Had to get rid of a dead rat and it's made me anxious about diseases

[actualWeeaboo]

My family member's cat likes to bring presents sometimes, and he managed to shove it in a corner right next to the back door where I barely noticed the thing. So I had to awkwardly shovel out a maggot-infested rat...
I know it's insanely irrational, and that same cat has been trodding through the house since he would've killed the thing, but having to get rid of it was very nerve-wracking for me, and I'm insanely horrified that I could catch some strange disease from the flies that were around it (especially if they managed to get into the house when I went out there), or just from breathing near it... Especially 'cause it stunk, obviously. As soon as I got inside, I took a very thorough shower, then started disinfecting the floors because that's where the cat walks, and that's where I'd been walking after dealing with it... I also used whatever can of bug spray I could find on the whole outside corner to try and kill any extra gross critters that may have been there...

I've been really wishing that I could just disinfect the cat.

I know it's completely irrational, and that people get rid of dead animals all the time, but I just hate having to deal with it myself because I have such a phobia of, I guess, unknown diseases.

I don't really expect any response to this, I just feel like it'll calm me a little if I post this here in the off chance someone can relate...

[ankietyjoe]

Did you lick the dead rat?

[Carys]

The day before yesterday I had to get rid of a maggot infested, stinking dead hedgehog. I asked a similar question of my family - urrgh I've had to clean out the shed and pick it up etc, can I catch something? My science-based family told me that unless you ingest parts of the dead hedgehog or the maggots get onto an open wound on your body there is nothing that can affect you. A smell is a smell and meat rots all the time, infact it is a natural process that is happening all around us ALL the time - death, decay and maggots eating rotting creatures. It is happening under your feet in graveyards, and in your garden with all sorts of dead animals, and its just because it literally stared you in the face that it became more of an issue.

[ankietyjoe]

Furthermore, many cultures actually eat rotten meat because of the bacterial benefit.

Rats aren't inherently diseased, otherwise there would be widespread health issues everywhere, all the time. Rats are everywhere.

[actualWeeaboo]

Sorry you had to deal with that hedgehog, Carys, that sounds awful. D:

Ahhh, my brain knows that but my anxiety doesn't, ahahaha. Always the way. I think it's just 'cause I can associate rats with the black plague (though I know that's eradicated and was more caused by fleas and overall unhygienic circumstances) that this particular instance really got to me. I also have this fear that just BREATHING near something I'm concerned about might affect me somehow.

Thank you both very much for helping ease my ridiculous qualms though, somehow just getting responses can really help me feel better. I really appreciate it.

[ankietyjoe]

Sorry you had to deal with that hedgehog, Carys, that sounds awful. D:

Ahhh, my brain knows that but my anxiety doesn't, ahahaha. Always the way. I think it's just 'cause I can associate rats with the black plague (though I know that's eradicated and was more caused by fleas and overall unhygienic circumstances) that this particular instance really got to me. I also have this fear that just BREATHING near something I'm concerned about might affect me somehow.

Thank you both very much for helping ease my ridiculous qualms though, somehow just getting responses can really help me feel better. I really appreciate it.

650 years ago

Six, hundred, and, fifty.

[Carys]

The plague? Crikey, lol, you are fearing something that doesn't exist lol (but did 650 years ago as ankietyjoe pointed out) Rats are literally everywhere, they will be wandering about your garden all the time and you are breathing in their 'rattiness' as part of your existence.

[ankietyjoe]

The reason is existed back then is that there was no soap, no (readily available) disinfectant, no antiobiotics, no sewer system and no education.

The conditions don't exist for that to happen again.