There has been a steady increase of complaints from the public with regards to the ever increasing population of stray cats and the associated health hazards. Very recently, Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) had called on the authorities to seriously consider the registration of pet cats as been done for dogs.

SAM also proposed that the compulsory micro-chipping of these pets to be introduced. I welcome the suggestions put forward by SAM and others. It is timely we turn our attention to the stray cat population among our midst especially with regards to their hazardous droppings.

Many cat owners have been irresponsible and have been abandoning their pets and as a result we see stray cats practically everywhere including in eateries, office premises, colleges, universities, hospitals, markets and many other places.

The public generally does not seem to bother much over these stray cats since they are considered relatively harmless due to their small size unlike stray dogs which sometimes can be very intimidating. These stray cats are generally tolerated well by many in the public.

However, not many realise that when compared to stray dogs, stray cats tend to move freely in close proximity to human activities and in the process contaminate a large portion of the environment with their hazardous droppings.

Cat feces are known to harbor several highly pathogenic disease-causing organisms. These pathogenic organisms (bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungus) can be easily transmitted to humans directly or indirectly via food and water contamination.

One particular parasitic protozoa organism known as Toxoplasma gondii resides in the intestine of cats without causing any harm to the cats. Through a unique biological multiplication process, thousands of microscopic eggs (oocyst) are produced and they are shed with the feces of the cats.

These micro-eggs subsequently mature and stay infective for several months outside in the environment. Humans, especially the immuno-compromised and pregnant mothers, who pick up this parasite from the environment directly or indirectly are at a high risk of getting infected.

Once the parasite gains access to the inside of the human body, it invades the tissues and subsequently gets distributed via the blood stream throughout the body. Although the disease (Toxoplasmosis) is usually self-limiting, it has been known to cause serious medical complications especially in pregnant women.

If infection with the parasite occurs for the first time during pregnancy, the parasite can cross the placenta, possibly leading to fluid retention in the fetus brain. Blindness and the possibility of spontaneous miscarriages has been attributed to this parasite in humans. There have been reports locally and elsewhere of mothers losing their babies (fetus) after contracting this disease during pregnancy.

Studies have also shown that those who are infected with this particular parasite (especially children) having a low IQ while others have been observed to display behavioral changes similar to those suffering from schizophrenia. One has to just Google for ‘zoonotic protozoa Toxoplasma’ to have a better understanding and appreciation of the health risks associated with this particular parasite in the environment.

In view of the obvious health hazards of stray cats, especially in communities where stray cats are relatively free to multiply without any control or intervention, I urge the relevant authorities to take the necessary humane measures to reduce the stray cat (including also dogs) population.

In this context, I strongly welcome the call by Sahabat Alam Malaysia and other non- governmental organisations for a revamp of the archaic 1953 Animal Ordinance to include, among other things, penalties for pet abandoning.

In the meanwhile, I urge the authorities concerned to undertake explorative studies to determine whether there is any link associated with the infection of this particular parasite and those showing behavioral changes similar to one who is suffering from schizophrenia.

So far there is no literature to indicate of any studies conducted locally to determine the link of this cat parasite to behavioral changes locally.