Cat transferred micro-ogranism to wife?

Question

My wife has been suffering. Approx. 6 weeks ago her left eye became inflamed/red on the inside corner. She has seen her regular doctor (who misdiagnosed) and has returned to a very high profile eye clinic 2x now. Her visit yesterday yieled an interesting diagnosis....she has an "ulcer" on her eye and inflamed lymph nodes. They say this was caused by our new kitten scratching her face.

My wife is demanding we get rid of the cat (we have a child as well) but I can't bring myself to just drop it off at a humane society center. I'd like to take it to the vet and confirm/deny it has any infectious diseases and whether they're treatable. Has anyone else had something similar happen? Resolutions?

Answer 1

It sounds like cat scratch fever. It isn't clear (to me at least) if the kitten's own immune system will take care of it as long as there are no reinfections from sources such as parasites.

I would use toys on poles to play gently with the kitten and encourage scratching on posts. It could be that your wife is very susceptible in general or just right now and no one will have a problem in the future.

She may also have developed a negative view of the kitten simply from the scratching which can sting. You can also tip the kitten's claws which make them too blunt to puncture skin.

http://www.metpet.com/Reference/Cats/Health/Cat%20Scratch%20Fever.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol1no1/regnery.htm

Answer 2

My younger sister developed what was called "Cat Scratch Fever" 20 years ago due to a scratch she had received on her leg that caused swelling on her neck. The bacteria had traveled through her blood stream and resided in that area. Surgery was necessary BUT and this is a HUGE BUT... to this day my family has NEVER sworn of pets around the home and children. My mother still has 3 dogs, 9 birds and 4 aquariums. My sister has a dog and has owned a cat, she actually works for a Vet. My brother has had dogs and i personally have had 5 cats living in the house at once. My ex-wife's parents to this day have at least 15 cats living in there home. I'm presently planning the purchase of 2 more cats for my apartment.

Pets are a need to have around the house with children... in my opinion that is.

Honestly, i just recommend keeping the litter box cleaned daily if not twice daily and if you can, get the kitten used to getting baths while it is young and as it grows older it will actually enjoy playing in the tub. One of my past cats would actually come running when he heard the bath water running! He loved the bath tub.

I hope that some, if any of this helped you out.

Answer 3

Not quite the same situation, but my previous cat bit my hand on two separate visits to the vet. Both times my hand became infected and swelled up like something out of a cartoon. It was very painful, but a short course of antibiotics soon cleared it up though. I understood that she bit me by accident and because she was afraid, so I simply forgave her at the time.

Whilst I appreciate that your wife is concerned about future injuries, I personally don't think it's necessary for you to give away your kitten. Take it for a health check with your vet, and explain to them about your wife's eye injury as they will be able to tell you if the kitten has any health problems that could pose a risk.

Zoonoses (also called zoonotic diseases) are diseases that can be passed from animals to man. Most diseases are species specific. Most zoonotic diseases can be avoided through good hygiene - disinfecting areas which have become contaminated, washing hands after handling contaminated items (including cats) and wearing rubber gloves to prevent infectious matter entering skin wounds. The majority of diseases pose no threat to humans and can be treated by your doctor. A few are more dangerous to those with poor immune systems and a very small minority are unquestionably dangerous e.g. rabies. The web article below covers all the potential health risks from cats, and getting your wife to read this may give you a little more "ammunition" for your argument in keeping the kitten.

http://www.messybeast.com/zoonoses.htm

You could also offer to be the one responsible for teaching the kitten good manners. They don't mean to harm us, but sometimes when they play, they get carried away and don't realise how much biting or scratching hurts. Using toys like Da Bird keep your hands and other flesh safe from accidental injury, as will trimming the kitten's claws on a regular basis.

Answer 4

personally, if your wife is that much against the cat, i'd suggest finding it another home. it's very unfortunate that she got something like that, but it's not right to hold the kitten accountable. it's a baby that needs to learn what appropriate behavior is, and until it knows, then you take necessary precautions and do things like clip the nails back.

infectious diseases? there's dirt, bacteria, nasty bits under the nails of every creature (she could easily have gotten an ulceration from a human scratch too), and expecting a kitten to not do what kittens do (i.e. scratch something near them that looks interesting), then that animal needs to go to a home that is better suited to owning a cat. don't get a dog instead, because god forbid, it might do a dog thing and bark at some point.

Answer 5

Without proof that the kitten was at fault (a culture test at least!) it's irresponsible to give up the cat. I can understand her frustration, but some things you do get just 'because' and it's not the fault of anyone or anything that lives in the household with you.

Tell her that it's a known fact that kids growing up with pets have a far smaller incidence of asthma and breathing problems later in life.

You didn't mention if the cat did scratch her eye. Just scratching the face wouldn't do it.

Answer 6

Cats have a lot of germs in their claws. And this can cause an infection when scrathing some people, hence the term ?Cat scrath fever"

Why did the cat scratch her? Is it a friendly cat? If so, then once her eye clears up, you just need to take precautions with the cat.

In addition, the eye is a VERY sensitive area, so this does not mean that the cat is spreading disease.. her eye is reacting to the germs in the cats paws...

Answer 7

Cat scratches (from perfectly healthy cats) can become badly infected if not properly cleaned and cared for immediately. (When my kitten badly scratched my face I went to the ER to have it cleaned immediately; plus I ended up with a tetanus shot and 2 weeks of antibiotics. I have since used clicker training with the cat and he is much better behaved.)
http://www.clickertraining.com/cattraining

I am sorry that this happened to your wife, and that it was made much worse by an incompetent doctor. (It sounds like she should take out her frustrations on the doctor, not the cat. While I'm not a litigious person, I believe she'd get more satisfaction from a malpractice suit than from dumping the cat at a shelter.)

Talk to your vet, but there are not many infectious diseases that can be spread across species lines from cats to humans. (For example, there was no danger of my FIV+ cat making me sick.)

Keep the kitten's nails trimmed or try nail caps (I've included links to 2 different brands).

If you decide that you want to "get rid of the cat", please take it to the ASPCA or a "no-kill" shelter. (Many shelters will kill animals that are there longer than 2 weeks, as they just don't have the room or resources to care for so many abandoned animals.)

Answer 8

yes you need to take it to the vet to see if he has any infection. That is crazy that you haven't done it yet. My friend just had an ulcer in his eye and he was able to take special eye drops to get rid of it.