Can Humans Catch Feline Cancer?
No, humans cannot catch cancer from cats—cancer is not a contagious disease that transmits between species. Cancer develops from genetic mutations within an individual's own cells and is fundamentally not an infectious agent 1, 2.
Why Cancer Cannot Be Transmitted
- Cancer is not caused by direct transmission of malignant cells between cats and humans 1, 2
- Feline leukemia virus (FeLV), which causes cancer in cats, has been extensively studied and there is no evidence that FeLV can infect humans, even those living in close contact with infected cats 1, 2
- Multiple independent investigations using different testing procedures have confirmed that while FeLV is highly contagious among cats, it poses no transmission risk to humans 2
What Humans CAN Catch from Cats
While cancer itself is not transmissible, cats can transmit other infectious diseases to humans through various routes 3:
Bacterial Infections
- Cat bites and scratches can transmit Bartonella henselae (cat-scratch disease), Pasteurella species, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus 3
Fungal Infections
- Ringworm (Microsporum canis) can spread through direct skin contact with infected cats 3
Parasitic Infections
- Tapeworms (Dipylidium caninum) can be transmitted when humans accidentally ingest infected fleas from cats 4
- Sarcoptes scabiei (skin mites) can cause temporary skin irritation in humans after contact with infested cats 3
- Toxoplasma and other parasites can be transmitted through contact with contaminated feces 3
Important Clinical Context
- Feline cancers, including lymphomas, mammary tumors, and squamous cell carcinomas, are studied as comparative models for human cancer research precisely because they share molecular and clinical features—not because they are transmissible 5, 6
- The concern about "oncogenic viruses" in occupational settings relates to poultry workers exposed to avian oncogenic viruses, not household pet exposure 3