Working With Great Veterinarians

If you have an unspayed female cat, chances are pretty good that she's surprised you with a litter of kittens even if you don't own any male cats. Anytime you let her outside (or anytime she escapes on her own) while she's in heat is a prime opportunity for her to meet up with a tomcat.

But if you're a loving pet owner, it may have occurred to you that your cat going out in the streets and having kittens with random strangers isn't the healthiest lifestyle. And while for the most part cats don't get the same types of STDs that humans do, there are still many things that can go wrong in this scenario. Here are some of the STDs that a kitty can contract during this type of rendezvous.

FIV

Like HIV, except for felines instead of humans, the FIV virus isn't anything you want your kitty contracting. It's a lifelong, incurable condition (similar to HIV) and shortens your cat's life expectancy. 

FeLV

The Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) is related to FIV and even causes some of the same symptoms (immunodeficiency symptoms). It's also similar in that you can't catch it from your cat. However, it's even more serious than FIV because it tends to kill cats quickly; it's actually one of the top cat-killing diseases in the country.

Chlamydia

Don't worry, your cat isn't going to get Chlamydia and then pass it on to you. This is another species-specific disease (this time caused by bacteria). It's also quite different from human Chlamydia; the symptoms are respiratory rather than reproductive-system-related. However, cats can still catch it during close contact (such as breeding) with infected cats.

Feline herpesvirus 1

A vaccine for this virus, along with a FeLV vaccine, is included when you take your cat to the vet for a typical booster shot. Any cat who isn't up to date on shots, though, is susceptible to this disease, which is transmitted through bodily fluids.

Brucellosis

This is the only disease on the list that's transmissible to humans. Of course, you're more likely to contract it by drinking raw milk, but it is technically possible to get it from a sick pet. Caused by bacteria, Brucellosis causes reproductive-related symptoms as well as other far-reaching ones such as fever, joint pain (as well as back pain and muscle pain), headaches, and much more.

In addition to these five diseases, an unspayed kitty is also at risk for reproductive cancers, cysts, UTIs, and even parasites. Getting your kitty spayed by a reputable veterinarian can make her life so much better. For more information on veterinary surgical services, contact a local clinic.