Anyone Have Cats in the Home?

@picartist I have a cat, had two when I was diagnosed summer of 2024 (both seniors), one died last year, the other still with us (over 18 years old!) This is my second generation of cats, my first generation lived similarly long lives. I am a cat lady through and through. I can honestly say I have no idea if or how my cats may play a role in my NTM infection. They are indoor only (but with a Catio, though no grass/soil). But what I can tell you is that I don’t want to live in a world that doesn’t have cats. Like you I don’t have pet allergies. I have no history of lung issues, no asthma, no COPD, no history of lung infections. My NTM infection literally appeared out of the blue. That said, it did a lot of damage before it was discovered. I have BE in most my lobes now (and yes, my NTM specialist thinks in my case the NTM came first, the BE second). I have not (yet) had any exacerbations. When I was first diagnosed I posted on another site about my kitty litter possibly being a source of NTM (it is grass based) and someone posted an article on cats (and other animals) possibly being vectors for NTM, telling me when this generation passes I should think about refraining. I will see if I can find the article, but I did not find it compelling. Especially for an indoor only cat. I get how pets that go outside can drag in dirt, but so can humans, and so we take precautions for that, or don’t, but to not have pets at all?! Yikes. I myself could not do it. I do not want to do it. And I am 59. If I were in my 80’s I can honestly say there is not much I would deny myself, certainly nothing that offers as much love and companionship as pets. But I am sure others feel differently. I know perfectly healthy people who won’t have pets because they view them as vectors of dirt and disease. And I suppose if I had frequent infections that could be reasonably linked to my cats, and my quality of life was significantly impacted, I might reevaluate (but probably not 🙂 ). But I see many in our community turn their lives upside down in ways that have no actual proven impact, no data to show it will make any real difference. And ok, if your fine with it, more power to you. I myself haven’t been in a swimming pool since diagnosis. We all have our own comfort zones. But in your 80’s it is all about quality over quantity. Have you discussed your concerns with your doctor? What do they say? One option is to work with a shelter for a trial run: explain your health issues and that you want a cat but if you start having exacerbations you might need to bring back. Many shelters will take back their animals if necessary and most need fosters so you could offer to foster for a period as a way to see whether it fits with your health and if it feels right you can formally adopt and if not, no harm no foul, you helped them out for that time. Just something to think about. From a clearly cat-biased lady!

@bayarea58 Thanks for your comments. I have been involved in animal rescue and Humane Society shelters for quite a few years. It started with my wife fostering kittens years ago and took off from that. I'm evaluating things now and I do have a daughter and sister-in-law big on rescue so with a donation to take care of medical, etc., I am confident they will take any cat I adopt after I'm gone. However, I expect to live quite a few more years. My overall health is good and I am not "letting the Old Man in," unless he breaks down the door.

Before my diagnosis, when I was obviously very sick and coughed for a year, my cat developed a dry cough, labored breathing and weight loss. She died of a lung fungus .

@reneemc oh no, I am so sorry! Do you worry that she infected you or vice versa? Did you have lung fungus when you were diagnosed with MAC, or was it all just a heartbreaking coincidence? They say with NTM that humans that live together and both get infected it’s more likely that they share a common environmental exposure than that one infected the other. I myself live in a semi-rural area so there is a lot of potential for exposure to all the bugs that are problematic for our patient population. But honestly, if I present a risk to my cats’ health, I would rethink my position of course. I will review with my vet ASAP. I did tell my vet about my NTM infection when I was first diagnosed, as my cat often sleeps very close to my face (though so does my husband!) He had no idea what to do with that information, lol. Since the doctors repeatedly say we BE/NTM patients are not infectious, I have not been worried, but you are giving me pause.

I always had cats until 15 years ago when I lost a kitten to birth defects and never got another one. Three years ago a friend knew of a feral cat in her neighborhood and I rescued her. She is an indoor cat and has come along way. I have had BE and NTM long before I got her so I don't think she is a problem.. But everybody is different and definitely must do what is best for them.

Hello fellow cat lover! I had 8-9 cats when I was first diagnosed. I'm down to 7 now due to the others passing from old age/illness. My doctors never expressed concern about having many cats, but I was advised to not bend over too much when scooping the boxes since I also have GERD. I haven't had any issues with the cats and NTM/MAC. If I was you, I would definitely get a cat to keep me company. The shelters are always full of calm. older cats just looking for a good home. If you end up adopting, let us know!

I had two Infectious Disease doctors tell me cats were not a problem with my NTM. It seems much more likely, as someone already suggested, that environmental issues can affect humans and cats, and not that the cat is transferring disease. Litter worries me, though.

Mokie

@mokie I always wear an N-95 when I clean the litter boxes, really with any housecleaning. I also have air filters near each of the litter boxes to capture any dust generated. I vacuum frequently but that has always been the case, long before NTM. Of course, wash hands after cleaning, etc., basic hygiene rules always apply. I do use an organic product that is suppose to be low dust, low tracking but us cat guardians know those claims are relative. I myself would stay away from clay based litter products with lung issues as I have found they tend to generate the most dust. At least that has been my experience. I switched off clay long before my NTM diagnosis, for my cats health more than my own.

Hi, I have a cat who stays indoors. Also, I’m allergic to him as well as being a gardener, having asthma, COPD and Be. If you really want a cat get one. Shelters are totally overrun with cats and kittens. Only thing is, I cannot sleep with him. Maybe that helps somewhat, I don’t know. But I wouldn’t give up having a cat or gardening.