.
But if your eyes start bothering you, go see a doctor. You can catch an eye disease called toxoplasmosis from a cat. I won't go into details and scare you, but you would want to get that treated if your cat turned out to be a carrier.
2007-01-24 16:40:01 · answer #6 · answered by Emmy 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
unless your cat is sick, then nothing will happen to you. there are a few diseases that can be passed from cats to humans, but if your cat is healthy, then i wouldn't worry.
and to respond to the above post - not all cats have AIDS! Feline AIDS is basically the same as human AIDS, only feline AIDS can only be passed from cat to cat through saliva or blood. Can't be passed from cat to human.
2007-01-24 16:40:09 · answer #7 · answered by mighty_power7 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Cat Scratch Fever.....
2007-01-24 16:41:42 · answer #8 · answered by j d 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
not if ur cat is vaccinated. get ur cat all the shots a cat can have.
2007-01-24 16:41:34 · answer #9 · answered by sparrow 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
probably nothing...if you start craving fish and walking on all fours seak mental help
2007-01-24 16:39:31 · answer #10 · answered by Dashes 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋