should I be concerned...

Question
Hi, I am currently staying with a family hat has 3 female cats..none of them spayed or have had any of their shots.  The one I am concerned about is not even a year old and looks ill.  She sleeps a lot, is really skinny, she's been making the sound of having a hair ball but not having one, and has a bad right back leg...but I am concerned since she goes outside a lot and has fleas that she may have like worms or other disease.  Should I be concerned?

Answer
Hi Gayle,

Cats that go outdoors are commonly infected with worms unless they are receiving a preventative treatment like Revolution or Profender. But these are available by prescription only, and if these kitties haven't received vaccinations, I would guess they aren't receiving these preventative measures?

Concern for your own safety is probably not a worry. Concern for the kitty's health is definitely warranted. A cat with a chronic cough is often suffering a respiratory infection. Most are species specific and are no threat to people. A cough can also signal asthma, which tends to be worse this time of year, or even heart problems.

Tapeworms aren't a threat to humans through cats. It would be extremely difficult to infect yourself with roundworms - you would need to ingest eggs that had passed in the cat's feces. As long as you wash your hands after cleaning litter boxes or touching the kitty's feet before eating with your hands, the chances of contracting worms should be eliminated. There are about 10,000 cases of roundworms in the U.S. each year, nearly all in children of the age that place dirty hands in their mouths.

Also, cats that don't put on weight adequately and seem sickly in general, and who have contact with cats outdoors, may be infected with the feline leukemia or feline AIDS virus. These are both contagious and fatal illnesses. They can only spread to other cats, not to people or different animals. There is a quick blood test for both, and a vaccine as well.

I recommend having the kitten examined and treated as suggested.

Good luck!
Jessica