posted
I have a 6 year old cat who I love dearly, but he sleeps in my bed with with me and on my pillow.
Besides interrupting my sleep all night, I adore him.
Do you think he is in anyway making me sick too?
Posts: 26 | From Houston | Registered: Mar 2015
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Sammi
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 110
posted
I do not think you should re-home your cat. Pets are awesome companions and they have a positive effect on our health. My cats have helped me through some very challenging times.
Is your cat an indoor cat? If not, I would suggest making him one. Indoor cats live longer, and they will not bring in ticks or other pests from outside.
Posts: 4681 | Registered: Oct 2000
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randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
omg!!_ nono...pets are great companions.
please don't get rid of him.
my maine cat slept wrapped around my neck and my russian blue slept in the bend of my knees.
I adored them. remember they are our greatest loves.
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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Judie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 38323
posted
Absolutely not. Your pets will keep you going to get through this.
Can you put him outside your room on the nights you absolutely need sleep?
Posts: 2839 | From California | Registered: Jul 2012
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As a patient with high occupational exposure (vet), I've thought a lot about this question.
Ultimately, I agree with Sammi. There's no way to eliminate our risk of reinfection, and potentially no way to completely eradicate these infections; our goal should perhaps be more to reduce microbial load to a point manageable by our immune defenses.
However, reducing microbial load in our pets can help us and them, and cats are an important carrier species of bartonella.
Even if your cat is indoor, flea and tick preventative is a good idea to reduce possible vector transmission. (Even inhaled flea feces can transmit bartonella.)
People don't often consider this, but we share more microbial flora with animals sharing our environment than with family members living elsewhere. Testing our pets for zoonotic agents (or other env hazards) can increase our understanding of our exposures and aid in pet owner medical histories. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021997512004367
They're our best friends, and they also can be little health sentinels for us. Good luck!
randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
my cats were totally indoors. they got heartguard, flea treatment, you name it. they sneezed and momma took them to the vet.
I had their teeth cleaned yearly and always checked for worms. I cleaned litter boxes twice a day and changed litter often.
my kids were healthy.
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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Catgirl
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 31149
posted
Keep your cat. Our cat sleeps with us every night and my husband is well from lyme.
-------------------- --Keep an open mind about everything. Also, remember to visit ACTIVISM (we can change things together). Posts: 5418 | From earth | Registered: Mar 2011
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tdtid
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10276
posted
I too vote for keep your cat. As others have said, pets help with companionship and also help us feel better.
If you fear that the cat sleeping with you is making you not get a good nights sleep, hence making you sicker, I would see about closing off your bedroom at night and letting your cat sleep in another room.
But that way you will have plenty of snuggle time during the day to spend with your cat after you have slept better.
-------------------- "To Dream The Impossible Dream" Man of La Mancha Posts: 2638 | From New Hampshire | Registered: Oct 2006
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Catgirl
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 31149
posted
I'm getting better and we have several cats, plus hubby's lyme is gone. One cat even sleeps with us (lol)!
-------------------- --Keep an open mind about everything. Also, remember to visit ACTIVISM (we can change things together). Posts: 5418 | From earth | Registered: Mar 2011
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