Study Finds Outdoor Cats Carry 3-5 Times More Human-Infecting Pathogens Than Indoor Pets
Updated
Updated · Livescience.com · Jun 20
Study Finds Outdoor Cats Carry 3-5 Times More Human-Infecting Pathogens Than Indoor Pets
2 articles · Updated · Livescience.com · Jun 20
Summary
More than 400 studies reviewed by researchers found pet cats that roam outdoors have three to five times the odds of carrying zoonotic pathogens compared with indoor-only cats.
Nearly 100 cat-borne pathogens in the review could infect humans, and outdoor-owned cats showed similar odds of carrying at least one such pathogen as feral cats.
About 60% of owned cats in the surveyed studies had unsupervised outdoor access—above 90% in some regions—creating more contact with wildlife, other animals and contaminated environments.
Outdoor roaming can bring pathogens into homes through hunted prey and into shared spaces through feces; one study estimated more than 60 tons of cat feces per 10,000 households each year.
Researchers said supervised outdoor access, cat enclosures, vaccination and parasite treatment can cut risk, while limiting roaming also benefits wildlife and public health.