| Bringing home a new kitten not only means exposing | | | | they are more likely to expose their owners to the |
| your kitten to your home, but exposing your pet | | | | bacteria. However, once a person is exposed to the |
| health issues to your household as well. Kittens are | | | | bacteria, they will be immune to future exposure. |
| notorious Petri dishes of bacteria and unwanted | | | | While the bacterium does not affect pet health, what |
| germs. While most people have images of the song | | | | it can do to human health is agonizing. The person |
| when they hear the term Cat scratch fever, but it is | | | | develops swollen lymph nodes that are tender to the |
| a devastating and terrible bacterial infection which can | | | | touch and can be upwards to two inches in diameter. |
| be fatal in certain individuals. | | | | Depending on the location of the bite, the bacterium |
| The bacteria Bartonella henselae is responsible for cat | | | | will infect surrounding lymph nodes, that is, if a |
| scratch fever in humans, mostly in young children, as | | | | person is bitten on the arm, the lymph nodes in the |
| they are the ones who have the most contact with | | | | shoulder and neck area will become infected. A mild |
| kittens. Though the infection is not limited to children | | | | fever sometimes accompanies the swelling. The |
| only. Adults can contract the infection which causes | | | | enlarged lymph nodes are generally the indication for |
| lymph nodes in the body to swell profusely. While the | | | | diagnosis, though there are a few blood tests which |
| bacterium has limited stress on pet health, it can be | | | | can be run to search for the bacterium. However, if |
| fatal in immune compromised individuals and children. | | | | the bacterium is left untreated, it can spread into the |
| A cat can become infected with the bacterium | | | | liver, eyes and brain, causing greater infection and |
| through a flea bite, which is why flea control is so | | | | even seizures. While it can take some time to |
| important in pet health care. Most individuals contract | | | | recover, most individuals make a full recovery with |
| the bacterium through a scratch or bite from kitten, | | | | treatment. |
| though some adult cats can expose people to the | | | | There is little an individual can do to ensure their pet |
| bacterium. The bacterium is passed into the cat | | | | health is not exposed to this bacterium. The only |
| through a flea bite but does not affect the cat in any | | | | thing pet owners can do to prevent any exposure is |
| certain terms. The cat can live with the bacteria their | | | | proper flea control. As fleas can transmit many |
| entire life with the bacteria simply living as a flora of | | | | different bacteria which can affect pet health, it is a |
| their system. It lives within the saliva of the feline | | | | good idea to properly manage fleas with flea control. |
| and can only be transmitted to a human when saliva | | | | A topical flea control can help keep the little |
| comes into contact with broken skin. This is why | | | | monsters off your cat and household treatments can |
| kitten bites are likely to expose a person to the | | | | eliminate and possible future attacks. |
| bacteria. Since kittens are more likely to play and bite, | | | | |