Holy God the hysteria...?

Question

I'm pregnant with my first child and have 4 cats. I have been around cats ALL my life. If I hear one more ignorant a*s*s* tell me I MUST NOT clean cat litter pans or I MUST get rid of my cats because they will hurt a baby I will just scream!!! How do I educate people to the realities of life with cats???

TRUTH: people who have been around cats or who do gardening have been exposed to soil-borne illness (toxoplasmosis) and have antibodies. There is little to 0 risk in handling cats or litter boxes. Still paranoid? Wear gloves.

TRUTH: cats do NOT steal babies' breath or sit on babies' faces or smother babies to get at the milk. Anyone concerned ever hear of a closed door?

PLEASE folks help me combat the stupidity. My co-workers and even some people I called friends seem appalled that I am keeping my cats!!!

Answer 1

My vet was pregnant last year. She continued to do everything the same as she always had. She didn't wear gloves or facial masks any more than she would have before. She told me that the problem with toxoplasmosis is if the mother hasn't been exposed then she doesn't have the antibodies. If she does have the antibodies, she's not likely to get toxo, therefore she can't give it to her child. She just washed her hands an extra time or two during our visit but nothing else changed with her.

I've had cats for years and they go out in the back yard. The chances of me having not been exposed are so slim. If I ever have a baby, I'll try to make my husband clean the box just so I can get out of it (he he) but if it comes right down to it, I'll just put on heavy dishwashing gloves, clean the box, then wash my hands thoroughly.

Answer 2

Tell me about it! These people have not looked up the facts. What you have said is very true. Also cats can only pass on Toxoplasmosis once in their life, the first time they eat an animal witht the disease. So what is the chance that they will pass it on just when you are pregnant. And you can only get it once in your life and then never again. ost cat owners would be immune by now or if not, after many years of owning a cat they will not be likely to get it just in the months of pregancy, especially when they are being very careful. Also you can get it through undercooked meat and other foods if not cooked properly when you are in the first three months of pregnancy, and some people don't even know the are preganant then anyway. There is actually more chance of getting it from food than from a cat. I only have one cat and she is outdoors so I don't even have a kitty litter to clean. Oh, and you can also get it from fruit and vegetables that have not been washed properly, if a cat has gone to the toilet and it has come incontact with the fruit and vegetables. So you can get it from other people's cats so why do we have to give up our own cats, when they are the least likely to pass it on to us? These people make me so angry. I feel like putting together all the correct information and handing them out like flyers to these people whenever they say something!!!!! Also, I read somewhere that giving away your cat/s while pregnant is actually worse for you as you will become sad and depressed. There is nothing wrong with keeping your cat with you while pregnant. Also most people would close the door when a baby is sleeping anyway as not to wake the baby with noise. And of course mothers will check on their baby and will not let the cat baby sit the baby anyway. I have never heard on the news of any cat killing a baby. Tell these people to get some proof!

Answer 3

How do you explain that so many "oracles" choose this date, December 1st 2012, seemingly independent of one another? -"oracles" are usually over dosed druggies. Independent referencing doesn't validate much of anything at all. Independent children order the same fast food meals as well, that doesn't make them or their experiences with the 'food' unique. How can you say that all prophecy is bullsh*t? -The only thing I'm calling BS on is the way theist's handle it. 1. The Mayan calendar predicts that the Earth will end on December 21, 2012. -It's unlikely for the planet to 'end', although there may or may not be an extinction. 2. recent solar storms have been bombarding the Earth with so much radiation energy, it's been knocking out power grids and destroying satellites. This activity is predicted to get worse, and calculations suggest it'll reach its deadly peak sometime in 2012. -You think people aren't concerned or refusing to do something about it? it gets worse, we get ready. 3. Scientists in Europe have been building the world's largest particle accelerator. the mega-gadget has caused serious concern, with some scientists suggesting that it's properly even a bad idea to turn it on in the first place. They're predicting all manner of deadly results, including mini black holes. So when this machine is fired up for its first serious experiment in 2012, the world could be crushed into a super-dense blob the size of a basketball. -I thought the crushed and densed Earth scenario was already deemed unlikely with the LHC. I'm not willing to call Michio Kaku a liar any time soon. 4. Interpretations of the Christian Bible reveal that the date for Armageddon, the final battle between Good an Evil, has been set down for 2012. -They are just interpretations. Revelation was about the fall of Rome, it has nothing to do with the present era. 5. The Yellowstone volcano has a pattern of erupting every 650,000 years or so, and we're many years overdue for an explosion that will fill the atmosphere with ash, blocking the sun and plunging the Earth into a frozen winter that could last up to 15,000 years. The pressure under the Yellowstone is building steadily, and geologists have set 2012 as a likely date for the big bang. -This is the most plausible concern we should have, the super volcano of Yellowstone. However, I won't dictate that everyone should lose their sanity because 2012 is the most likely year that it's top is going to blow off. We should handle the situation rationally and handle it our best (assuming it actually happens that year). 6. Physicists at Berekely Uni have been crunching the numbers. and they've determined that the Earth is well overdue for a major catastrophic event. Even worse, they're claiming their calculations prove, that we're all going to die, very soon - while also saying their prediction comes with a certainty of 99 percent- and 2012 just happens to be the best guess as to when it occurs. -Mass extinction doesn't equate to Earth 'ending'. 7. Scientists have noted that the poles are drifting apart roughly 20-30kms each year, much faster than ever before, which points to a pole-shift being right around the corner. While the pole shift is underway, the magnetic field is disrupted and will eventually disappear, sometimes for up to 100 years. The result is enough UV outdoors to crisp your skin in seconds, killing everything it touches. -This, like the Yellowstone super volcano is vitally important. Now my question: why are they called 'prophecies'?

Answer 4

Being a veterinary nurse I presumed I probably had antibodies due to handling cats all the time however I decided to have a blood test done before trying for kids just to make sure - I was surprised to find out I DID NOT have anti-bodies - the reason being the poo needs to have sat around for 24hours before it becomes a risk but the poo I was dealing with was always cleaned up immediatly. If you clean out your litter tray as soon as it is used you shouldn't have a problem. Gardening while pregnant is a different story as cats use the garden and cover the poo which cn sit around for ages before you discover it.

We get so many pregnant women in to the surgery saying they have been told by their mum, husband, midwife, doctor etc to get rid of the cat. I took great delight while pregnant to say if that was the case I wouldn't be able to work here would I and that I had absolutely no intention of getting rid of the 3 cats I had at the time.

Don't presume that you probably have anti-bodies. To other people out there that are worried ask for a blood test to find out if you have the antibodies. If you do then you have no worries at all as your unborn child is protected by you. If you don't have the antibodies then wear gloves and clean the litter tray out daily.

Good luck with you little one!

Answer 5

I have a 14 month old and 3 cats and 1 dog. When I was pregnant though, we only had the 3 cats and people are INSANE!

My grandmother even asked me, "what are you going to do about the cats? They will smother the baby!" I told her that is not true, and how could she possibly think something so silly?

I think those stories come from old wives tales who had babies in low cradles and easily accessable to a cat or dog for that matter. "Stealing the babies breath" Perhaps a cat was found licking left over milk that dribbled down the baby's chin and was totally blown out of proportion. As far as "cats will smother a baby" I can't help but think an infant in a low cradle was found cozied up to a cat. For those of us with cats, they love to snuggle when they sleep.

People are truly stupid when it comes to these silly old wives tales. The truth of the matter, cats are just as aware as dogs are that Mama is pregnant and bringing home a new kitty. My 13 year old cat Allie, would snuggle up to my belly nightly. My oldest cat Savannah, would sleep in the baby's room and guard her new kitten when we brought our daughter home. When our daughter was in the living room, Savannah was very close by and if she cried, Savannah would march in the living room and meow at us because we weren't moving fast enough.

There really is nothing you can do other than be polite and say, I'm really sorry that you've actually bought into those old wives tales. They couldn't be farther from the truth and you can educate them about cats. My sympathies, because I was about ready to knock some heads off. It's a good thing all of my friends are cat people!

Answer 6

I read that you can have your cats tested for toxoplasmosis at your vet's quite easily, then you would know if that's an issue or not. I have read in a lot of different venues that pregnant women should not clean the litterbox while pregnant, unless they have had their cat's tested. I'd ask my Obstetrician to make sure I had my facts straight. Heck, I'd rejoice at getting out of having to do it for 9 months!
I like the idea of putting a screen door on the baby's room while he/she is very small. I've heard of that before. Or keep the door closed and use a baby moniter. You don't really need the cats in the crib. They might want to play with the baby and scratch it. Or they might try to cuddle with it and accidentally smother it. I know cats do not steal babies breath, and I adore cats, but I have heard of accidental smotherings. I chose not to leave my cat unsupervised in my babies rooms while they were infants, just to be safe. Seemed prudent to me.
I am not suggesting getting rid of your cats. I would never dream of letting mine go. I am only saying check your facts with your doctor to make sure you're right, and err on the side of caution! Surely your baby is worth as much as your cats, right? Be careful, and good luck! Congratulations!

Answer 7

I agree with you, except the threat of toxoplasmosis is real. I"m not saying that you will become ill from cleaning the cat litter. But now doctors suggest someone else do it during pregnancy for toxins that might be in the air from moving the litter around. As you know doctors are restricting pregnant woman more than ever.
Congratulations on your pregnancy and of course, keep the cats.

Answer 8

The truth about Toxoplasmosis is that if you have spent time around cats YOU probably do have a decent resistance built up....your unborn child however, doesn't.

That said, if you wear a surgical mask when cleaning the boxes, you and your baby will be just fine.

It's really sad that the moment people hear you're pregnant they can't wait to give you the most outrageous horror stories they can dig up, true or not. Just do your research, know what's what, and blow them off when they tell you that kind of crap.

And congrats on your pending little one. :-)

Answer 9

Actually, the risk comes from the fact that litter *dust* is breathed in when you change the box, and it exists at a certain time after the stools are dropped -- I can't recall exactly when because I never worried about it. I agree about the gardening being just as bad.

You can't combat it, I'm afraid. I have learned to take a bit of delight in freaking people out about the so-called "health risks" I take while pregnant. Evil, isn't it.

Answer 10

Ignorance....some people just can not be brought into the 21st century! Some people just can not get past the old wive's tales (tales, people, tales-not facts!). I have a friend who believes these, and was appalled that I kept my cats when I was pregnant and had my daughter. Of course, she also believes that if she raises her arms above her head while she's pregnant, that the cord will wrap around the baby's neck and strangle him (where did that one come from?!). Plus, she won't kneel in church, as she needs to avoid strenuous activity while she's pregnant. Kneeling in church is strenuous-where does she go to church? At the circus?! The only thing I gave up was horseback riding, because my balance was a bit off.