Pregnant with stray cat

Hello all,

This past Saturday night, a sweet little black cat showed up at our doorstep, and immediately ran inside. It is down to 15-20 degrees at night, so I kept him in the house, gave him water and tuna fish. He gobbled it right up.

We've had him since then, but I'm concerned because I'm pregnant (only 9 weeks). Hubby is not really happy about this, but is willing to keep the kitty if I choose to. I know I should be careful in cleaning his litter due to toxoplasmosis (preferably, NOT cleaning his litter, but I haven't had the guts to ask him to do it). I'm really not sure whether we should keep him (only because we have a guinea pig, and I'm concerned about where we can safely put him -- right now his cage is closed off in a spare bedroom, but that will be changed to a nursery in a few months).

So I have held off on taking him to the vet for this reason. Frankly, I don't want to incur the high cost if we decide we can't keep him. Otherwise, I would take him to our local shelter, which is a no-kill shelter. That makes me feel so much better; however, I know there is a wait list to bring animals there. He is pulling at my hormonal heartstrings, lol! And of course our two little girls are in love. I've even noticed my rough and grumble hubby cuddling with him

Is it really terrible for me to be around him? I'm almost positive he has worms. He constantly acts hungry, meowing at us, jumping on the counters over and over and over. We have to put him downstairs to make food and eat. He also has diarrhea, and really, REALLY bad gas -- holy moly! I *think* his rectum might be distended, as well. Hubby thinks it might be due to the new, rich, CAT FOOD he is now getting from us. But considering his diarrhea and extreme hunger, I'm not so sure.

Aside from his bad manners, he is a super sweet kitty! Oh, and he's also unneutered. 

Any advice is much appreciated! I've always had cats growing up, but this is my first time dealing with a stray...while pregnant! We have, of course, made posts on facebook and our neighborhood forum and posted fliers. He's is certainly not scrawny, and is very clean, and takes care of himself. Based on a brief description (he's small/medium and does not have the "pooch" yet, he's a fit kitty) a lady at a vets office thinks he might be 9mos-1 year.

Thanks

I should add I've been giving him two cans of 9 lives (am and pm) and giving him dry kitten food mid day, all of which he INHALES.

Welcome to the forums!  First off, you need to get him to a vet or shelter to see if this cat belongs to someone.  He might be micro chipped and have a home.  A vets office or local shelter should have a scanner.  Since you are pregnant you do want him to be seen by a vet.  He will need to be neutered if he's a male or spayed if female.  This should be done very soon.  He/she will also need an exam, shots and dewormer.  You can see if there is a low cost clinic in your area.  They are very reasonably priced.  The clinic I use charges $50 for spay/neuter which includes a rabies shot and exam and then a bit extra for shots and dewormers.  Yet all can easily be done for under $100.

Thank you so much for helping this kitty.  I agree with ShadowsRescue - he'll need a vet check soon.  The worms could be worrisome and you'll want to make sure the diarrhea is due to his change in diet.  Plus he needs his shots.

Toxoplasmosis is shed once in a cat's lifetime, so the chance of you getting it are kind of slim.  As far as I know, it isn't airborne.  Wash your hands after scooping, make sure the litter doesn't get tracked around and you should be OK.

From Wikipedia:  Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii.^[1] The parasite infects most genera of warm-blooded animals, including humans, but the primary host is the felid (cat) family. Animals are infected by eating infected meat, by ingestion of feces of a cat that has itself recently been infected, and by transmission from mother to fetus. Cats are the primary source of infection to human hosts, although contact with raw meat, especially lamb, is a more significant source of human infections in some countries. Fecal contamination of hands is a significant risk factor.^[2]

Transmission may occur through:

• 
  Ingestion of raw or partly cooked meat, especially pork, lamb, or venison containing Toxoplasma cysts:
• 
  Infection prevalence in countries where undercooked meat is traditionally eaten has been related to this transmission method. Tissue cysts may also be ingested during hand-to-mouth contact after handling undercooked meat, or from using knives, utensils, or cutting boards contaminated by raw meat.^[24]
• 
  Ingestion of unwashed fruits or vegetables that have been in contact with contaminated soil containing infected cat feces.^[25]
• 
  Ingestion of contaminated cat feces: This can occur through hand-to-mouth contact following gardening, cleaning a cat's litter box, contact with children's sandpits; the parasite can survive in the environment for over a year.^[26]
• 
  Acquiring congenital infection through the placenta.^[14]
  
  Cats excrete the pathogen in their feces for a number of weeks after contracting the disease, generally by eating an infected rodent. Even then, cat feces are not generally contagious for the first day or two after excretion, after which the cyst 'ripens' and becomes potentially pathogenic.^[27]
  
  Pregnancy precautions
  
  Congenital toxoplasmosis is a special form in which an unborn fetus is infected via the placenta.^[28] A positive antibody titer indicates previous exposure and immunity, and largely ensures the unborn fetus' safety. A simple blood draw at the first prenatal doctor visit can determine whether or not a woman has had previous exposure and therefore whether or not she is at risk. If a woman receives her first exposure to T. gondii while pregnant, the fetus is at particular risk.
  
  Pregnant women should avoid handling raw meat, drinking raw milk (especially goat milk) and be advised to not eat raw or undercooked meat regardless of type.^[29] Because of the obvious relationship between Toxoplasma and cats it is also often advised to avoid exposure to cat feces, and refrain from gardening (cat feces are common in garden soil) or at least wear gloves when so engaged.^[29] Most cats are not actively shedding oocysts since they get infected in the first 6 months of their life. They shed oocysts for only a short period of time (1–2 weeks.)^[30] However, these oocysts get buried in the soil, sporulate and remain infectious for periods ranging from several months to more than a year.^[29] Numerous studies have shown living in a household with a cat is not a significant risk factor for T. gondii infection,^[29][31][32] though living with several kittens has some significance.^[33]
  
  For pregnant women with negative antibody titers, indicating no previous exposure to T. gondii, serology testing as frequent as monthly is advisable as treatment during pregnancy for those women exposed to T. gondii for the first time decreases dramatically the risk of passing the parasite to the fetus.