Nov
26
Is it possible to make my cat sick by working with zoo animals?
By
Recently my wife started volunteering at a small zoo. She has direct contact with reptiles, anfibians, monkeys and other animals. She handels them, their foods and their enviorments. I noticed my cat was not well the other day and thought that something may have been transmitted accidentally. I was once told that turtles had salmanilla bactieria. I love my cat, and wouldnt want anything bad to befall him that could be prevented. Please advise.
5 Comments
November 26th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
To be on the safe side I would take the cat to your vet. I suppose it could happen.
November 26th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
it’s most likely just a natural sickness cats get every once in a while, it is possible to transmit diseases and bacteria from the zoo to your home but it doesnt happen often. make sure your wife washes her hands before she leaves work and washes the clothing she wears to work more than usual if you want to make yourself feel better.
November 26th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
yes there are some diseases that cn be transmitted . one is salmonella. and you can get it too. zoo caretakers are supposed to be very educated in this. hand washing is an absolute must when handleing certain animals. But zoo animals are checked and vaccinated against transmittable diseases because they have human handlers. however precautions should be made as in scrupulous handwashing. and the occasional poop on the clothing. wash in very hot water immediately upon returning home.
don’t sweat the small stuff. you may be making something out of nothing
November 26th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Hi I work at a local Zoo in my area. I work with several species of reptiles, and over 20 species of birds on a daily basis, as well as being exposed to horses, pigs, chickens, goats, and other barn yard animals.
To answer your question, yes, some diseases can be transmitted from one animal species to another. Things such as Ecoli, salmonella, and parasites can all be transmitted; turtles and other reptiles have been known to carry salmonella, but that does not mean that every individual will carry the bacteria. In a zoo environment, sanitary environments are heavily stressed. Hand washing and disinfecting surfaces that come into contact with animals is practiced almost obsessively, and I am sure that as a volunteer, the zoo staff are making sure that your wife is well trained.
That said, you should probably be more concerned about your wife than your cat. She is the one that is immediately exposed to any bacteria or parasites that may be present in the animals she works with. It is very important for her to wash her hands immediately after touching any animals, making sure that she does not touch her hands to her eyes or mouth, which I am sure she knows all about.
If your cat IS sick, it is highly unlikely that he/she is sick due to your wife’s volunteer job; and much more likely that the cat picked up something far more common, and much closer to home.
November 26th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
She should wash her hands and change clothes after work so nothing gets transmitted to your cat or to you guys. To be even safer, she should also shower after work.
When I was at the SPCA adopting my cat they told me to use hand sanitizer after touching a cat, before touching another cat, so diseases don’t get transferred between cats.