Why is there such a pathological hatred of cats in Irish society?

EricPraline

whatdoicare wrote: »

That's a myth, it's all pregnant women and children coming into contact with cat poo.
My sister is pregnant, owns two indoor cats and it's what her doctor told her. She actually told my sister to give the cats away until she was finished having kids and they were past a certain age as it's not worth the health risks.

Toxoplasmosis is common, but it simply requires a little bit more caution on the part of a pregnant women - e.g. get somebody else to clean out the cat litter or always use gloves. That's it.

Either you're exaggerating your story for effect, or your sister needs to find a new doctor.

OldNotWIse

steddyeddy wrote: »

As regards lifespan where I lived in America cats had a lifespan of two years if allowed out doors! Coyotes, bears and all sorts would make quick work of them.

Which reminds me here we have mink also. My mothers cat had its leg practically chewed off by a mink about two years ago :eek:

OldNotWIse

EricPraline wrote: »

Toxoplasmosis is common, but it simply requires a little bit more caution on the part of a pregnant women - e.g. get somebody else to clean out the cat litter or always use gloves. That's it.

Either you're exaggerating your story for effect, or your sister needs to find a new doctor.

Or maybe they want to get rid of the cat anyway and this is a grand excuse. I see it all the time through my volunteer work. People are open books, they dont realise it.

whatdoicare

whatdoicare wrote: »

Yes, it's called toxoplasmosis. How do you not know this its common knowledge.

He is surrounded by cats and dogs, has no kids and socialises through boards.:D

whatdoicare

OldNotWIse wrote: »

whatdoicare wrote: »

Yes, it's called toxoplasmosis. How do you not know this its common knowledge.

But why would a pregnant woman be more at risk of going blind than a non-pregnant woman?

Pregnant women are at risk of miscarriage and deformities in the baby.
Children are the ones at risk of blindness.

whatdoicare

EricPraline wrote: »

whatdoicare wrote: »

That's a myth, it's all pregnant women and children coming into contact with cat poo.
My sister is pregnant, owns two indoor cats and it's what her doctor told her. She actually told my sister to give the cats away until she was finished having kids and they were past a certain age as it's not worth the health risks.

Toxoplasmosis is common, but it simply requires a little bit more caution on the part of a pregnant women - e.g. get somebody else to clean out the cat litter or always use gloves. That's it.

Either you're exaggerating your story for effect, or your sister needs to find a new doctor.

Why would you risk it though? It only takes a bit of poo on the cats paw to be at risk.

fishy fishy

whatdoicare wrote: »

Why would you risk it though? It only takes a bit of poo on the cats paw to be at risk.

yes and going by this thread, it's seems some cats don't know how to , or were not trained to go into the kitty litter, hence they sh*t all over the house. :rolleyes:

fishy fishy

fishy fishy wrote: »

yes and going by this thread, it's seems some cats don't know how to , or were not trained to go into the kitty litter, hence they sh*t all over the house. :rolleyes:

But they cuddle their owners on the couch during X-Factor.:D

whatdoicare

fishy fishy wrote: »

whatdoicare wrote: »

Why would you risk it though? It only takes a bit of poo on the cats paw to be at risk.

yes and going by this thread, it's seems some cats don't know how to , or were not trained to go into the kitty litter, hence they sh*t all over the house. :rolleyes:

Hey, there's enough cat **** around my garden to know that cats aren't that great at burying their poo. I've seen enough pet cats eat their own poo too. Cats aren't spotless, there'll always be accidents.
Like I said, why risk it? If you did and something happened your baby the guilt would be awful just for the sake of letting someone else look after yr cat for a few years.

OldNotWIse

whatdoicare wrote: »

Pregnant women are at risk of miscarriage and deformities in the baby.
Children are the ones at risk of blindness.

But I specifically asked you if pregnant women were at risk of going blind and you said yes. Now you are saying that they are at risk of miscarrying. If you're going to argue at least get your facts straight in your own head first yeah?

OldNotWIse

Bam Bam Mickey wrote: »

He is surrounded by cats and dogs, has no kids and socialises through boards.:D

She actually

Shenshen

whatdoicare wrote: »

Why would you risk it though? It only takes a bit of poo on the cats paw to be at risk.

Did the doctor also advise her to switch to a purely vegetarian diet as well, and avoid milk and dairy?
It only takes one slightly underdone steak, after all, or one carelessly sterilised scoop of ice cream, to infect yourself with toxo.

steddyeddy

OldNotWIse wrote: »

Which reminds me here we have mink also. My mothers cat had its leg practically chewed off by a mink about two years ago :eek:

Mink are very aggressive creatures alright. I can see them doing real damage to the enviroment.

OldNotWIse

whatdoicare wrote: »

Hey, there's enough cat **** around my garden to know that cats aren't that great at burying their poo. I've seen enough pet cats eat their own poo too. Cats aren't spotless, there'll always be accidents.
Like I said, why risk it? If you did and something happened your baby the guilt would be awful just for the sake of letting someone else look after yr cat for a few years.

did you fall and hit your head? Why on earth would you expect someone else to mind your cat for a few years? Either have a cat or dont. If you dont want it any more, because you think it's worms are going to bore into your brain and make you jump off a bridge or gouge out your newborn baby's eyeballs, just give it to someone else. Simple

whatdoicare

Shenshen wrote: »

whatdoicare wrote: »

Why would you risk it though? It only takes a bit of poo on the cats paw to be at risk.

Did the doctor also advise her to switch to a purely vegetarian diet as well, and avoid milk and dairy?
It only takes one slightly underdone steak, after all, or one carelessly sterilised scoop of ice cream, to infect yourself with toxo.

I have no idea, she got a booklet listing safe food and unsafe foods and some other book listing health risks so I can only assume that she was warned.

OldNotWIse

steddyeddy wrote: »

Mink are very aggressive creatures alright. I can see them doing real damage to the enviroment.

Big time. I was out the door paying for my parent's little guy to be treated (as luck would have it, it happened on my watch). Couldn't believe the damage. He was lucky he didnt lose the leg. The mink must have latched onto him, poor guy.

whatdoicare

OldNotWIse wrote: »

whatdoicare wrote: »

Hey, there's enough cat **** around my garden to know that cats aren't that great at burying their poo. I've seen enough pet cats eat their own poo too. Cats aren't spotless, there'll always be accidents.
Like I said, why risk it? If you did and something happened your baby the guilt would be awful just for the sake of letting someone else look after yr cat for a few years.

did you fall and hit your head? Why on earth would you expect someone else to mind your cat for a few years? Either have a cat or dont. If you dont want it any more, because you think it's worms are going to bore into your brain and make you jump off a bridge or gouge out your newborn baby's eyeballs, just give it to someone else. Simple

I don't own a cat or a dog. So it wouldn't apply to me.

OldNotWIse

whatdoicare wrote: »

I don't own a cat or a dog. So it wouldn't apply to me.

But you were clearly condoning the idea of allowing someone else to be responsible for one's cat for a number of years:

"sake of letting someone else look after yr cat for a few years." (post 610)

fishy fishy

whatdoicare wrote: »

I don't own a cat or a dog. So it wouldn't apply to me.

sometimes, it's just better to ignore.

whatdoicare

OldNotWIse wrote: »

whatdoicare wrote: »

I don't own a cat or a dog. So it wouldn't apply to me.

But you were clearly condoning the idea of allowing someone else to be responsible for one's cat for a number of years:

"sake of letting someone else look after yr cat for a few years." (post 610)

Well, I did ask why would you put yr baby at risk, it's not like I told you to take it round back and shoot it.
For me, it's too much of a risk, maybe you are more willing to take a chance. That's your own business.

Shenshen

whatdoicare wrote: »

I have no idea, she got a booklet listing safe food and unsafe foods and some other book listing health risks so I can only assume that she was warned.

Interesting. I've been reading into it a little bit now, I I'm sorry, but I have to assume that that particular doctor wasn't... shall we say, fully informed?

Toxoplasmosis is a parasite that humans can get into contact with through cat faeces, through handling or eating raw or undercooked meat, and through goats milk (so the ice cream would be safe, I apologise), as well as through blood transfusions.

Once a person was infected once, there will be no risk to any pregnancies or children. The danger lies exclusively in contracting the infection while pregnant. Most pages estimate that about half the human population have already been infected and are therefore perfectly safe.
To find out if your sister was safe or not, all the doc would have needed to do was take a blood sample and have it checked. If she's had the cat for a while and the cat is allowed outdoors, chances are she's in the safe group anyway.
In short, I suspect he was communicating out of his rectum there.

OldNotWIse

fishy fishy wrote: »

sometimes, it's just better to ignore.

Or in your case, attempt cheap digs at them when conversing with others. A phenomenon we witness often in the playground, particularly among the more passive aggressive folk

steddyeddy

I rather dogs as pets but in the past some of the most loyal, intelligent and affectionate pets have been cats. One pet used to wait at the gate for me to come home from school.

One touching story I was told to my by my mother about a kid who would have been her brother. My granny lived in extreme poverty when she was younger and the first kid she had was a boy. My granny was so poor that her son, Peter hadnt even got a rattle to play with but the one comfort he had was a stray cat who went everywhere with him. The cat let Peter do anything to it including paint it one one occasion (He wasnt being cruel he was only a baby at the time). Unfortunatly Peter died of a burst appendix aged two and a half (The doctors thought he was crying because his teeth hurt) but the cat stayed with him when he was sick but left an hour before he died. I always get sad when I think of Peter but Im happy to know that he couldnt have had a better companion than that cat.

Mod

Drop the, um, cattiness now.

Thanks.

Shenshen

steddyeddy wrote: »

I rather dogs as pets but in the past some of the most loyal, intelligent and affectionate pets have been cats. One pet used to wait at the gate for me to come home from school.

One touching story I was told to my by my mother about a kid who would have been her brother. My granny lived in extreme poverty when she was younger and the first kid she had was a boy. My granny was so poor that her son, Peter hadnt even got a rattle to play with but the one comfort he had was a stray cat who went everywhere with him. The cat let Peter do anything to it including paint it one one occasion (He wasnt being cruel he was only a baby at the time). Unfortunatly Peter died of a burst appendix aged two and a half (The doctors thought he was crying because his teeth hurt) but the cat stayed with him when he was sick but left an hour before he died. I always get sad when I think of Peter but Im happy to know that he couldnt have had a better companion than that cat.

That is a really sweet and sad story. Thank you for sharing it.

OldNotWIse

whatdoicare wrote: »

Well, I did ask why would you put yr baby at risk, it's not like I told you to take it round back and shoot it.
For me, it's too much of a risk, maybe you are more willing to take a chance. That's your own business.

The issue is wanting someone else to take the moggy for a "number of years" and then return it.

whatdoicare

Shenshen wrote: »

whatdoicare wrote: »

I have no idea, she got a booklet listing safe food and unsafe foods and some other book listing health risks so I can only assume that she was warned.

Interesting. I've been reading into it a little bit now, I I'm sorry, but I have to assume that that particular doctor wasn't... shall we say, fully informed?

Toxoplasmosis is a parasite that humans can get into contact with through cat faeces, through handling or eating raw or undercooked meat, and through goats milk (so the ice cream would be safe, I apologise), as well as through blood transfusions.

Once a person was infected once, there will be no risk to any pregnancies or children. The danger lies exclusively in contracting the infection while pregnant. Most pages estimate that about half the human population have already been infected and are therefore perfectly safe.
To find out if your sister was safe or not, all the doc would have needed to do was take a blood sample and have it checked. If she's had the cat for a while and the cat is allowed outdoors, chances are she's in the safe group anyway.
In short, I suspect he was communication out of his rectum there.

No Idea whatsoever. She was told get rid of the cat so she did. She was probably tested and wasn't infected. I'll ask next time I see her.

whatdoicare

OldNotWIse wrote: »

whatdoicare wrote: »

Well, I did ask why would you put yr baby at risk, it's not like I told you to take it round back and shoot it.
For me, it's too much of a risk, maybe you are more willing to take a chance. That's your own business.

The issue is wanting someone else to take the moggy for a "number of years" and then return it.

Why would someone taking a cat for a while be an issue and holey moley why would you even consider linking that to abortion??

steddyeddy

Shenshen wrote: »

That is a really sweet and sad story. Thank you for sharing it.

Thank you. Its the type of story that a lot of Irish probrably have in their family if they look back far enough. My mam still has a lock of blonde hair belonging to him in a locket

OldNotWIse

whatdoicare wrote: »

Why would someone taking a cat for a while be an issue and holey moley why would you even consider linking that to abortion??

You seem to be missing the point, repeatedly. It's not that "someone taking a cat for a while" is an issue - I, like many people often leave mine into boarding facilities if I am away etc, it's asking someone to take a cat for a number of years that I find strange.