Cat Health sandbox important considerations you should know about

Cat Health sandbox important considerations you should know about Cats are popular pets in the United States. According to the latest version of the U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Book (2002 Edition) there were almost 70 million pet cats in the United States. Why are cats so popular? There are many answers to this question because there are owners of dogs, cats, but poses a low risk to the health of their owners is certainly near the top of this list. Despite the potential health risks cats pose to people are small, it is important for cat owners are aware of these risks and how to reduce them. Most of all the risks of ownership are associated with the box of cats and cat and / or cat feces. There are two categories of risks. The first category includes the risks to health from bacteria and parasites as owners of cats and their cats. The second category includes injuries resulting from auto junk box or self cleaning litter box. First health problems experienced by cat owners or their cats from the first and most important of these risks is called Toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii that can be found in raw or undercooked meat, wash fruit and vegetables, dirty cat boxes and outdoor soil where cat feces can be found. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more than 60 million people in the United States may be infected with the Toxoplasma parasite (1). Fortunately, very few people ever experience any symptoms because a healthy person the immune system usually keeps the parasite from causing illness. However, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems, such as people living with HIV are at risk and must take precautions to avoid being infected by the parasite. For people in this group a Toxoplasma infection could cause serious health problems of the person or fetus of a pregnant woman. Again, most of the 60 million Americans infected with Toxoplasmosis parasite will never experience any symptoms. Most people who experience the symptoms just think they have the flu, as the most common symptoms include swollen glands, fever, headache, muscle pain, or a stiff neck. For those in high-risk group, toxoplasmosis can damage the brain, eyes and inteal organs. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, children bo with Toxoplasma gondii can suffer from deafness, mental retardation, blindness, and some children with developmental or eye problems in the brain years after birth (2). The CDC estimates that 400-4000 fetuses are infected with the Toxoplasma gondii parasite each year and up to 80 children die each year from toxoplasmosis (2). So how does an individual contract Toxoplasmosis? Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by ingestion of parasite Toxoplasma Gondi. Most of the owners of cats infected with the parasite accidental ingestion of cat feces infected. This occurs when a person touches the mouth after handling a cat litter box, working in a garden or sand or touching anything that has come into contact with cat feces (3). People in high-risk group can not ask whether you should give your cat to avoid infection. According to the CDC, which is not required for cat lovers to give their cats, but it is important to protect themselves from infection. The USFDA makes the following recommendations to prevent infections (2): 1) If possible, have someone else change the litter box. If you need to clean, wear gloves and wash hands with soap and warm water afterwards. 2) Change the litter box daily. The parasite does not become infectious until one to five days after faeces were deposited in the sandbox. 3) Wear gardening gloves when in a garden or handling sand from a sandbox because cats may have excreted feces in them. Remember to wash your hands with soap and warm water afterwards. 4) The bridge areneros outdoor cats to avoid using them as litter boxes. 5) Feed your cat commercial dry or canned food. Never feed your cat a raw meat, because it can be a source of Toxoplasmosis gondii parasite. 6) Keep closed cats indoors. Be especially careful if you bring outdoor cats indoors. 7) Avoid the cats, especially puppies. 8) Do not have a new cat during pregnancy. Child safety, the following recommendations Inc. (4): 1) Have your veterinarian test your cat for the Toxoplasmosis parasite. If the cat is infected, you might want to consider someone else keep your cat during pregnancy. 2) Keep sandboxes covered using cats to avoid the sandbox as a litter box. 3) Be aware of neighborhood sandboxes as the parasite can bring home the shoes, clothing and toys. Similar to Toxoplasmosis, Escherichia coli (E. coli, commonly called) can infect humans through contact with feline fecal material, although the main route of infection is through ingestion or raw meat or a little. E. coli is a bacterium commonly found in the intestinal tract of humans and animals. Almost all strains of bacteria are harmless. However, some potent strains can produce toxins and cause severe disease, especially in children under 5 years (5). Symptoms usually include diarrhea and abdominal cramps. In children under 5 years, 2% -7% of E. coli can cause kidney failure. Fortunately, E. coli is easy to prevent. The use of preventive measures, as described above for Toxoplasmosis will greatly reduce the risks of you or your children contracting an infection with E. coli. In addition to these human risks, there are few health risks cat boxes actually pose to cats that owners of cats should be known. Just like a dirty litter box poses health risks to humans, cats are equally at risk if forced to use a box of dirt bed. Since cats stay clean by licking themselves, allowing the cat litter box for too dirty can cause infections when a cat is clean feet after using the litter box dirty. The most common is a urinary tract infection, and even if this type of infection is rarely fatal, can be very uncomfortable for your cat and very likely to require treatment by your veterinarian. Finally, a health risk to the lesser known cats is actually caused by cat. What many cat owners do not realize is that some types of cats can be harmful or even fatal for your cat. Both the group to gather and do not pose health problems litters of cats. Agglutination cats are probably the most popular types of dogs for their convenience, hygienic quality and the fact that the waste is necessary for use in self-cleaning litter box. Unfortunately, some aggregation litters can be harmful to cats. Clay-based litters may contain aggregation of mineral sodium bentonite, which can be harmful or fatal to your cat. It 'best to avoid using clay based cat, especially puppies. Wheat or maize-based clustering, such as dirt Swheat Scoop, World's Best Cat Litter Littermaid Cat and work very well and are not toxic (6). By its very nature, not aggregation litters do not absorb and isolate a cat urine or feces as aggregation litters do. Consequently, it is much harder to keep your cat litter box clean when using non-aggregation litter. When using aggregation litter often is not important to clean and disinfect the litter box to reduce the risk of accumulation of bacteria that can cause urinary or other infections in your cat. The second category includes health risks of injuries caused by an automatic litter box or self cleaning litter box. Occurrences of such injuries are rare but can happen. An automatic box cleaning litter self or not just what the name implies. Usually between 10-15 minutes after a cat uses the litter box, the litter box automatically cleans by "radical" or "raking" the cat in a bag of waste or of a sealed compartment. For owners of cats, the lesions may occur if a child or toddler plays with the automatic litter box during the cleaning cycle. All major brands of automatic litter boxes contain sensors to prevent the cleaning mechanism from activating when a cat or other foreign object is inside the box. However, children can be injured if you put your hand inside the cleaning mechanism to avoid the sensors. While these types of injuries are very rare, it is better to take precautions. Place the litter box in a place where your cat can get, but young children is not an easy method. This is good advice for any litter box as this is the best way to keep children from contracting a disease described in this article. If you can not keep the automatic litter box for a child to reach, so it's better to put the litter litter box inside a box cover. There are many types of roofing and all of them will help prevent a child from reaching the litter box and cleaning mechanism. A final possibility is to unplug the litter box or put in a "manual" mode. Both options require the cat owner to start the cleaning cycle when necessary. Although this reduces some of the convenience of an automatic litter box certainly removes the danger to children. Automatic or self cleaning litter boxes are completely safe for almost all cats. However, most manufacturers recommend that the litter box be used in "manual" for how the cats under 5 lbs. Cats under 5 lbs many not be large enough to activate the sensors and the cleaning mechanism could cause injury. Since most adult cats weighing more than 5 pounds, you must use the "manual" mode until kittens grow to 5 lbs. This article is not intended to dissuade anyone from holding a cat. 70 million owners of cats can not be wrong; cats make great pets! So if you already have a cat or are thinking of becoming a cat owner to simply a sense of being aware of health risks associated with cat ownership. Understanding the risks can definitely increase the enjoyment of property cat. (1) Toxoplasmosis Fact Sheet; oplasmosis.htm (2) while you are pregnant - USFDA (3) Toxoplasmosis - An important message for owners of cats; is_brochure_8.2004.pdf (4) Children's Insurance, Inc., & . Htm (5) Escherichia coli O157: H7 Fact Sheet, (6) Stanford Cat Network - Guide for the care of your adopted cat or Kitten; er er