For many “cat owners,” cats are an indispensable member of the family, and the companionship and joy they bring are priceless. However, when keeping cats indoors long-term, especially in small living spaces, people inevitably worry whether it will affect health. So, what exactly is the real impact of household cats on health? Overall, scientifically and reasonably keeping cats has a positive health impact for most people, but there are some potential health risks that we need to understand and take precautions against.

Benefits of Keeping Cats: More than Just Emotional Comfort

Many people keep cats for emotional companionship, especially in fast-paced urban life, where a soft and cute cat can greatly alleviate loneliness and stress. But this is not just psychological; scientific research also supports the benefits of keeping cats.

• Improved Mental Health: The companionship of cats can significantly reduce feelings of loneliness, alleviate depression and anxiety. Their presence brings relaxation and joy, especially during heartbreak or life’s low points, helping people overcome negative emotions faster. Studies have found that keeping cats may even help relieve intractable major depressive disorder resistant to conventional treatment.
• Reduced Heart Disease Risk: A study by the University of Minnesota in the USA showed that cat owners have about a 30% lower chance of developing heart disease compared to non-cat owners. This is because interacting with cats helps lower blood pressure and reduce stress, benefiting heart health.
• Improved Sleep Quality: The purring sound cats make when relaxed usually ranges between 20-140 Hz, a low-frequency vibration believed to have soothing and healing effects. Holding a cat while sleeping and listening to its purr can help people calm down faster, enter deep sleep, and improve insomnia problems.
• Enhanced Children’s Immunity: Some studies have found that children raised with cats (or dogs) from a young age have lower risks of asthma and allergies, possibly because early exposure to small amounts of bacteria and allergens from pets helps the immune system develop better defense mechanisms.
• Fostering Responsibility and Love: Keeping cats requires investing time and effort in their care, which helps cultivate owners’ sense of responsibility and patience. Especially for children, this is a valuable learning opportunity.

Potential Health Risks: Be Alert but Not Alarmed

Although keeping cats has many benefits, we must also face the potential health risks. Understanding these risks and taking appropriate precautions can ensure a safe and healthy life for "one person, one cat."

1. Allergies: A Often Overlooked Problem

Many believe that cat hair is the main allergen, but in fact, the primary allergens are proteins in cat skin flakes, saliva, and urine, with one protein called “Fel d 1” being the main culprit. These allergens are very tiny, attach to cat hair, disperse in the air, and can even remain long after the cat has left, clinging to furniture, clothing, carpets, and other items, creating a persistent allergen environment.

Allergy symptoms vary and may appear minutes or hours after contact with cats, including sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy watery eyes, red itching skin, and even hives or eczema. Severe cases can trigger asthma symptoms such as difficulty breathing, chest tightness, wheezing, and coughing.

If such symptoms occur, allergy to cats can be confirmed through skin prick tests or blood tests. For diagnosed cat allergy sufferers, in addition to minimizing exposure, symptom relief can be achieved with medications such as antihistamines and nasal steroids. In some cases, doctors may recommend desensitization therapy by gradually increasing allergen exposure to help the body build tolerance, but this requires long-term adherence.

Tips to Prevent Allergies:

• Keep Environment Clean: Regularly clean rooms, especially where cats frequently stay, and use vacuum cleaners and air purifiers with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters to reduce airborne allergens.
• Limit Cat Activity Areas: Try to keep cats out of private spaces such as bedrooms, especially beds and soft furniture, as these areas tend to accumulate allergens.
• Wash Hands Frequently: Wash hands with soap and water promptly after contact with cats and avoid rubbing eyes.
• Regularly Groom and Bathe Cats: This helps reduce shedding of fur and skin flakes, but it’s best to wear a mask during grooming to avoid inhaling allergens.

2. Toxoplasmosis: Pregnant Women Should Be Especially Careful

Toxoplasma is a common parasite, and felines are the only definitive hosts. Cats mainly become infected by eating infected animals (such as mice) or raw meat. Infected cats excrete infectious oocysts in their feces.

The main ways humans get infected with toxoplasma include eating undercooked meat (especially pork, lamb, deer), contacting food or water contaminated with cat feces, and vertical transmission from mother to baby. One cat-related infection route is touching cat litter and then the mouth after insufficient hand washing. It is important to note that oocysts excreted by cats require 2-4 days in the environment to become infectious, so timely cleaning of litter boxes can reduce infection risk.

For most adults with healthy immune systems, toxoplasma infection usually causes mild or no symptoms, similar to flu, possibly with swollen lymph nodes and muscle aches, often resolving on its own. However, toxoplasma poses significant risks to immunocompromised persons (such as AIDS patients, organ transplant recipients) and pregnant women. Infection during pregnancy may lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, or congenital toxoplasmosis, affecting nervous system development causing hydrocephalus, microcephaly, vision problems, intellectual disability, and other issues.

How to Prevent Toxoplasma Infection:

• Pay Attention to Food Hygiene: Eat thoroughly cooked meat, avoid raw or undercooked meat. Eat properly washed vegetables and fruits.
• Keep Cats Scientifically: Prefer indoor cats, feed cooked food or commercial cat food, avoid cats hunting outdoors. Wear gloves when cleaning litter boxes and wash hands promptly. Clean litter boxes daily if possible.
• Special Attention During Pregnancy: Pregnant women should avoid cleaning litter boxes; this task is best done by family members. Undergo toxoplasma testing before or during pregnancy to know infection status.

3. Cat Scratch Disease: Risks After Scratches or Bites

Cat scratch disease is an infectious disease caused by Bartonella henselae bacteria. Cats are carriers and sources of this bacterium. It is usually harmless to cats but can be transmitted to humans through cat scratches, bites, or licking open wounds. Kittens and newly adopted cats are more likely to carry the bacteria.

After infection, a red swelling or bump usually appears at the scratch or bite site, which may be painful; some develop blisters or pustules. Nearby lymph nodes then swell, become painful, and sometimes suppurate. Some patients may have fever, headache, fatigue, and decreased appetite. In most cases, cat scratch disease is mild and self-limiting, healing within weeks or months. However, in rare cases, especially for immunocompromised people, infection may spread causing serious complications such as retinitis or encephalitis.

Preventing Cat Scratch Disease:

• Avoid Being Scratched or Bitten: Play safely with cats and avoid teasing that might provoke aggression.
• Prompt Wound Care: If scratched or bitten, immediately wash the wound thoroughly with running water and soap.
• Regular Veterinary Check-ups and Deworming: Helps reduce the risk of cats carrying pathogens.
• Maintain Personal Hygiene: Wash hands after touching cats.

4. Other Potential Risks

Besides the common risks mentioned, long-term indoor cat keeping may involve other health issues:

• Skin Problems: Bacteria or fungi (such as ringworm) on cats can spread through direct contact and cause skin infections in humans. Prompt treatment of the cat’s skin conditions and maintaining personal hygiene can effectively prevent this.
• Parasites: Besides toxoplasma, cats may carry external parasites like fleas and mites, as well as intestinal parasites. These parasites can cause human skin itching, allergic reactions, or other health problems. Regular internal and external deworming of cats is very important.
• Bacterial Infections: Cats’ paws may carry bacteria after using litter boxes. Long-term close contact or sleeping with cats may increase human risk of bacterial infections, potentially causing skin diseases or respiratory infections.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can Pregnant Women Keep Cats?
  Pregnant women can keep cats but must practice scientific care and enhanced precautionary measures. The most important is to avoid contact with cat feces, especially in early pregnancy. Family members can help clean litter boxes, or gloves should be worn and hands washed promptly after cleaning. Regular toxoplasma testing and feeding cats cooked or commercial food, preventing outdoor hunting, are recommended.
• What If I Am Allergic to Cat Hair?
  If allergic to cat hair (actually to cat dander, saliva, and other proteins), try reducing allergen exposure by frequent cleaning, using air purifiers, limiting cat activities, regular grooming and bathing. For severe symptoms, allergist-guided antihistamines or desensitization therapy can be considered.
• Does Keeping Cats Affect Children’s Immunity?
  Some studies show children raised with pets may have stronger immune systems and lower risk of allergies and asthma. However, attention to parasite infection and injury risks from scratches is necessary along with good hygiene and safety measures.
• Do I Need a Rabies Vaccine if Scratched by a Cat?
  Healthy household cats generally do not transmit rabies. But as a precaution, wash the wound immediately with soapy water and consult a doctor if rabies vaccination is needed based on the situation.

Summary

The impact of long-term indoor cat keeping on human health is complex, involving significant benefits alongside potential risks. From mental to physical health, cats can bring positive effects, offering emotional support, relieving stress, and possibly reducing some disease risks. However, we must also be alert to allergies, toxoplasmosis, cat scratch disease, and other parasite and bacterial infections.

Through scientific feeding and management, the vast majority of potential health risks can be effectively prevented and controlled. This includes maintaining a clean home environment, regular cat health check-ups and deworming, personal hygiene, avoiding scratches and bites, and extra protective measures for specific groups (e.g., pregnant women, immunocompromised individuals, allergy sufferers).

In short, with adequate preparation and daily care, understanding and taking necessary precautions, long-term indoor cat keeping is safe and feasible, bringing more color and warmth to life. Embrace the joy cats bring while being a responsible “cat owner,” safeguarding your own and your furry friend’s health.