Petting cats that might be strays

Hello, my question is a little weird. I walk to and from work in the city and often see cats roaming the streets. I can never resist stopping to meet a new cat. They may be someone's pet or they may be strays but they generally let me pet them.
I always wash my hands afterwards, but I worry about transmitting germs to my own cats. I can't imagine passing by a cat on the street without loving him a little, but if it's dangerous for my boys I'll stop. Does anyone else do this? Should I quit petting these cats?

Yep, I pet them all (if they want petting of course).In fact I have quite a few cat friends along some of my walking routes.

One struggle I have is, I always feel slightly guilty encouraging cats outside to be friendly with strange humans, because you never know when one (human) is going to be a creep.

I try to avoid letting them rub on my clothes, and do use a sanitizer on my hands and then wash them before touching my own cats when I get home.

I too sometimes worry about contamination, but haven't ever had any problems.

If you wash your hands, you are probably bringing more danger home on your shoes.

I always pet stray cats too, but make sure I wash my hands well and don't pet ones that look sick

I don't usually try to pet any animals that I don't know. But I do talk to them.

Am tempted to do that too, but my Bear always gets sick and I would hate to pass anything to him. I even tell the other people I live with not to touch any cats.

Be sure to wash your hands thouroghly with soap and water and I think you should be fine.

I wouldn't pick them up though in case of fleas or mites that can hitch hike on your clothes, but I see nothing wrong with pets and scritchies and a good washing of the hands afterwards.

I wash my hands and try to keep them off my clothing. If the cat looks sick or I know for certain that the cat never gets any vet care, even if they don't touch my clothes, they come off before I go near my cats. Shoes are not brought into the house, let alone worn in. (it's very gross and destructive to the floors)

IMO as long as you wash your hands before petting your own cats (and if you handle them, change clothes), then your cats should be safe as long as they have their shots.

You could take hand sanitizer with you and clean up right away.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

I wash my hands and try to keep them off my clothing. If the cat looks sick or I know for certain that the cat never gets any vet care, even if they don't touch my clothes, they come off before I go near my cats. Shoes are not brought into the house

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Exactly my thoughts.

I always carry cat food and hand sanitizer in my purse for just such situations. I will pet them if they allow it--never pick them up and clean my hands immediately. When I go home I always leave my shoes out side my apt. door. I feel safer (for the stray) if they don't come up to me, or run from me. I don't mean to have any contact with them because I feel sad when I have to leave them. Sometimes it seems like I am a magnet for these cats. What do they do, talk among themselves about the lady with the tuna in her purse?

Originally Posted by icklemiss21

If you wash your hands, you are probably bringing more danger home on your shoes.

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That's exactly what one of my vets told me a long time ago. We don't wear our shoes in the house for that very reason.

Doorknobs, keyboards, money, etc. are lot worse in terms of germs I would think even than a strange cat. Keep a hand sanitiser right by your door when you walk in, just squirt some of that and rub it on your hands, you'll be fine. Also make yourself less prone to getting sick as well as your cats.

My vet had me wash my hands with a disinfectant before I could touch a rescue she had at her office.

I adopted her.

Originally Posted by merrytreecats

Doorknobs, keyboards, money, etc. are lot worse in terms of germs I would think even than a strange cat. Keep a hand sanitiser right by your door when you walk in, just squirt some of that and rub it on your hands, you'll be fine. Also make yourself less prone to getting sick as well as your cats.

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But those items don't usually harbor cat specific viruses.

As for hand sanitizer being good enough. I ended up in the hospital because hand sanitizer isn't good enough. There are bacteria and a few viruses that are not killed by alcohol - they tend to be some pretty bad things that you do not want to get. (on that note, clean bathrooms with bleach, people. That's where they're commonly picked up from and if you don't clean your bathroom properly you could end up killing someone)

I don't pet stray cats cuz I don't see any around here, if i did I would probably pet them all the time...
I never wear shoes at home, and I would wash my hands, but isnt that what vaccines are for?? I was thinking there can't be that many dangerous infectious diseases anymore since vaccines, besides the cold/flu...
but even a cold is too much to risk, it could turn into pneumonia.
Jake met a cat the other day who was a stray and now I'm worrying about diseases he could have gotten (they didn't fight just stared at each other through a fence)

I worked in a stray rescue program of a vet's office for months. Like the others said, wash your hands and drop your clothes in the wash (leave the shoes outside) if you ever have any questions about a kitty. None of mine ever got sick and Hemmy is very susceptible to catching things. Many (but not all) illnesses are transmitted through saliva which is pretty hard for you to transmit from one cat to another. If you're seeing these cats on your way into work by quitting time whatever was there is long gone.

I meet all the strays too.

Originally Posted by otto

One struggle I have is, I always feel slightly guilty encouraging cats outside to be friendly with strange humans, because you never know when one (human) is going to be a creep.

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Me too. Shame that you have to think about these things.

Originally Posted by pushylady

Me too. Shame that you have to think about these things.

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I met the nicest black kitty the other day on a walk. She came running out of her yard as soon as she saw me, right into the street, talking a mile a minute, and wound herself around my legs. I probably could have picked her up and walked off with her. Not that I would, but of course I worry about the worst that could happen. She kept trotting back toward the house and nodding at me to follow her, I think she wanted me to let her in.

When I came back by that way, there was a car in the driveway, but she was still out on the stoop, and meowing at the door. I stepped up and rang the door bell and when the guy came to the door I said "your cat wants to come in". He was so surprised he just opened the door without saying a word, and I said as I stepped off the stood, "you really ought to watch her better, she ran right out in the street to greet me ."