REASONS FOR FERAL/STRAY (henceforth referred to as feral) CAT CONTROL
1. Feral cats are animals that are no longer under human control, but live and reproduce in the wild, usually in close association with humans. Humans have neglected these animals, which live exposed to disease, hunger, weather and attack from dogs, humans or other cats and animals. Some of these cats may survive for several years before succumbing to starvation, disease, dogs, other animals or motor vehicles. Failure to prevent or control a feral cat population amounts to inhumane treatment of animals.
2. Feral cats can harbor and transmit a variety of fatal and non-fatal diseases to domestic cats and other pets. These diseases include rabies, plague, parasitic worms, external parasites such as fleas and mites, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline distemper or panleukopenia, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), and various bacterial infections.
3. Feral cats can also harbor and transmit fatal and non-fatal diseases to humans. These include rabies, plague, ringworm, internal and external parasites, toxoplasmosis, bartonellosis (formerly known as cat scratch fever), allergies to cat hair, and secondary bacterial infections from cat scratches and bites.
4. Feral cats living in close association with humans can also damage buildings, contaminate food supplies, and kill birds and other wildlife. Parasites such as fleas are often a problem in areas inhabited by feral cats.
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2 comments:
Whilst feral cats may pass on a variety of disease they CANNOT I repeat CANNOT pass on FIP. I have spent many years studying and working on FIP and I speak from medical strength. Please make sure you have your facts correct before publishing them. This misleading information only serves to cause heartache to owners whose cats suffer from FIP and some vets believing it can be transmitted. It is not a transmitted disease, FCoV and FECoV are contagious and they mutate into FIP.
This is US Government information. Your point seems moot anyway, if the conditions that can "mutate" into it are contagious.
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