ok, so my fiance keeps talkin about having kids but he told me how i should be careful with having cats in the house because they affect the baby when I'm pregnant or they can even prevent me from getting pregnant at all. is that true? its not just him who told me this, i've also heard it from others.
2007-01-20 08:43:05 · 5 answers · asked by MANY 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Pregnancy
The only thing you need to know about cats and being pregnant is that they carry toxoplasmosis in their feces, therefore preg women should NOT change litterboxes. Toxoplasmosis is harmless to the general population but can cause serious birth defects. Have your fiancee always change the litter box but if you MUST wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards...
2007-01-20 08:49:02 · answer #1 · answered by Proud Mommy of 6 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well your fiancee is both right and wrong. Having cats in the house will not affect you from getting pregnant or your pregnancy. ( I live with 4 cats and got pregnant no problem.) What you need to becareful of is changing kitty litter. Cat poop can have a bacteria in it that causes toxoplasmosis in a pregnant woman, which in turn can be harmful to a developing baby. BUT....more than likely, if you have lived with cats all your life you are probably already immune to it, and if you have indoor cats they most likely don't even carry the bacteria. But you need to be on the safe side anyway and have someone else scoop/change the kitty litter. The bacteria isn't airborne, you would only get it from touching the cat poop. Get someone else to do kitty litter duty while you are pregnant, or wear gloves and wash your hands well before and after changing the litter box.
2007-01-20 11:24:19 · answer #2 · answered by Momof2 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes and no. A woman who is pregnant shouldn't be handling kitty litter because of certain bacteria or parasites. And if she has to, she should wear gloves and wash thoroughly afterwards.
But my nephew was raised around cats from the time he was a very tiny infant. And it's been good for him. So unless we're talking about allergies, there is really nothing to worry about. Just keep an eye on kitty's claws.
I've never heard of cats preventing pregnancy.
2007-01-20 08:53:59 · answer #3 · answered by Tigger 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's the toxoplasma in the litter box that dangerous for embrios. When you're pregnant you should avoid cleaning the litter box, and kissing your cats by their mouth (because they licked... you know..)
2007-01-20 08:49:25 · answer #4 · answered by Speck Schnuck 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can't change the litter - it could make your baby sick.
2007-01-20 09:18:58 · answer #5 · answered by JadeAMurray 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋