Should Minnesotans Quit Sleeping With Their Cats?

I have two cats and a dog. I can't imagine life without a cat and a dog in it. I grew up with my family raising collie pups, and having a barn full of cats, of which I tamed and named each and every one of them for years.

It may explain why I understand cats so well. I understand when they want to be held, petted, or just left alone. I know that although they have a tendency to land on their feet, they cannot always do it, and although they can be jealous and finicky, they are also wonderful, and independent, and I believe that is the reason they make such good pets. Make no mistake though; YOU belong to them; not the other way around.

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Although I spent my childhood surrounded by cats, my Mom never allowed cats or dogs in the house. NEVER. She loved them too, but she did NOT want them in the house, so there were never any litter boxes to clean or dogs to give a bath. They were all outdoor animals. I wonder; is the reason she didn't want them in the house because they were messy or did she think having pets in the house increased our chances of getting worms, or something else from animals?

HERE KITTY, KITTY!

I decided to dig a little deeper into some of the health risks of sleeping with cats. Of course, if you are someone with allergies, it's not a good idea. It's probably not even a good idea to have cats in your house, although many people still do. But what about sleeping with your cat? Can you get worms?

The answer is YES. You CAN get worms from your cat. That being said, you can also get ringworm, and that I HAVE had. But, it was many years ago, and I got it from petting and then taming wild kittens in a barn. It's a skin bacteria and is easily fixed with a cream prescribed by your doctor.

FLEAS AND TICKS...AND WORMS????!

You can bring fleas into your home and it can be a total disaster. This has happened to me as well when I was pretty new to having indoor cats and dogs. I've learned that you NEVER forget to treat housepets with monthly medications for fleas and ticks.

To get worms from a cat, you actually have to ingest the parasite eggs to get worms. Honestly, the possibility is there, but I've had cats in my house my entire adult life that sleep right close to my face, and even kiss me at times, and it's still never happened.

SAY YES TO YOUR CAT

Honestly, for the most part, as long as you are a responsible pet owner, having a cat in your home is probably more of a benefit than anything. You can learn more by clicking HERE now.