Cat Diseases: Cat Scratch Fever

Cat Scratch Fever

I didn’t know if cat scratch fever was a real disease that people got from being scratched by a cat, whether it was a disease cats got by being scratched by other cats, or if it was just a song by Ted Nugent, so I decided to look it up, having been scratched by my cat plenty of times while playing with her in the 9 years I’ve owned her.

Yes, there really is a disease called cat scratch fever, and you can get it by being bitten or scratched by a cat. Apparently, about 40% of cats carry the bacteria that causes it, Bartonella bacteria. You can be infected if an infected cat scratches or bites you, or even if you just pet an infected cat and then rub your eye! Kittens are more prone to have it than older cats, but infected cats don’t show any symptoms.

You can even get it if a cat licks an open wound on your skin, so be careful about those kitty kisses, too!

What are the symptoms:

The first symptoms may show up in a week after infection or even 2 months later. At first you will get a bump or blister at the site of the injury.
Fatigue
Fever (in some patients)
Headache
Lymph node swelling around the site or in your neck (like mumps) or in your armpits.
Overall discomfort

Other symptoms that may develop may include loss of appetite, sore throat, weight loss, and then the list gets even worse.

If you have been bitten or scratched by a cat or are just around a cat and start to develop these symptoms, go to a doctor. Cat scratch fever can be hard to diagnose, because it is not really seen that often, but an IFA test can detect the Bartonella bacteria.

Cat scratch fever is not usually a serious disease. Most healthy children will recover without treatment. Your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic, such as azithromycin.

If you have a compromised immune system, it can develop serious consequences, so be sure to see a doctor.

I know I always wash my hands after cleaning out the litter box (naturally), but I never knew it was a good idea to wash my hands after petting my cat or letting my cat lick my skin.

My friend told me a joke once: “Cats aren’t clean, they’re covered with kitty spit!” I laughed at the time. I’ve been scratched by more than one cat and lived to tell the tale, and I’ve never felt it necessary to wash my hands after petting my cat, although if I do get scratched, I will wash the scratch thoroughly with soap and water and put on an antibacterial ointment just in case.

Anyway, here’s a quick video about cat scratch fever. I found it very educational. I still refuse to get scared of playing or petting my cat, though.

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Cat Facts: Introducing a Cat to a New Home

Introducing a Cat to a New Home

Cat Facts: Michie the Cat

I have read many books and articles about cats — wanting to do the best for my furry friend. Almost all of them say that to introduce a cat to a new home, you must put them in a room and close the door for a few days to let them get used to the new sounds and smells before you let them go further through the house.

When I moved to New Mexico recently with my cat, Michie, I just couldn’t do that. It seemed disrespectful of her dignity and independence and of her feelings. I was forced to buy a home sight unseen, which my best friend had checked out for me and sent me pictures of, so coming into the new house was an exploration for both my cat and me. As my friend showed us around from room to room, Michie followed us and check it out with me.

Yes, for the first few days, she did hide herself in the laundry room, but the door was always open and she was able to come and go as SHE pleased. It also let her come and sleep with me at night in a strange place.

I always want to do the best for her — I take her to the vet for her yearly shots and get her teeth cleaned. However, even knowing she is an animal and not a small furry person, I felt that she needed to be able to check out the new place just like I did. After all, it is a new home for us. To take a cat to a new house and lock them up in one room strikes me as cruel. Am I alone in this?

Cat Facts: Traveling with a Cat

Traveling with a Cat

Sorry it has been so long. We have moved from Minnesota to New Mexico. A friend flew up from New Mexico and helped us drive back down to Albuquerque – a long 4-day drive through heat over 100 degrees each day.

Our New Home

I was very concerned for over a year, while planning this move, how my cat, Michie, would react. She has a yowling fit every time I put her in the car to go to the vet, which was only about 2 miles away, crying the whole time. What was she going to do on a 4-day car trip? And I was also worried about what her reaction would be when we came to a new house in a completely different climate rather than going back to the home she has lived in for half of her life.

The vet recommended that we sedate her, so I dropped her off at the vet in the morning when I went to the closing to sell my house, and picked her up after the moving van had packed up and left and we were hitting the road. The vet gave her a sleepy pill. The first half of an hour she cried, but when she realized we weren’t going back home, she settled down.

The second day I gave her half a pill in the morning, and she slept part of the morning, but otherwise just lay in her carrier in a trance most of the time, so the last 2 days I didn’t give her anything.

I was so glad that I had bought the 3-in-1 stroller for her a few years ago. With 2 people and their luggage in the car for days, we didn’t want her loose in the car. It was much safer for her and for us to have her in a seat-belted car seat. The first day, she tried to claw her way out through the front mesh window, but then she settled down. Keeping one of her fleece blankets inside (received from the Humane Society when you contribute money to them) helped her stay settled in the carrier for so long and has helped her adapt to her new home.

She misses the green grass she likes to chew, but just this morning she saw a road runner dash down the street and was intrigued, so hopefully she will be able to make the adjustment well. The first few days she just slept in a closet — poor baby — but now she is out and feeling much more comfortable. When her cat tree finally arrives along with my furniture, maybe next week, it will be like home again (Thank you so much, Allied Moving, for making us camp out in our new home for 2 weeks!!).

Cat Facts: Tornado Cat Comes Home

Tornado Cat Comes Home

Last month, swarms of tornadoes tore threw the South with incredible destruction and loss of hundreds of lives.

However, as this news crew found when interviewing a survivor, even a month later, a lady’s beloved cat found its way home.

Sometimes our cats seem so aloof and disinterested in us, but this faithful fellow shows how much affection a cat can feel and how strong the emotional bond can be with its human! Go Cadey!

Cat Facts: Catitude 3

Just saw this amazing video. I had to share — in this life and death struggle between the cute cat and the scary snake, just guess who wins!

GO KITTY! We love you!