Cuddling a kitten could make you sick, with a new US study highlighting the importance for pet owners to wash their hands after handling their four-legged bundle of fluff.
A large-scale study of cat-scratch disease - transmitted to cats via fleas - conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US found its scope and impact was "a little bit larger than we thought".
The study, which took place over eight years and surveyed more than 13,000 cases of cat-scratch disease, found the annual incidence of the disease was 4.5 outpatient diagnoses per 100,000 population, which is higher than expected.
Cat-scratch disease is caused by the bacteria bartonella henselae. A person can become infected when a cat scratches or bites them.
The first sign of infection is a small lump at the site of the scratch or bite. It typically causes lymph glands to swell and may cause a mild fever for a few days.
It can also cause a number of serious complications such as endocarditis, or heart infection.
Infectious disease expert, Associate Professor Sanjaya Senanayake from ANU in Canberra said while cat-scratch disease is rare in Australia it's important to remind cat owners to always wash their hands after stroking their pet because cats can carry other nasty bacteria.
"Probably the most common cat infection we see in hospital is from pasteurella, which is a bacterium cats carry in their mouth and when people get bitten by cats they get a nasty form of skin and soft tissue infection."
Cats can also transmit the bubonic plague, which wiped out most of Europe in the Middle Ages. Last year, there was a spike in the US, with health authorities reporting 11 cases of the plague and three deaths in six states in the five months between April and August.
According to Ass Prof Senanayake, many of the cases were caused by domestic cats.
Given how popular cats are, it's not realistic to expect people to stop nuzzling their pets but flea control is important and good hygiene is essential, said Ass Prof Senanayake.
"Tending to any scratches that occur with some disinfectant and keeping a close eye on them is also a good idea."
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