Why cant you be around cat litter if you are pregnant? I have a kitten, do I need to get rid of her?

Answer 1

The risk of Toxoplasmosis is very real. My ex-husband has it. The parasite exists in his eyes and is usually dormant, but occasionally he has to go on a huge regime of medicines when the parasite becomes active. There is no cure. You don't have to get rid of kitty just don't clean the litter box and as always keep your hands clean.

Answer 2

There aree chemicals in cat litter that are not good for pregnant women, doesnt mean you cant have your cat. Have someone else change the box.

Dog and cat articles - on Pets.ca

Pregnant Women and Cats and Dogs

Many women wonder what precautions they need to take around their pet when they become pregnant. Veterinarian Dr. Ian Sandler says the biggest risk to pregnant women is a disease called toxoplasmosis, which is a transferred mainly from cats.

Most of the time, cats acquire the infection from eating raw meat and then shed the parasite in their stool. The way it most commonly gets transferred to humans is if you touch the stool then touch your mouth - a process called fecal-oral contamination. If acquired during pregnancy, toxoplasmosis can be very harmful to pregnant women. That's why washing your hands is so important when you're pregnant.

It's important to note that it's rare for humans to become infected.

Still, there are some precautions you should take.

Make sure you keep your cat indoors so that it can't get exposed to the parasite through raw prey or another cat's infected stool.

Don't feed your cat raw meat.

Have someone else clean the cat's litter pan and pick up after dogs.

Cover children's sandboxes so cats can't use it as a litter box.

Wear gloves when you garden then wash your hands afterwards (wash up even though you wore gloves, better safe than sorry)

Don't handle or eat raw or undercooked meat while you're pregnant.(try using surgical gloves if you have to)

Answer 3

Many pregnant women have cats in their household. Why should pregnant women avoid coming in contact with cat litter?

Toxoplasmosis is a common infection found in up to 40% of all cat owners. It´s a minor infection that normally does not cause any side effects at all. It comes from a parasite that lives in cat stool. However, the infection can be extremely harmful to a developing fetus. For this reason, pregnant women should turn over cat litter duties to someone else during their pregnancy.

It is only the cat stool that carries this threat, so keep the litter box somewhere away from the regular family areas, and have someone other than the mother care for the box during the pregnancy period. If the pregnant woman MUST clean the cat litter, she should do so with gloves on. When she is done with the task, she should wash her hands well with antibacterial soap.

Once the baby is born, the baby and the cats can grow up together in joy and harmony. But the infection caused by the parasite is dangerous enough to be avoided while the fetus is developing.


If no one else is there to help you, then invest in a mask and gloves from a medical supply...that will help!

Answer 4

Toxoplasmosis is a common infection found in up to 40% of all cat owners. It´s a minor infection that normally does not cause any side effects at all. It comes from a parasite that lives in cat stool. However, the infection can be extremely harmful to a developing fetus. For this reason, pregnant women should turn over cat litter duties to someone else during their pregnancy.

It is only the cat stool that carries this threat, so keep the litter box somewhere away from the regular family areas, and have someone other than the mother care for the box during the pregnancy period. If the pregnant woman MUST clean the cat litter, she should do so with gloves on. When she is done with the task, she should wash her hands well with antibacterial soap.

Once the baby is born, the baby and the cats can grow up together in joy and harmony. But the infection caused by the parasite is dangerous enough to be avoided while the fetus is developing.

Answer 5

You can get toxoplasmosis from handling cat litter but you would have to ingest it. If you are care full when changing the litter, wear gloves or better yet have someone else handle the changing duties while your pregnant you should be okay. You don't have to get rid of the cat. I changed the litter all during my pregnancy I was care full not to touch my face and I washed properly after. I had three cats. I never had a health problem.

Answer 6

"Fear, rather than common sense, takes over when someone first hears that toxoplasmosis- a disease harmful to unborn babies-can be transmitted by cats. Unfortunately, this news leads many pregnant women, often urged by well-meaning friends and family, to give up their beloved feline. But the good news is that health professionals continue to assert that, if caution is taken, there is no reason why the family feline has to leave home.

Toxoplasmosis is a parasite found in rats, mice, pigs, cows, sheep, chickens and birds, and is shed in the feces of infected cats. The disease-transmitted to humans by handling contaminated meat, cat litter, or soil-can cause cold-like symptoms and may last one to 12 weeks with little to no lasting effects on most people. However, if a pregnant woman gets the disease, it can be transmitted to the fetus causing possible brain or eye defects. Health officials report that most infections result from eating undercooked meat, not from cats.

So there's no need. to give up the family cat if you're pregnant. Simply get someone else to change the litter box for the duration of the pregnancy. If that's not possible, use gloves when handling the litter. And since the feces is not contagious for the first 24 hours, removing the litter daily and practicing good hygiene after wards significantly reduces any chance of exposure. Follow these preventive measures and talk with your physician about how you can protect yourself from this disease, and you and your feline friends can continue enjoying each other's company for many years to come. "

Provided by the American Humane Association

My mother is blind in one eye and has limited sight in the other because her mother contraced toxoplasmosis during the pregnancy. But, that was 80 years ago and they didn't know about toxoplasmosis then. Just be careful and let someone else change the litter. I had cats throughout all my pregnancies and my children are fine.

Answer 7

Toxoplasmosis can be spread by a parasite found in cat poop. The parasite only can be spread for a few weeks after the cat has gotten it though. Does your kitten go outside? Was it from a pound or is it feral? I wouldn't worry to much, just wash your hands real good like after changing litter.

Answer 8

I have 2 kids,and have had cats all my life.There is a thing called toxiplasmosis,you can get if you actually TOUCH the stool.Dont get rid of the cat.Is there someone who can change the litter for you until after the birth of the baby?If not ,wear gloves and wash your hands well after handling the litter,I didn't have anyone to help me and did my own and NEVER had a problem and kids and animals go together well.

Answer 9

because the chemicals in the litter besides the cat urine has this chemical that may cause damage to the baby's brain or internal organs. You don't need to get rid of her, do you have a basement where the litter box can be put? If so, make sure someone else in the house cleans the litter box and not you. See if you can put the litter box somewhere other than around you while pregnant. Good luck.

Answer 10

Look at the back of your cat litter bag. It has a short disclaimer saying that cat poop can cause birth defects. Its not the litter itself. I guess There is something in cat poop that is so nasty, pregnant people are recomended not to change the litter. I guess that makes me wonder what I am feeding my cat and what others feed theirs.
It could be a good idea to get rid of the kitten, some cats aren't good with babies and might not be a good combo.
Its hard to get rid of a pet but if you know a friend who would take it for a few months...that would be helpful.