question about having cats while pregnant?

Question

I am 10 weeks preg. We have 3 cats and a kitten. We have two litter boxes, my husband cleans them out once a week, it can be a pain to get him to clean them. BUt even the day after he does it smells so bad I dont even want to be in my house! and my sister-in-law told me that you cant be around cats while you are pregnant!? Sounded crazy to me just wondering if anyone ever heard of such a thing. And if anyone has any tips to keep a good smelling house.

Answer 1

YOu shouldnt be cleaning the litter box while pregnant it can cause toxoplasmosis
here is what I found:
Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by a parasite, Toxoplasmosis gondii. Most cases in humans result from contact with cat feces, particularly those of cats who hunt rodents or birds. Non-hunting cats who stay indoors 100 percent of the time represent a much smaller risk. The danger of infection occurs when you come in contact with infected soil or litter boxes. You can also become infected by eating undercooked meats or foods contaminated with the parasite.

Answer 2

Don't listen to the person above, the fumes of the cat urine doesn't damage anything.

The only thing that you should be careful with is called toxoplasmosis. Outdoor cats will get this from feeding on rodents and such. Cats only carry it for a brief amount of time and then they don't have it anymore and if they have it, it can be passed on to you. If you've had cats for a long enough time, you might of already gotten this and your body is probably immuned to it and it will not hurt the baby then. It's only if you catch it while pregnant when it's harmful, but only by a certain percentage. Also if you do any gardening, make sure you put on gloves to avoid toxoplasmosis from possible animals deficating in the garden.

DON'T GIVE YOUR CATS AWAY!!! YOU DON'T NEED TOO!!!
I recomment that your husband cleans the litter box daily. I had 5 cats and I couldn't imagine not cleaning the litter box only once a week, because even cleaning it daily I found wasn't enough. I have 3 cats now and clean the litter box daily and I don't smell anything. You can even clean the litter box yourself, just make sure to wear gloves and/or wash your hands right afterwards. I'm currently trying to conceive and my hubby won't clean the litter box, cuz they are my cats, so I do it myself without gloves, I just wash my hands afterwards. I'm not worried, their indoor cats!!

Enjoy your cats and enjoy your pregnancy, also playing a tape of a crying baby or something thereabouts will help your cats cope with the new sounds once the baby is born. Good luck and congrats on your pregnancy!!

Answer 3

OMG he sounds like my lazy husband and we only have one cat. And my cat gets now to where he hates the smell of his own crap that he won't always scratch and cover up his business which makes the problem worse! It's fine being around cats while pregnant. You aren't supposed to change the litter because...I can't remember exactly why. But doctors have always said they sometimes carry something that could be harmful to pregnant women. So if you have to change the litter just wash your hands right afterwards. Other than changing the litter way more often than once a week I suggest putting the Arm & Hammer's litterbox baking soda powder stuff in the littlebox every couple of days which is supposed to eliminate odors. Or just tell your husband that he needs to get a couple of more litter boxes. Are you using Tidy Cat or other top of the line litters? I've found that the store/generic brands just don't contain the smell.

Answer 4

You can have cats while you are pregnant. If you must change your litter box yourself, wear those long dish washing gloves and wash thoroughly afterward. The same thing is recommended if you are gardening and will be handling soil, and sand.

The main danger is to those who have outdoor cats that hunt. The cats can get something called toxoplasmosis from eating wild animals infected with it. The source I listed tells you what it is and what precautions you need to take.

I have had cats through both my pregnancies. Mine are hunters. I just call my mom to take out the litter. I am spoiled : )

As far as the smell goes, Dump a box of baking soda in the litter box, it will absorb some of the oder. Oust and Febreeze air work good as an air oder eliminator.

Answer 5

I know when you go to your first prenatal check up (at least at mine) you are asked if you have any cats in the house. I don't know really what for because I haven't had cats in my house with my pregnancies. When you see your OB/GYN ask about the cats and if their is anything wrong with them or just things you should avoid. I have known pregnant people with cats in their house and their babies were fine so I don't think it is the actual cat that is the problem.

I looked it up here is something I found. www.lakeeffectdog.com/human_pregnancy_cats.htm
Like I thought it is not the cat it is Toxoplasmosis.

In case the link does not work here is the article.

Human Pregnancy And Cats
Pregnant women and cats... You may have heard the rumors, but what threat does a cat pose, if any, to a pregnant woman? What are the real dangers of having a cat in the house while you or someone in your family is pregnant? Read on and find out!

A pregnant woman will need to take extra precaution against contracting Toxoplasmosis during her pregnancy. However this doesn't mean that a cat can not live in the same house with a pregnant woman. There are many very simple and easy tips that you can do to make sure that Toxoplasmosis is not spread (if your cat even has it which he or she may not) to the expectant mother. Keep in mind that a pregnant woman can also contract Toxoplasmosis from unpasteurized milk products, and uncooked or undercooked meats such as lamb or pork. So cats do not pose the only risk to women as far as Toxoplasmosis is concerned, and in fact a woman is more likely to contract Toxoplasmosis from a source other than a feline.

So what is Toxoplasmosis?
Toxoplasmosis is caused by a parasitic protozoan called Toxoplasma gondii. Feline infection by Toxoplasma gondii is fairly common, however we rarely see disease caused by this parasite (generally disease is see in kittens, the old, and immuno-compromised animals). The parasite is seen in three different forms: cyst, oocyst or tachyzoite. Most felines contract toxoplasmosis from meat that is raw and/or contaminated with any of the three stages of parasite. When a cat ingests such meat (raw meat, a rodent, other prey) that is infected with the parasite, the parasite moves to the wall of the small intestine where it will grow and mature. At this point the cat will excrete oocysts (in high numbers) in his/her feces. These oocysts are what is infective to other animals and humans (pregnant or not).

The best way to avoid Toxoplasmosis is to simply avoid any possible contact with feline feces. Thus a pregnant woman's best defense is to make sure not to change the litter or clean the litterbox, and to not bring any new cats into the home during the pregnancy. These simple steps in conjunction with taking care to not eat uncooked or undercooked meats, or unpasteurized milk products should be enough to keep mom-to-be safe from any potential infections.

Women can also have a Toxoplasmosis test done before or once they know they are pregnant. If the expectant mother has had cats or has been in contact with cats in the past she may have already been exposed to Toxoplasma gondii. If so she probably already has antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii. This is the best case scenario. If a woman already has antibodies against Toxoplasmosis and if she is exposed again (even while pregnant), the antibodies will fight off the parasite and thus she will have little to no chance of becoming ill or passing Toxoplasmosis to her unborn child. Having a Toxoplasmosis test will tell her if she already has antibodies or not.

You can also have your cat tested. The same rules apply for cats. If the cat tests positive for antibodies then he has already been exposed and thus has a very low chance of contracting the parasite again. However if your cat tests negative and if he then comes in contact Toxoplasma gondii in the future he could become infected and could also then shed oocysts in his feces.

The bottom line is that if your or someone in your house becomes pregnant you don't need to immediately give up your cat. You may want to have both the pregnant woman and the cat tested for Toxoplasmosis. And as a safety precaution simply make sure that mom-to-be stays away from the litterbox at all times whether it be to change the litter or clean the litterbox. That won't be too hard will it ladies?

Article submitted by: © 21cats.org Original Article



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Answer 6

Try cleaning them out more often and buying kitty litter deodorizer. We have one cat and her poop stinks to high heaven (you can smell it throughout the house after a healthy dump), and the deodorizer works on hiding the smell.

People are so uptight about the cat issue and pregnancy/baby. As long as YOU don't clean out the kitty poopin box and don't touch the fecal matter, you are fine. My kitty constantly wanted to be around me and I let her. She even slept on my pregnant belly most of the time. Actually cats can be very theraputic for you because the purring from them is a calming effect. If I was upset or scared, Brookie would come lay on my lap or belly, or beside me, and just sit and it calmed me down a bunch. When I was in labor the cat knew something was wrong and followed me around everywhere and wouldn't leave me alone. She was trying to keep me calm. When I left for the hospital she barged out the door to go with me, and trust me if I could have had her in the delivery room with me, she would have been there.

The old wives tale of cats taking the breath away from babies is a crock too, because Brooke will not even go around the baby. She was alarmed at the screaming and doesn't want to get bopped in the nose by a kicking foot.

Answer 7

The cats are not a problem but cleaning their litter is. There is a bacterial germ in the litter that can cause birth defects stay away from the litter. Try a different kind of litter for multiple cats and put a little baking soda in and change completely often.

Answer 8

It is ok to have cats, just be sure to NOT change the cat box! Put your husband to work. Tell him it is not safe for the baby for you to be going this chore till after the baby comes. Try on of those plug in's next to the littler box, or in the same room as the litter box. Hopefully this will help with some cat box odor.

Answer 9

OK .. arm & hammer make a Litter Box deortizer that is Amazing , i get it at walmart 3 bucks !

I had my 2 cats while i was pregnant (both times) , an Never in both of my pregnancys did my doc tell me that i cant be around them. They did like to Paw at my tummy when they saw the baby kick !! lol. Love your cats .. no worries !!

Answer 10

You can most certainly be around cats while pregnant. I own one and my son is a healthy 2 week old!!!

As for the litter issue - DO NOT change the kitty litter while pregnant. Don't be around ANY animal feces while pregnant. It's a bacterial thing, and you don't wanna get you or baby sick!

As for keeping the house smelling fresh:
Look for a good vacuum powder (if you have carpet, that is). I think the one I use is by Arm&Hammer - it's a carpet deodorizer especially for pet owners. It lifts pet hair from the carpet fibers and has a nice fresh scent. It's also perfectly safe to use around your pets. My cat likes the smell of it I think! Also try fabreeze and or glade candles. Those are what I use to cobat pet smell and baby diapers.

Best of luck w/ your pregnancy =)