pregnant...?

Question

i have a cat and im told to not change the kitty litter because of toxoplasms making the baby retarede or misscarry. but what about if the cat just went and climed up on me, isnt that the same as changing the litter? i dont change the litter but im concerned about her tracking it arounds me, does anyone know about this?

Answer 1

I saw a young boy and his mother on Oprah years ago. The mother had cleaned the litterbox while she was pregnant & her son was severely handicapped. PLEASE do some research about it & take every precaution you can if you have to clean the box.

Answer 2

Did you change your cat's litter before? Is your cat a house cat or do you let her out of the house?

I ask this because the worry about toxoplasmosis is that if you have never been in contact with it before, you can get toxoplasmosis and then it would cause damage to the baby. If you have had this cat for a long time, and assuming that it is a housecat and doesn't come in contact with other cats, even if your cat has the toxoplasm, you probably already got it and developed immunity to it, i.e., not a problem for the baby.

Of course, if your cat didn't have toxoplasm and suddenly got it from another cat (or eating prey she catches), then gave it to you while you're pregnant, that's another story. So of course it's just safer to take the precautions.

Toxoplasmosis-affected babies are rare in North America, but devastating if you have it. So certainly it's always better to be safe than sorry.

A few nice tips I found online (see link):

Don't get a new kitten or cat while you're pregnant, and don't play with stray cats or kittens.

• If you have a cat, have other people empty the litter box, and have them do it daily. This reduces the risk of infection because the oocysts aren't infectious for the first 24 hours after they're excreted. If you must do the job, wear disposable gloves and wash your hands well afterward. Some even suggest wearing a mask in case any particles become airborne when the litter is stirred up, and disinfecting the box by pouring near-boiling water into it five minutes before you handle it.

• To keep your cat from becoming infected while you're pregnant, feed him only commercial cat food or well-cooked table scraps, never raw or undercooked meat. Keep him indoors so he won't hunt down potentially infected prey like mice or birds. (Remember, though, that even an indoor cat might catch a mouse.)

• Keep Kitty off of the kitchen counter and dining table.

• Though it's unlikely your cat has any parasites in his fur, it's a good idea to wash your hands after playing with him, especially before eating or otherwise putting your hands to your mouth.

Answer 3

You can still change the litter if you wear gloves and wash very well afterwards (including using a little scrub brush for your nails).

If your cat climbing on you involved POOP on you, and you're that worried about it, go wash several times with soap and change your clothes. But most likely you're fine.

Answer 4

My sister-in-law is pregnant and won't go near cats or in people's homes with cats. I have heard of many stories where people have gotten sick from their cats and didn't even know they were sick. They were just tired all the time and didn't know why (there is a name for the illness, I just can't remember it). This happened to a friend of mine who finally listened to my advice and got rid of the cat and finally got back her energy. If I were pregnant I would not live with a cat or go near one.

Answer 5

You should have the cat stay with someone else until after the baby is born. It's always better to err on the side of safety

Answer 6

You could get rid of the cat. Otherwise, just don't change the box, and have someone else do it. Pregnant women worry about everything. (Mother of 2)