Accidentally drinking water that your cat has licked is generally not harmful, provided that your cat has been properly vaccinated. However, if your cat hasn't received its vaccinations, there's a higher risk of bacterial transmission through their saliva. Therefore, it's crucial to ensure your cat is vaccinated promptly for their health and your peace of mind.
If your cat is vaccinated and regularly dewormed, drinking water they've licked shouldn't expose you to rabies. However, if the cat is unvaccinated and not dewormed regularly, the rabies virus can potentially spread through saliva. As a precaution, it’s best to get a rabies vaccine as soon as possible if you’re concerned, and you might consider taking a human deworming medication to avoid any possible risk. Generally, you're unlikely to contract toxoplasmosis by accidentally drinking water your indoor cat licked. While cats and felines are indeed primary sources of toxoplasmosis, the greatest risk actually comes from their feces, which contains the most infectious oocysts. Cat saliva usually contains very few oocysts, so there's minimal risk of contracting toxoplasmosis from saliva-contaminated water.
How Long Does Cat Saliva Remain Infectious?
Cat saliva can act as a transmission medium for various feline diseases. The duration of contagiousness depends on the specific disease. For example, a cat infected with feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) can remain contagious for up to two years, and the virus can survive for up to three months at room temperature. In contrast, cats infected with coronaviruses and caliciviruses may become lifelong carriers, and the viruses can survive in the environment from several hours to several days. Disinfecting your home can reduce the survival and transmission rate of these viruses. Many commercially available disinfectants are effective against most viruses.