Cats and dogs can't catch your cold

[Ruth]

According to this article it is fine to snuggle up with your cat or dog when you have a cold or the flue because they can't catch it.  That was good news to me:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/201...145215.htm

[Catherine]

The viruses are completely different. Dogs can't catch colds from cats either.

There are a few diseases that will transmit from one species to another. Rabies is one of them. The common cold is not one.

You can kiss your cat, but it is better not to shake hands with a human.

[LPC]

(01-29-2016, 05:47 PM)Catherine Wrote: You can kiss your cat, but it is better not to shake hands with a human.

Rotating LOL

[Ruth]

(01-29-2016, 05:47 PM)Catherine Wrote: The viruses are completely different. Dogs can't catch colds from cats either.

There are a few diseases that will transmit from one species to another. Rabies is one of them. The common cold is not one.

You can kiss your cat, but it is better not to shake hands with a human.

So true!!

[Catherine]

Actually if we quit shaking hands we would cut cold and flu transmission right down.

I let someone with the flu hand me something once. I had avoided her all day because she was sick. I took one thing directly from her hand. I was sick for a week. She was the only person I encountered who had the flu so she must have been the source.

I would have been safer to kiss a hamster or a guinea pig.

[AnimalFamily]

How about a "fist bump"? That's what "Howie" does to avoid germs?
I would rather kiss my cat anyway, lol!!

[Tobi]

Well....I never caught a thing from my Misty, and she sometimes licked me on the mouth, and slept in my bed. There was a small amount of mud and some rocks in my bed on the odd occasion....but no fleas either! And no 'bed mites' (I think they scarpered! LOL!) I surely would have known if there were as biting insects just LOVE to bite me!

Our best friend, Jet, was the dirtiest, scruffiest entity you ever did see. He was dirty by his own volition. His people tried to keep him as clean as possible, and undo the tangles in his fur, but he was a farm dog. His preferred 'aftershave' was fox muck. (or dead things.)
I DID always scrub my hands quite well after massaging his legs (he had arthritis in latter years) or stroking him. The cleanest places were the top of his head, his face and his ears.
I never caught ONE bug off him either!

I have caught many nasty viruses and germs over the years from people who were clean, but who insisted on going out and mingling when they had colds and flu!

And no. Dogs and cats can't catch colds from us.

[Catherine]

Quote:How about a "fist bump"? That's what "Howie" does to avoid germs?

I would rather kiss my cat anyway, lol!!

I think we should think about changing to a fist bump. Everything else we do spreads the flu even more.
Animals are clean. Even a scruffy one like Jet is still cleaner than most people you will encounter in the day.

[Ruth]

I like to just wave at people from afar!

[Catherine]

Quote:I like to just wave at people from afar!

I am with you. Some people are just too huggy kissy for me. I save that for my snakes. Snakes give great hugs.
I am not going to catch anything from my snakes either.