Salmonella

• Although not commonly associated with fears of salmonella, cats can become infected with the salmonella bacteria and are usually asymptomatic carriers, although they may express symptoms such as a high fever, vomiting and diarrhea. The bacteria usually is passed to other animals as well as human through contact with droppings.
  
  

Bubonic Plague

• Yes, believe it or not, cats can be contagious to humans and other animals by passing along the infamous bubonic plague. The good news is that it is extremely rare; less than 50 cases of the plague are reported in the United States every year. Oddly, New Mexico reports half those cases. The way that cats carry this highly contagious diseases is usually through scratches or bites, although a cat with pneumonia may transmit the disease through sneezing.
  
  

Cat Scratch Disease

• Often called cat scratch fever, this contagious cat disease affects around 20,000 people each year. The good news about cat scratch disease is that it can be transmitted to humans only during the first two to three weeks that that cat has been infected. In almost all cases, the cat at hand has a history of biting or scratching, so researchers believe it may be transferred to the claws through licking.
  
  

Rabies

• Rabies typically occurs only in younger cats, especially those under 3 years old. There are two main types of cat rabies: furious and paralytic. The furious form is the more common and the infected cat behaves more like a rabid dog, often attacking people and biting them. The paralytic form of cat rabies only occurs in one-third of cases and usually results in the death of the cat. The World Health Organization recommends killing a cat that is seriously suspect of being rabid due to the potential risk.
  
  

Prevention/Solution

• Vaccinating the cat is very effective in preventing a host of infectious diseases in cats, but they are not fail-proof. When a vaccination fails, it is usually attributable to improper handling or storage or else the administration of the vaccine to the cat was not correctly accomplished. In some cases, however, cats simply do not have the ability to respond to the vaccine. Also be wary of too many vaccinations being given in a short period since this can reduce the cat's immune system and fail to produce the necessary antibodies.
  
  

Safety

• If a cat is even suspected of having a contagious disease, it is wise to avoid direct contact with the cat and to wear rubber gloves when emptying the litter box. This is especially true for children who are sick and adults who have any type of immune deficiency. The ability to transmit certain diseases from cat to human can easily be increased in these individuals.
  
  

Warning

• The biggest problem associated with contagious diseases in cats is than in many cases the feline will not exhibit any symptoms or signs of illness. This is especially true of a disease like feline coronavirus in which many infected cats will display no signs at all of being sick. It is for this reason especially that you should not hesitate to get the cat vaccinated because otherwise it much easier for a cat to be infected without the owner even being aware.