Cats Love To Love Me

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

July 29, 2001

Millions of North Americans dearly love their cats. I've always preferred dogs and damn it cats instinctively know it. My wife and I laugh at how often romance blooms. We're at a friend's home with several guests and I see their cat out of the corner of my eye. I know exactly what's going to happen. The cat eyes the crowd, slowly circles the room and jumps up on the sofa right behind my head or in my lap as if to say, "You're mine". But so far none of them have infected me with cat-scratch disease.

It's estimated that every year over 400,000 people in North America are bitten or scratched by cats. And cat bites are two to three times more likely to become infected than dog bites.

Dr. Gerd Ridder of the University Clinic in Freiberg, Germany, recently addressed the American Academy of Otolaryngology, in Orlando, Florida. He reported that cat-scratch disease is the major cause of swelling of lymph nodes in the neck (lymphadenopathy).

Between January 1997 and May 2003 Dr. Ridder and his colleagues studied 721 patients with masses in the neck. The exact diagnosis was in question. But eventually cat-scratch disease was diagnosed in 99 of these patients.

Doctor Ridder reported that the diagnosis was not always easy. For instance, in 20 of his patients swollen lymph nodes involved the parotid gland in the neck. It was a finding that could be easily mistaken for a cancerous growth of the parotid gland.

To be certain of the diagnosis researchers had to first carry out testing to detect antibodies against Bartonella henselae. This is the germ that causes cat-scratch disease. Next, they had to culture the germ from either the excised mass or from pus that had collected in lymph nodes.

Patients infected by cat-scratch disease suffer from fever, general malaise and fatigue. The degree of lymphadenopathy depends on the extent of injury.

The majority of cases recover with the use of antibiotics. Surgery is not usually required unless patients with cat-scratch disease develop a large abscessed lymph node containing large amounts of pus.

Children are more likely to be scratched than adults and also more likely to become infected. The first sign of cat-scratch disease is the appearance of one or more pimples at the site of the scratch. These may appear anywhere from 3 to 30 days following the injury, but normally occur 7 to 12 days later. They last from one to four weeks.

Should swollen lymph nodes develop they last from four to six weeks. But there have been cases in which they persisted for a year.

The bacterium Bartonella henselae is present in the cat's saliva and on its paws and fur. Young cats, especially kittens, are more likely than older cats to carry the germ. But it does not cause sickness in cats.

In the majority of cases cat-scratch disease is a minor problem. But if sharp teeth inflict a puncture wound that carries bacteria deep into the tissues it can trigger serious bone and joints infections. In fact, the more I searched the literature on this disease the more I discovered that a scratch from a cute little kitten can give you many sleepless nights.

Reports show that up to 14 per cent of cat-scratch disease can cause unusual manifestations and tense moments. One condition, called, Perinaud's occuloglandular syndrome, affects the eye resulting in conjunctivitis, granuloma growths on the eye and swelling of lymph nodes behind the ears. There are also rare cases of optic neuritis which can cause transient blindness. Other infections involve brain, liver or lungs. Fortunately these rarer conditions normally subside without leaving lasting problems.

The American Academy of Family Physicians says that people can avoid catching cat-scratch disease by having cats declawed, washing hands thoroughly after handling a cat and getting rid of fleas on cats. But this august body has absolutely no advice on how to avoid these little feline beasts that instinctively know you prefer dogs, and simply want to torment you!

W. Gifford-Jones M.D is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker graduate of Harvard. Dr. Walker's website is: Docgiff.com

My book, �90 + How I Got There� can be obtained by sending $19.95 to:

Giff Holdings, 525 Balliol St, Unit # 6,Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1E1

Pre-2008 articles by Gifford Jones

Canada Free Press, CFP Editor Judi McLeod