Can a Cat Give You a Cold?

Dispelling The Myth

You cannot catch a cold from your cat. They also cannot catch a cold from you. Humans and cats get the common cold from different viruses because the common cold virus tends to be species-specific.

This means that the virus can only survive in a certain host under the correct conditions.

While you may not catch the sniffles from your feline friend, there are a few other illnesses or diseases you can catch from your cat.

Any illnesses from an animal that can infect a human are called zoonotic diseases. These diseases may be viral infections, bacterial, or parasitic infections.

4 Diseases You Can Catch From a Cat

This condition can cause symptoms to persist for weeks to years after the initial diagnosis and treatment. Symptoms include a skin rash, fever, and fatigue.

Lyme Disease

If your outside cats get bit by a rabies-infected animal, they may catch the disease. That is why the main thing to do while caring for cats is to ensure they’ve gotten all their vaccines.

Rabies

Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common parasitic diseases among all mammals. It is curable and treated with antibiotics and other medications.

Toxoplasmosis

This is probably not something cat owners would like to hear, but there are a few ways you can infect your cat.

3 Diseases Your Cat Can Catch From You

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