Cuddling with your cute cat can kill you

MIAMI – Let's not mince words, cuddling with your cute cat may kill you.

In what may cause major waves within the feline-loving world, a new study published by the Centers for Disease Control warns cat owners that cuddling with four-legged friends increases the risks of cat-scratch disease.

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And let's not mince words again, "Cat Scratch Fever" is not just the name of a Ted Nugent rocker.

Although preventable and mostly mild, cat-scratch disease can cause serious complications that could lead to death.

According to Mashable, the disease spreads when a cat licks a human's open wounds, or bites a person's skin.

The study showed that in 12,000 claims of cat-scratch disease, 500 people had to be hospitalized and the number of those becoming seriously ill from the disease has jumped from 3.5 percent to 4.2 percent over a six-year period.

Symptoms of cat-scratch disease include fever, headache, poor appetite, swollen lymph nodes and exhaustion.

Experts tell cat owners to steer clear of the disease by keeping your pets indoors and to wash your hands after cuddling with cats.