Is it likely that a person could catch worms if their cat was trained to use the toilet?
Just Me asked:
I'm thinking of literally toilet training my kitten instead of using a litter tray. My only concern is that, once he's willing to use a toilet, will my family and I risk catching worms from him if we share the same toilet seat? My kitten is currently a house cat but I plan on introducing him to the outdoors sometime via a cat harness and lead.
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No, your cat shouldn't have worms and if it does you're doing something wrong in his care. As long as you deworm him you will be fine…
The only thing to be concerned about is toxoplasmosis. This is a parasite which is harmless to cats and many cats have. It can cause a miscarriage in a pregnant woman but has been proven to be harmless to children and adults. Cats get the parasite by catching and eating a mouse which has it and it is transmitted by waste.
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I think it's pretty unlikely - in order to catch parasites from your cat, you would need to come into direct contact with contaminated feces. Assuming you would practice acceptable levels of hygiene (ie. cleaning any cat poo off the toilet seat!) you would be at low risk. Same thing for toxoplasmosis!
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It won't be a problem if you share the same seat. Normal bathroom hygiene (wiping down the seat occasionally) will do fine. Just don't teach him how to flush the toilet. Cats are fascinated by the whooshing sound and the water and will flush it all day (with consequences to your water bill!) if you give them the chance.