Murderous meow-meows are a myth. When pediatric experts Dr. T. Berry Brazelton and Dr. Joshua Sparrow wrote in their Families Today column that some cats would kill infants, they caused an uproar in the animal welfare community, which worried about thousands of cats being dumped by their owners. The column, which ran in the Houston Chronicle Jan. 28 said: “Cat lovers may be upset with us for saying so, but it is perhaps because cats — more than those who don’t love cats may think — actually do attach themselves to human caregivers that they have been known to be jealous of new babies as if the new arrivals were siblings! Some cats will seek out the babies’ mouths and noses and lie on them to smother them.” Not only were cat lovers upset, but also animal experts. “It’s funny that someone would still actually think that is true,” said Dr. Teri Schweiss, vice president of animal welfare at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. “That is a very old wives’ tale that has since been debunked.” Families Today backtracked, and the column for release Sunday is devoted to clarifying “our recent response to a mother concerned about whether her pregnant daughter’s three cats presented a risk to the baby.” To an outraged reader, the doctors respond: “Some readers wanted to be sure we debunked the myth that cats ‘suck’ the air out of babies. Of course we didn’t mean to suggest this. But you are right that accidents can happen and that supervision of cats or dogs with babies is prudent. Rather than attributing jealousy to cats, it may be best to keep cats out of babies’ cribs for the same reasons that we keep extra bedclothes and stuffed animals out of cribs. Certainly this ought to be possible without having to find a new home for the pet.” Suffocation deaths of infants 12 months and younger are mostly attributed to pillows and even caretakers accidentally smothering babies while they sleep together, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and National Center for Health Statistics. “I’ve never heard of a cat killing a baby,” said Schweiss, who conceded it could happen. “Certainly there have been many instances of cats biting babies, scratching babies and that type of things, but unlike dogs that will sometimes attack and just keep attacking, cats will usually do a quick swipe and run off.” Cats usually jump into a crib because the bed is warm, high off the ground or a novel place to sleep. It’s common sense not to leave a cat and a baby in the same room unsupervised, Schweiss said. She said the cat-smothered-baby theory was sometimes used in sudden infant death syndrome cases. “People were looking for an explanation for SIDS and would see cats lying in the crib and blame that on a SIDS death. But there has been no research to prove that’s ever been the case.” Some physicians are still wary of felines. When pet owners give up their cats on doctor’s orders, it makes Schweiss sad. “The problem is there is still a lot of misinformation,” Schweiss said, particularly about toxoplasmosis, a disease that can cause birth defects in the first trimester of pregnancy and can be avoided by diligent hand washing, she said. The vast majority of toxoplasmosis cases in pregnant women come from eating undercooked meat or gardening, not litter boxes. The micro-organism responsible for toxoplasmosis is usually only present in the stools of cats that are less than a year of age or those who have never lived in a household, she said. “So when I see someone who is relinquishing the family cat that has been in the house for seven years, I know that the chances for that cat being a carrier for toxoplasmosis are almost none.” Veterinary and medical communities need better communication, Schweiss said, noting: “Veterinarians actually get a lot more education on zoonotic diseases than medical doctors do.” It sounds like Brazelton and Sparrows have learned a lesson. Their follow-up column declares: “We certainly would never encourage the abandonment or mistreatment of animals, nor would we minimize the importance and depth of feelings between humans and animals.” lana.berkowitz@chron
Posted on: Fri, 27 Sep 2013 01:17:26 +0000
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