Are you one of the 36 million Americans households that love their feline pets? If your answer is yes, you are clearly not alone! It is estimated that 30% of Americans own a cat. Today Leading Carpet Cleaning will share with you the history of cats, why cats are found to be such endearing pets, diseases to be aware of if you have cats living in your home, and how to keep those carpets clean of cat urine and feces.
Why Were Cats Domesticated & How Long Have They Been Pets?
Scientists have labeled cats as civilization’s pet. Humans used to rely on hunting as their primary source of meat. Hunting dogs were domesticated out of necessity to help obtain food. Cats however, only became domesticated as people started to form civilizations. With the formation of civilizations came surplus crops and storehouses. Those storehouses led to mice. It is believed that the first wild cats followed the mice into civilization. People were delighted by the pest control they provided and began to domesticate them. Archaeologists discovered a cat in the Egyptian tombs that date back to 12,000 years ago. After making that discovery, it is now widely believed that humans have loved their cats for the last 12,000 years! Cats have made loving companions for families all over the world. Studies show that owning a cat has health benefits that include reducing stress and anxiety, decreasing the risk of stroke, boosting your immunity, and lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. In addition to those benefits, they provide companionship and reduce feelings of loneliness for their owners.
Can Cat Urine & Feces on Carpet Cause Illness in Humans?
With all of those amazing benefits, there are also a few words of caution for cat owners. Cat feces and urine are known to cause two different illnesses – Escherichia coli bacterial infection and toxoplasmosis. Escherichia Coli bacterial infection, commonly known as E.coli, can affect your urinary tract and cause cramping and diarrhea. Typically if one family member is infected with E.Coli, another family member will be infected as well. E.Coli infections can be effectively treated with antibiotic treatment. Toxoplasmosis may cause flu-like symptoms of fever, body aches, and diarrhea. Fortunately healthy humans frequently don’t even know they have been affected by toxoplasmosis. Healthy immune systems will fight off the infection without us ever knowing that we are ill. If your body is unable to fight it off medication will be necessary and medical treatment should be sought. To prevent these illnesses cat owners should make sure that they safely handle the litter box, maintain a clean litter box at all times, and ensure that their carpets, rugs, and upholstery are frequently cleaned to remove cat feces and urine.
Carpet Cleaning & More in Orange, Santa Ana, Rancho Cucamonga, Anaheim, Whittier, Riverside, Chino & Fullerton California
Cat feces and urine left in carpets are not always visible to the naked eye. Children and adults alike run the risk of illness when cat feces and urine are not thoroughly cleaned out of carpets. Here at Leading Carpet Cleaning we have a specially formulated enzyme carpet, rug, and upholstery formula to lift pet stains and extract the attached odors. Call us today so that we can schedule your expert carpet cleaning!