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Cat Litter Health Problems

Cats are a great pet and sometimes our best friends. Many of us don't realize the dangers they carry, especially when we have to clean out their litter box. There are dangers and parasites that can cause harm. Always be careful and understand the health risks that can be associated with litter boxes.

  1. Children

    • For those who have children and own cats, too, keeping a litter box clean is a must. Cats can pass a number of parasites through fecal matter. These parasites can be passed from cat to human. Two of these parasites are roundworm and tapeworms. These are passed when eggs are passed through fecal matter. When contact happens, the eggs can embed into the skin and into the body.
      According to PetDoc.com 10,000 children a year are diagnosed with roundworm.

    Expecting Mothers

    • Women who are expecting should be careful when changing litter boxes or have someone else change them. There are risks that can harm an unborn baby, especially during the first trimester. Cat litter has harmful pollutants mixed in with it. Pregnant women who change the cat litter may breathe in this dust. These chemicals can affect the fetus. Cat urine is one of the worst things pregnant women can be around. It has a high concentrate of metals. When pregnant women come in contact with the cat urine it may make them sick along with their unborn baby.
      Also, a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis can make someone very sick with fever and shortness of breath, as well as neurological disorders. If a pregnant woman comes in contact with this parasite it can cause harm to her baby. The fetus may grow cysts on the brain or develop abnormally or even miscarry.

    Urinary Tract Infections

    • Not only can dirty litter boxes be dangerous to humans, they can also be dangerous to your pet. Cats lick themselves to stay clean. When they are forced to use dirty litter boxes and then clean themselves after, they can develop urinary tract infections. This is from licking their paws after being in the dirty litter box.

    Multiple Cats and Diseases

    • If multiple cats use the same dirty litter box, they can pass diseases either by urine or fecal matter. Some of these diseases are feline leukemia, feline infectious perionitis and feline immunodeficiency virus. Some of these diseases can be fatal to your cat.

    Prevention

    • To prevent many of these problems from happening the main solution is to keep the litter box clean. Buying clumping litter can help because it clumps everything excreted by the cat together. When cleaning the litter box, always use rubber gloves and wash your hands after. If you are pregnant, have someone else change the litter. It's better to be safe than sorry.

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