An article in USA Today cited these statistics from the study: “More than 60 percent of American households have a pet, and depending on the survey, 14 percent to 62 percent let their dogs and cats sleep with them.”
Of course, as I read this information, I was cozily curled up in bed with our pets.
Well, not the fish. They’re very picky about wishing to nap in their tank.
And not the dog. Cosmo prefers the couch (during the day) and his kennel (during the night.)
But our cats were with me in their usual places. Candy is my cat hat. She curls herself atop my head at night or during the rare nap. And Cookie is my foot warmer. She drapes herself over my feet whenever I’m in bed.
Now, I’ve been snoozing alongside cats for decades, completely unaware that apparently I’ve been exposing myself to, according to the article, “plague (yes, bubonic plague, i.e. the Black Death); chagas disease, which can cause life-threatening heart and digestive system disorders; and cat scratch disease.”
To be fair, the article also quoted Larry Kornegay, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, who said the paper citing all these concerns was “pretty balanced.” However, he stated that cases of such diseases are “uncommon if not rare,” but that pet owners should use common sense — handwashing after playing with pets and regular visits to the veterinary — and added that “‘the benefits of having a pet, whether or not you sleep with it, far outweigh the negatives, which are quite uncommon.’”
Whew. That’s a relief.
But still... bubonic plague? And chagas disease? (Actually, I’d never heard of chagas disease before reading this article, but now I have something new to worry about.)
So I admit it... I eyed Cookie, blissfully snoozing across my feet. Should I nudge her off to the floor? And I listened to Candy, purring atop my head. Should I yank her off and send her fleeing out of the room?
Then I realized I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
After all, who knew how many colds my cats have kept me from by keeping my head and feet toasty warm?
How much they’ve lowered my blood pressure just by the sound of their om-like purrs?
How often their fishy breath has reminded me to tend to my own dental health?
Or their soft fur has reminded me to take every opportunity to be kind and soft-hearted in an often hard-edged world?
Or their demands for affection — often inserting themselves between my reading glasses and scary articles about, say, chagas disease, because they want a pet or scratch — has reminded of the power of touch and the value of asking for, and giving, affection?
So I decided that I’ve spent decades with cozy cats curled up in my bed. The benefits definitely outweigh the risks, which I didn’t even know existed until now.
Besides, if the cats do make me sick, I’ll just train the dog to bring me tea.
Sharon Short’s column runs Monday in Life. Send e-mail to sharonshort@sharonshort.com.
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