The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-08-15
DISEASE CARRIED BY
THE HOUSE CAT
Government Scientists Give
Out Some Surprising
Facts.
SMALLPOX. SCARLET FEVER
AND DIPHTHERIA.

, their fur the germs OF such dread .
y ed diseases as tuberculosis, small y
: pox. scarlet fever and diphtheria >
They communicate diseases 10 y
y children.
= 'They are as susceptible % 3
= hydrOphObia as dogs =
Cats spread ring worms =
-They XIII between 5000. 600 and >
= 100000 game and song birds in ,
= New York state alone each year. =
only about per cent of them =
= DIR. a. H. Fisher, biological sur
: vey United States department OF .
agriculture.
Washington. Aug 2I.-Peaceful Tab
by Durring. purring upon the hearth,
petted and pampered by The whole FAM
lily, is now declared by a government
scientist TO be an agent Of the most
deadly germs. spreading disease and
death among those who tondle her.
Investigation has proven that in a
cats sleek, soft fur upon which tho
baby delights &c rub its cheek, turks
the germs OF tuberculosis, Of smallpox
and that deadly disease Of babies and
children, diphtheria.
The cat is a roaming animal Even
the most carefully watched house pet
VIII stink out at night and AZ is then
that they come in contact with In
in squalid shanUes among disease
stricken people. Its long fur affords
a natural breeding place for the germs.
THE cat returns TO its home thor
Oughly inOculatsd. The mother smiles
as the baby tumbles about the floor
with Tabby. When the child Is strick-
en-, every diesase breeding source is
considered except the family cat" says
II is a noted fact that people who
would not touch a dog think nothing
OF 1Ondling and kissing cats. Feliues
are particularly fond of jumping upon
the beds Of their masters and cuddlins
close 10 them. Babies are allowed 70
play freely with cats.
Practically the only thing 10 be
feared from a DOG IS hydrOphObia. To
cats are as susceptible as dogs, though
they do not bite people as often; yet
cases OF hydrOphObia from cat bites
are not infrequent.
The biological survey is now work
ing on plans 10 have laws passed in
the District OF Columbia as a guidance
Tor all the states 10 license cats, be
cause, they say most OF the trouble
comes from stray cats. The danger
in the house cat. living in a clean
home comes mainly through its con-
tact with alley cats. Licensing would
permit the killing Of stray cats.
a Data is now being gathered by the
survey upon the subject OF disease in
lection by cats DR.. Fisher hopes soon
TO publish a bulletin citing specific
instances.
Garry Tuberculosis.
Two cases are given by a prominent
French scientist, III. Bergen, OF cats
which were infected with tubercular
germs through contact with persons
afflicted with the disease. In both in
stances the cats were owned IN fami-
lies where young girls died from the
malady. The death OF the cats Oc-
CURED shortly afterward. The doctors
had noticed the fOndness OF the girls
for the cats. A post mOrtem eXamina-
ton OF the cats was accordingly made,
with the result that In both Instances
unmistakable traces Of tubercular In
lection were found.
The next charge brought against the
cat by DR.. Fisher is that it spreads
ring worms, a very painful and dan
gerOus disease. Rats and mice are pc
culiarly susceptible 20 this disease.
and il is transmitted from them 10 eats.
The presence Of the disease on cats,
hidden by their fur, is NOT uncommon.
Tt was through the frequent appear
ance OF ring worms on the hands OF
babies that the germ theory was first
pursued against the cat
Cats are considered the natural enc
mics Of rats and mice. They are kept
often simply 10 Kill these pests. DR..
Fisher claims that not per cent OF
the cats are mousers and that instead
they kill game and song birds.
"As a matter OF fact" said Dr. Fish
eF, "cats prefer birds 10 mice They
viii spend twice as much time hunt
ing birds as mice. II one KEEPS count
OF a cats quarry during the year he
viii find that the birds killed Tar out
number the mice.
Recently there has been much at
tentfOn paid TO rats and the harm they
do both as destroyers and as spread
ers OF disease. In this connection Il has
been pointed out what valuable AM
NAL the eat Is TO keep down the rats.
That is an error. I can state from my
own personal observation that only
per cent OF the cats are mOusers.
Little harm would be done II the
whole cat tribe were eXtsrminated, but
there would be too much opposition TO
that. Still we think that when many
Of the facts concerning cats have been
made public mothers VIII be more care
fuI in letting their children play with
them"