Does owning a cat increase the chances of children developing leukemia?

[JVS]

Poll question: Does owning a cat increase the chances of children developing leukemia?

[Magrittes Pipe]

1. FLV isn't really leukemia, it's an autoimmune disorder.

Owning cats gives children AIDS.

[JVS]

3. Thanks, I'll add that choice.

[LisaL]

12. Felv is a feline leukimia virus.

[Magrittes Pipe]

21. Leukemia is cancer, not a virus. "Feline leukemia" is a misnomer.

And the OP was not being serious.

[JVS]

23. I was seriously asking a question. I gave options for people to choose.

I made no comments, merely asked what people thought of the disease and connection to children.

[Magrittes Pipe]

25. Ah. In that case, I apologize.

See, some of us are big enough people to apologize when we are wrong. ;)

[JVS]

26. You are a shining beacon of courtesy and etiquette for us all

Thanks for coming to my aid

[SoCalDem]

2. Being born increases your chance of getting cancer

:eyes:

[JVS]

4. That's absurd. 100% of people who never got cancer were born!

Being born is one of the best things one can do to live a cancer-free life.

[SoCalDem]

8. Aaaah...BUT if one is never born, they will never get cancer

:P

[JVS]

42. If one is not born, one will also never not get cancer

[bleedingheart]

5. no cats suck the life's breath out of children....so says my mother

and all the old ladies in my family...

although snopes debunks that....

http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/catsuck.htm

[JVS]

6. But snopes is a RW freeper source, so they're politially biased and...

not to be trusted

[LisaL]

9. Too bad cats can't suck out life out of some adults.

[JVS]

15. Shame on you for wishing death on people.

Especially in the wake of the natural disasters that have killed so many lately. Does your bloodlust know no bounds?

[LisaL]

18. I don't wish death on all people. Just very few select people.

[JVS]

20. Shame on you, nonetheless.

[bleedingheart]

24. you realize that I was just posting an old wives tale...

although I don't own a cat (allergies) I bear them no malice.

My mom told me a lot of silly things when my first child was born...even one ditty about how if you look at your child at an odd angle ..you make them cross-eyed...

[JVS]

27. I've never heard of any proof to the "cats steal breath" myth

But I have heard some "cats enjoy a nice warm place (like a face) to sleep" stories

[bleedingheart]

29. hahahaha...quit making me laugh...

[Der Blaue Engel]

50. My cats have been sucking the life out of me for four years

I have AGED because of these fuckers, I tell you! :D

[RPM]

47. really?

since when?

[Ladyhawk]

48. No, little trolls with teensy swords that live behind walls and

sneak into rooms to kill parakeets suck the life's breath out of children. I saw it in Stephen King's Cat's Eye so it must be true.

[LisaL]

7. What a stupid poll. Not all cats have Felv.

If you concerned about Felv or FIV virus being transmitted to humans, then put it in a title (FIV and Felv positive cats), because healthy cats don't have these viruses.

[JVS]

11. "healthy cats don't have these viruses"

No shit sherlock! Of course healthy cat's don't have it. Having it will make a cat sick as hell then dead. But any cat could contract it and have in the early stages and silence=death

[LisaL]

16. Get a clue. Cats are tested for those viruses, so it doesn't take

a genius to figure out which cat has it, and which doesn't. My cats have been tested for it, and don't have it. Shelters test for it as well.

[JVS]

19. I'd appreciate if you watched your tone.

Cats are known to roam about at night. They could come down with it if they are in contact with other cats.

[LisaL]

49. Since my cats are roaming around my apartment only,

what other cats are they going to come in contact with?
:eyes:

[JVS]

51. It's good that you keep them locked up. Many here on DU believe...

they have a right to roam free with which man should not interfere. It's good to see someone is being responsible enough to take precautions against FLV

[SoCalDem]

13. pregnant women should not change the litter box..not FLV

Toxoplasmosis is a risk.. I had never heard of it until a friend of mine had a seriously impaired daughter born.. The best that the doctors could come up with was thet she was infected?exposed? whatever? due to the litter box.. Hers were inside-outside cats.. I always made my husband do litter duty when I was pregnant..

[HEyHEY]

28. You're a stupid pole!

[no name no slogan]

34. Is the stupid pole like the ugly stick?

Because I know several people who have probably been hit with the stupid pole.

[JVS]

35. I had always read it as an ethnic slur, but maybe your view is correct

It certainly would explain the non-capitalization of pole.

[ghostsofgiants]

10. Everything gives you cancer these days

[SoCalDem]

14. Especially Canadian Lab Rats

:P

They seem to have the market cornered on cancer:P

[JVS]

32. Canadian Lab Rats who smoke heavily

[atomic-fly]

17. Dang, I thought they were so enriching....

[matcom]

22. that'd be cool

[JVS]

30. Good to see a respected member of the Lounge community weigh in...

on this issue.

[matcom]

31. lol

if i'm "respected" around here you are all on drugs :D

[JVS]

33. Us all on drugs, now that would be cool

[applegrove]

36. Owning a light bulb & electricity increases childhood leukemia

[bleedingheart]

37. actually the scary thing is that there is some evidence of this..

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/93/102515.htm

there are studies underway to see if increased exposure to light may cause certain cancers...

[applegrove]

40. I think the number of kids with leukimia doubled after the 1930s

when most homes all of a sudden had electricity.

[petronius]

43. Yeah, but night-lights keep away the vampires

so it's really about an even tradeoff...:)

[applegrove]

44. I know. I couldn't sleep without a nightlight when I was a kid. Was too

scared.

[petronius]

45. Me too...

I had a bunk bed (with desk and dresser underneath), so I made sure that there was light coming up on all sides of the bed so I could see if anything was sneaking up on me ... I probably shouldn't admit that! :)

[applegrove]

46. I just hated the dark.

[Fox Mulder]

38. Strawberry preserves can give kids leukemia.

As well as all the preservatives in everything they eat.

[Dark]

39. Pfft. Harry Potter is the REAL danger to kids.

They might learn how to turn THEMSELVES into a cat and give themselves FLV.

[JVS]

41. Aw shit. I hadn't thought of that!