Cat Mauls Baby

[packman]

Oh, the humanity-Cat establishs early boundries

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Net nanny to appear complaining this is a lounge thread

in 3...2...1

Pretty cute, actually. GD needs more cute.

[niyad]

8. maybe net nanny sleeping in this morning.

[Baitball Blogger]

12. We're too busy rec'ing the thread.

[Agschmid]

20. +1

[L0oniX]

2. This is how Catwoman and Catman started.

[abelenkpe]

3. Adorable! Nt

[japple]

4. That kitten is going to suck the life out of that baby.

That was the old wives tale years ago.

[druidity33]

5. that IS adorable, but toxoplasmosis is real. nt.

[kestrel91316]

19. As is complete ignorance about toxoplasmosis and

its epidemiology. The only danger to that child is from claws and teeth at the moment, unless the owners feed kitty raw meat or let it go outside to mouse, and it gets exposed to Toxo for the first time and sheds it in its stool for a week and the poop sits around for 2 days until the kid eats it. At which point the kid has a likely asymptomatic Toxo infection that goes nowhere.

Cats are not a big source of human toxoplasmosis in the US - eating incompletely cooked meat is. And the big risk is prenatal. That baby looks to me like it's already been born.

And yes, I am an expert in feline zoonoses so I know what I am talking about.

http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/

[druidity33]

23. so you're saying it could happen but it's unikely?

Not sure i get your expert diagnosis. I'm not a veterinarian, that's true. But i have known someone who's child had it. It seemed pretty awful.

again...

[kestrel91316]

30. That child didn't get it after birth, I can pretty much guarantee you.

PRENATAL toxoplasmosis is what is neurologically devastating to developing fetuses.

Again, that's not a developing fetus, it's a post-born person.

[druidity33]

35. Well she didn't get it from her mom

because she was tested after they found out. If i remember correctly they had to do a biopsy... it's not an easy thing to diagnose. There was some dispute as to whether the child got it from their goats (lived on a farm), though the kid (who's 3ish now) was exposed frequently to the cats since birth and only once to the goats. And yes, i understand what i'm saying is "anecdotal evidence". But you're saying it never happens. I don't own a cat, but i like them. I'm not trying to disparage them. And again, i'm certainly no expert, and maybe the multiple doctors she's been seeing are wrong, but i'm going to stand by my original post.

I won't shrug this time.

[pnwmom]

25. How do you know just by looking that these owners don't feed

the kitty raw meat or let it go outside?

Lots of cat owners let their cats go outside, unfortunately.

[kestrel91316]

32. I don't know, which is why there is a tiny risk.

No person, whether they have an infant or any aged child (or any age of person at all, IMHO) should feed their cats incompletely cooked meat or allow them out, for many reasons, not just Toxo.

But it would require that the cat be in the very initial stage of its first ever exposure to Toxo, AND that it be actively shedding at that moment (they only shed for a week or two right after first exposed), AND that it have two-day-old poop on its fur (are you aware that cats generally groom their butt every time they poop), AND that the infant then ingest said two-day-old poop. And even then, it's post-born, and has a functioning immune system, so it probably won't even have symptoms other than a mild fever, if that.

Contact with cats is not associated with an increase in risk of toxoplasmosis above background levels. Consumption of incompletely cooked meat by humans IS associated with increased risk, and is generally what gets humans in the US into trouble with it.

[Jamastiene]

26. The More You Know...

Thank you. My mother used to tell me I could get 96 diseases from a cat and that was why I could not have a cat when I was a kid. I got so sick of hearing about toxoplasmosis and how just petting a cat would give that to me.

Thank you for setting the record straight about how it is really transmitted. I wish you had been around when I was a kid and my mother was quoting her "96 diseases" speech to me every time I saw a cat and said it was pretty.

[kestrel91316]

33. I've been on a tear about the public's ignorance of

toxoplasmosis and its risk factors for nearly 30 years, lol, ever since a client came to me in 1983, completely hysterical because her ignoramus of an obstetrician told her to destroy her cat when she found out she was pregnant.

Which is why I have ZERO tolerance for the inexcusable misinformation being spread around even today by internet know-it-alls parroting complete BS.

[darkangel218]

29. Oh ffs!

Yah, its real. And if all cat owners would be scared of it, then no one would own cats anymore.

[kestrel91316]

34. I realize that medical reading is still a challenge for

you, but you probably ought to immerse yourself in this rather extensive set of pages from the CDC before you go all ballistic over something you probably know ZERO about other than the fact of its existence. Please pay particular attention to the pages about epidemiology and risk factors.

http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/

The first sentence of the first paragraph contains an obvious typo: toxo is NOT a leading cause of death or even disease. It should include the word "not". It is a "neglected" disease because it's rare for anyone other than newborns to have problems from it, and it's even rare in them.

http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/epi.html

[Nitram]

46. Any pet that eats wildlife can carry toxoplasmosis.

That includes dogs.

[Eleanors38]

6. Both will get fur balls!

[niyad]

7. k and r and awwwwwwwwww.

[Le Taz Hot]

9. I've got an ignorant-ass sister-in-law

who didn't want me to babysit my nephew. Apparently her mother told her that cats suck out the baby's breath (the milk attracts them) and they could kill the baby.

She eventually relented because she needed a babysitter so she left him with me, though she was still nervous about it. At one point little man was ready to go down for a nap so I put him in my big bed. Sly, my male cat, set himself up at the foot of the bed and my female cat, Tabatha, set herself up at the threshold between the bedroom and the hallway -- something she had never done before. I know cats and both cats were in protective mode.

I swear there are some ignorant people out there.

[Jamastiene]

27. Tell me about it.

Cats are vilified by so many people. I don't know why.

[Populist_Prole]

37. I know what you mean

I'm not a cat owner but I think they're cool animals, but I know a couple of people that think that they somehow have to dislike cats because they think it makes them real men. They're so full of shit.

[Arugula Latte]

50. Men who hate cats are frequently a bad combination of

insecure and then trying to compensate for that by being over-controlling (often of women) and hyper macho. I tell my daughter that when she is old enough to date and she encounters a cat-hater to RUN as fast as she can in the other direction.

Conversely, in general men who love cats are the best -- intelligent, secure, funny, kind, etc.

[proReality]

42. A cat slept in my bassinet and then my crib,

with a dog underneath. According to my family, neither of them would let anyone come near me unless they were family or well known to the animals.

I trusted furry family with my kids, and the kids have done the same with their babies. The youngest grandchild is now 16...none of us has gotten sick or died from any diseases animals have been accused of transferring to humans.

Anyone who doesn't like cats shouldn't be trusted.

[awoke_in_2003]

10. cat is thinking

"tastes like chicken"

[TwilightGardener]

11. Cute, but...if kitteh still has claws, then that's bad parenting.

When my cats exhibit this behavior, it often brings out the playful claws and "kangaroo kicking"--so close to the baby's face...yikes.

[NJCher]

13. my experience the opposite

I've been amazed at how they know how to retract their claws with babies.

Also, around here, they do plenty of jumping up on leather chairs, and they know not to dig their claws in when they do.

The one I can't break, though, is when they cuddle up on my shoulder and then they start their kneading thing. Ouch!


Cher

[marble falls]

14. Been my experiance, too. Thump'd let my daughters get away with stuff she'd not even let me .....

daydream about and she was my cat. Or rather, I was her human.

[Voice for Peace]

15. I bring out the clippers.. less painful if the sharp tips are clipped

and since they are outdoor as well as indoor, it makes
it almost impossible for them to catch birds or lizards.
I would never declaw but clipping seems to do no harm.

[Jamastiene]

28. That's what I do with my cats.

They don't go outside, but it sure helps them and it helps me when their nails get really sharp and start getting a little long.

[bhikkhu]

21. There's good cats and bad cats

we had a big spoiled tom before our first daughter was born, and he always resented the loss of attention, I think, when the baby came. A couple of deliberate scratch-attacks and he had to go (to the wifes grandma, where he had all the attention he wanted). We got another cat soon enough, a talkative little siamese we still have - who proved very tolerant and gentle with little ones.

[Tess49]

22. Yes, we held our breath as the grandbaby reached to pull the cat's tail.

You just didn't mess with her. Sooo, before we could grab the baby, he grabbed her. She did nothing. When we retrieved him, the cat stood up and casually walked away, Never touched him. On the other hand, if I had pulled her tail, I would still be sporting the scars!

[Skittles]

41. they're very savvy

they will very often retract when a child does something an adult would get whacked for

[Retrograde]

24. I've seen a normally sweet-tempered cat

suddenly bite someone (me) when he confused my moving fingers for prey. There's a hair-trigger switch between play fighting and going for the kill.

[ProgressSaves]

38. And if the kitteh doesn't have claws, then that's bad humanity.

[catbyte]

44. +1000

When I took Otis in to be neutered last Thursday, they asked me if I wanted him declawed. Horrified, I said, "Absolutely not!". I think I startled them with my reaction. Declawing is beyond brutal. How'd you like it if somebody amputated your fingers to the first joint? I am glad to see that some vets are refusing to do it. I wish mine did.

[Merlot]

40. Clip it's claws so they aren't sharp. Problem solved.

Though in my experience when a cat is lounging and affectionate the claws don't come out. It's during rough play when they get excited that they claw. I have one cat who no matter how excited he gets, his claws never come out - he's just a gentle kitty.

[Romulox]

47. This is silly. You likely have never been around cats. nt

[TwilightGardener]

49. ??--I've had cats all my life. I would always

err on the side of caution and keep my babies' faces from getting too close--some cats are unpredictable clawers and biters. I've had a new kitten from the shelter take a flying leap onto my toddler son's back and claw him up pretty good while he was just sitting on the floor watching TV. Just playing, but I'm glad his eyes didn't get scratched up.

[Arugula Latte]

16. Hey, next time put a warning on that for graphic content!

This is unbearable! The cuteness ... I can't ... *thunk*

[valerief]

17. What a snugglefest! nt

[blkmusclmachine]

18. Kitty.

[mikehiggins]

31. Grrreeeaaattt!!!! but...

at this point in my life I think I'll opt for the cat. Babies are just too much work, and they don't get easier with time.

[Politicalboi]

36. Looks like Baby Mauls Cat

[1000words]

39. Just a quick taste

That cat is no fool. You have to let them fatten up.

[Oakenshield]

45. You think it's cute do you?!

That baby is being groomed into the perfect slave for the master race of felines. Mark my words.

[GoCubsGo]

48. Just getting ready to suck the breath out of it.

No, not really.

Stupid cat myths...