Pet owners, however, must remember that having a cat comes with responsibilities. Besides ensuring their felines get proper food and care, humans must be aware of the various diseases that can affect their pets’ health.
One such example is sporotrichosis, a fungal infection that could lead to death if the cat is not treated.
“Sporo is a disease from a fungus, ‘sporothrix schenckii’, which is found in soil. Although it can infect any warm-blooded mammal, cats are more likely to be affected due to their sense of curiosity,” Dr Hazliza Zuhir, the founder and owner of AZ Animal Clinic and Pet Hotel in Shah Alam, told FMT.
For example, a cat with bite marks or scratches on its body that then goes to play in infected soil might contract sporo, she said.
Hazliza, 40, added that she typically treats at least five sporo-infected cats a week. According to her, unneutered felines and those that love spending time outdoors have a higher chance of being infected with sporo.
“It’s usually male cats because they fight a lot,” she said.
Sporo transmission can happen when a non-infected cat fights with an infected one and subsequently gets scratched or wounded.
Transmission to humans is also possible, she revealed. “This happens when a human has an open wound and is in close contact with a sporo-infected cat” – for instance, “if the cat licks its wound and proceeds to lick the human’s wound, or if the cat’s wound has contact with the human’s wound”.
An infected cat’s injury might produce fluid or pus that could contaminate feeding or water bowls, the sides of the cage, or even the floor. This could accidentally end up on an owner’s open wound during daily cleaning or feeding, Hazliza cautioned.
Transmission can also happen when an infected cat scratches or bites the human’s skin. “Normal petting should, therefore, be minimised unless the human is suitably clothed in protective gear,” she advised.
Symptoms and diagnosis
So what should fur-parents look out for? The symptoms, Hazliza said, usually start with a small wound. “However, despite receiving treatment, the wound doesn’t heal – instead, it gets bigger and starts spreading to other places.”
She pointed out that the lesions also look different due to a “cauliflower-like” appearance. “We will then take samples from the lesion for a microscope test to diagnose if it is sporo.”
Most of the cats also have nasal discharge, because sporo can lead to various respiratory diseases such as flu, sneezing, or coughing.
“In severe cases, it can also affect the lymph nodes and the central nervous system. Left untreated, unfortunately, it can lead to death.”
Sadly, felines with immunocompromised systems are less likely to recover, such as those with the feline leukaemia virus, which can cause cancer, or the feline immunodeficiency virus, which is similar to HIV in that it attacks and weakens the immune system.
“Although some veterinarians believe it is more humane to put the cat to sleep in advanced cases of sporo, rather than letting them suffer, I don’t believe in doing that and will try my best to treat it first,” Hazliza added.
Treatment and prevention
Once a cat is diagnosed with sporo, it will be given itraconazole – an antifungal medication in capsule form – as well as liver supplements because this organ needs to be healthy to metabolise the drug.
“If the cat has flu, we will prescribe medication,” Hazliza said, adding that severe cases might take six to eight months to heal.
While some owners choose to send their cats for boarding throughout the treatment process, it can get rather pricey. They could instead opt to care for their cats at home, but there are precautionary steps that must be taken.
“Keep the feline isolated in a separate room. When it comes to feeding or cleaning, care for your non-infected pets first before moving on to the infected cat. Separate their drinking or feeding bowls from your healthy pets,” Hazliza advised.
To minimise the chances of your cats getting infected to begin with, she has two recommendations: “Always neuter them, so they will have less desire to go out to find a new territory or a mate.
“If you are unable to, at least ensure your cat is kept indoors so they do not come into contact with strays.”
AZ Animal Clinic and Pet Hotel provides boarding services for cats with sporo. To find out more, visit its Facebook and Instagram profiles, or call 016-3595511.
AZ Animal Clinic and Pet Hotel
No 37, Jalan Pendidik U1/31,
Hicom-Glenmarie Industrial Park,
40150 Shah Alam, Selangor
Business hours: 9am-5pm (Mondays to Thursdays)
3pm-7pm (weekends); closed on Fridays