We’ve all had that experience where we’ve watched a video of an animal being rescued and immediately felt like we were completely helpless. What can we possibly do to help out all the injured, sick, and rescued animals out there? Well, you can read through this article and find or start initiatives around you to help out your local lovable strays.

Do your research

One of the first steps you can take to make sure the animals in your locality receive the best possible care is to research – are there any existing shelters in your region? If so, what are the extent of their services? In what areas are they lacking? And importantly, how can you contribute to their cause. If there is no such initiative, you may find yourself starting one on your own – find like-minded individuals and help out the animals as much as you can.

Volunteer at shelters

So now you know what shelters are nearby, how can you help them out? Well, most shelters have a lot of volunteering jobs available – some of which have been described below.

Transport

One of the many jobs needed at a shelter is transport. You may not think of it but the animals at a shelter often require a lot of movement which can be difficult to provide on a budget. If you have a car and can afford the fuel, all you need to do is pick and drop the animals to and from the shelter. This may require an investment of some hours a week but it’ll definitely be a great help to the people at the shelter.

Dog walking

If you love dogs, you can help out by walking the dogs. Since walking dogs is important and needs the dedication of at least person, you’ll be a big help to your local shelter if you can dedicate some time to take the load off their hands. And the benefit is, both you and the dogs get to exercise, plus you get to spend time with some adorable puppies.

Rescue animals

If you have the training or are willing to take it, you can be a big help to local shelters by rescuing animals. You can also be a big by keeping an eye out and reporting any incidents of animals that may need rescuing or help.

Take pictures

Are you a photographer or do you enjoy taking pictures? You can be a big help to your local shelters – a glamour shoot of their animals can be just what they need to find their forever homes. If you have old photography equipment lying around, donate it to a local shelter is another great way to help out.

Homemade items

Enthusiasts of knitting or arts and crafts at home can also try out making things at home and be donating them to your local shelter. With some careful maneuvering, you can turn old clothes into cat/dog sweaters, beds, and much more. This is a great way to help out even if you don’t have the financial resources to make big donations or pick out items from wishlists.

Foster animals

Fostering animals is kind of like fostering children – all you do is give them a temporary place full of love and care until they can go to their forever home. This is a great way to help – you only need to invest in the animal for some time, and you can care for a lot of animals in a short amount of time, and really make a difference in their life. It may be difficult to leave them at the end but you can do so knowing they’ll go to a wonderful home.

Give away extra items

When you really sit down and look through the items in your home, you’ll actually be surprised at how many of those things you don’t really need. Keep up to date with the ‘wish lists’ for your local shelters and if there’s anything extra at home you can give up, let it go for a good cause.

Buy ethically

One great initiative you can take is to buy ethically – check and read up on the companies that you buy from. Are they testing on animals? Are their products exploiting animals in any way? If not, consider not buying from them. Your actions can help animals around the world.

Financial help

Shelters, because of the way that they operate, almost always need financial help. You can help shelters collect funds by reaching out to them and assisting them in fundraising efforts, or you can also help them out financially on your own.
Feel free to be wary when giving away money – like any other initiative that requires donations, before you donate any, you should make sure that the money you are giving is actually being used for the animals’ welfare. Try out a visit to the shelter – not only will this help you see how the money is being used but also it’ll help you understand what avenues of their shelter require the most financial help.

Report concerns

If you live in an area where commercial breeding is outlawed or selling animals is against the law, you can report pet stores that sell cats and dogs. This can be very important, with one or two complaints, you can be saving animals from abuse and neglect. If there are no such laws in place, try using the sheer power of the people to your advantage – getting enough people to agree may convince them that they’re in the wrong.

TNR campaigns

Many vets and pet stores run TNR campaigns throughout the year. These campaigns stand for ‘Trap/Neuter/Return’ and often are for free. Basically, the vet will carry out neutering and spaying surgeries for free, after which the animal will be returned back to their initial surroundings. This prevents the growth of the stray population.

Spread awareness

If you have access to a platform, one of the most effective things you can do for a local shelter or initiative is to spread awareness about it. Even sharing graphics on platforms like Facebook can help – it may not seem like much, but the people on your list of friends will see it and can share it further.

When it comes to the profiling of contagious diseases that can pass from cat to human, Toxoplasmosis is one that is very well known. But what exactly is this disease, how can it be caused, and what are some of the myths about it? Read on below for an understanding of this highly prolific zoonotic disease.

What is Toxoplasmosis?

Toxoplasmosis is a disease which is caused as a result of infection with Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite. Although this disease can infect almost all mammals, it’s definitive host is the cat. What this means is that although other mammals can carry the parasite, it can reproduce inside the body of a cat.

The kind of infection caused is usually mild, except for the case of immunosuppressed and weakened individuals. In humans, the most common route of infection is through the ingestion of infected meat or milk, although in some cases infection may happen through accidental inhalation or ingestion from cat feces e.g. while cleaning a litter box.

Toxoplasmosis in cats and other pets

Toxoplasmosis doesn’t just affect humans – it affects animals as well. Because the parasite has adapted superbly, it can adjust to a number of environments, meaning it can infect a number of host animals including pets like cats and dogs. However this infection is rarely observed and most commonly seen in cats.

The symptoms of Toxoplasmosis

If you have or your cat has been infected by the Toxoplasmosis parasite, you may start to exhibit the following symptoms. Visit the doctor or the vet as soon as you notice them.

General population

In most cases, because of the mild nature of the disease, it may prove to be asymptomatic. This means that no symptoms will be seen. However in other cases the symptoms are seen but because of the lack of severity, may even be confused with the common cold. Some of these symptoms are:

1. Headaches and high fever
2. Fatigue, body aches, and exhaustion
3. Swelling in the lymph nodes

High-risk cases

In certain cases, some individuals are at a higher risk of infection, and the symptoms are much more severe. This includes immunosuppressed people, who are either taking therapy to reduce their immune response (such as after a transplant) and people who have lowered immunity because of another disease. They may notice:

1. Confusion and lack of coordination
2. Severe headaches and fatigue
3. Seizures
4. Problems with lungs and breathing
5. Difficulty with vision

Another high-risk group is pregnant women. This is because Toxoplasmosis is a disease that can pass from mother to child. This can result in stillbirths as well as miscarriages. If the babies survive, they may be born with Jaundice, eye infection, large liver or spleen, or even seizures. In some cases, the child may not show signs of disability until much later.

Pets

In animals, the disease can result in various general symptoms such as high fever, a sudden loss of appetite, coupled with distress and depression. As with humans, these symptoms appear more often in cats that are either suffering an immunosuppressive disease or are under medication.

As the infection grows, this may lead to more severe symptoms such as arrhythmias, development of lung diseases, and a stiffened gait.Pregnant cats may lose their kittens. In dogs, this disease may be seen as a result of a primary distemper infection.

Common causes of Toxoplasmosis

The ingestion of infected foods is a common way of the development of this disease. Along with this, the disease can be caused by the inhalation and handling of cat feces, such as during the action of cleaning a cat’s litter box. Additionally, some vegetable and fruit skins may be carrying the disease. In some, very rare cases, the disease may also spread through infected transplant organs and blood.

Prevention of Toxoplasmosis

Now that you know what Toxoplasmosis is and how it is caused, you must be wondering, how can I stop this disease from affecting my life? Listed below are some prevention methods you can use to reduce the spread of this disease.

Prevention tips for humans

Using these tips, you can reduce the chances of infection with Toxoplasmosis. If you are at risk, you need to make sure you are following all of these methods.

1. Under all circumstances, avoid the ingestion of raw meat.
2. Peel and clean all of your fruits and vegetables before eating them
3. If you are pregnant, avoid cleaning your cat’s litter box.
4. At any point, avoid handling soil directly and instead use gloves.
5. Avoid drinking milk that hasn’t been treated and can be infected.

Prevention tips for pets and animals

Your furry friends will benefit greatly using the prevention methods listed below, to keep them and the other mammals and humans around them safe.

1. Indoor cats are at lower risk of carrying this disease, so keep your cat indoors.
2. Avoid feeding your cat and other pets a raw meat diet, which may be infected and contain the parasite.
3. Get your cats tested for Toxoplasma gondii whenever you can.
4. Wear gloves when cleaning out your cat’s litter and clean hands after.
5. Clean your cat’s litter regularly and clean the box itself too.
6. Never allow your dogs to have access to the cat’s litter box.

Once you get the results back, don’t panic if your cat is tested positive. If the cat has been tested positive and doesn’t currently have the disease, this is the best case scenario. What this means is that your cat was infected once, but now has immunity against the disease. Because of this, the chances of him or her either getting infected or becoming a source of infection are relatively low.

Treatment of Toxoplasmosis

Although because of its mild nature, a lot of the people won’t know they are infected, you should be highly alert if you fall in the at-risk groups when it comes to Toxoplasmosis. If you note the symptoms, go straight to a doctor. In cases of inflammation of the eye, you will probably need immediate medical attention and so it is best not to delay.

If you notice any of the signs mentioned above in your cat or dog, you need to take him or her to the vet immediately. Possibly, once the vet has examined the animal, he or she will recommend antibiotics. These will help prevent secondary infections and will keep your pet safe.

Myths about the disease