Pregnancy And Cats

[nunnc84]

Hi,

I'm a little concerned that some day I will be told I cannot have a cat if I "ever" become pregnant.

The hype is a protein found in the urine right? That is toxic to unborn babies?

How does everyone feel about this?

Would a Robot Litter Box solve this issue, yah know; pull the bag. No dust envolved.

 

[catsknowme]

I have heard only of the risk of toxoplasmosis which is carried in the fecal matter of cats AND on unwashed fruits as well as undercooked meat. The best prevention is washing your hands before you eat and preventing cross-contamination during food prep and while eating.
Scary cat stories are good business in our ailurophobic society so the emphasis has been to focus on cat turds and not a medium-rare steak...

Food Safety for Moms-To-Be: While You're Pregnant - Toxoplasma

 

[sdkfjlasdf]

actually i've heard that adult cats are at less risk for toxo compared to very young kittens. cant confirm this though. while you are pregnant, go get routinely checked for any possible diseases like meningitis or toxo, and let someone else handle the litterbox. talk to your ob/gyn and get yourself as well as your child vaccinated

 

[catsknowme]

I looked into the subject more and your vet can check your cat for toxoplasmosis, including if they have it or not and if yes, determine the stage & activity level.
Toxoplasmosis in Cats

Great thread

 

[Willowy]

Toxoplasmosis is only a problem if you contract it for the first time while pregnant. This is rare, as most people have already been exposed beforehand (your doctor can test you to confirm). Also, the chances of an indoor pet contracting toxo are very very low. You'd be much more likely to get it from the dirt outside that a stray cat has pooped in. Most doctors know this and no longer recommend getting rid of pet cats. Any doctor that still recommends that is either behind on his education or just really hates cats :/.

If you have already been exposed to toxo before pregnancy, it's not a problem. You can keep cleaning the litterbox with no worries. If you haven't already been exposed, it's a good excuse to get your partner to do litterbox duty . If no partner, it can still safely be done if you wear gloves and a dust mask. And again, that's just for an abundance of caution; the chance of a housecat shedding toxo during the time you're pregnant is very low.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

None of my doctors ever said we needed to do anything different. As others have already explained; the advice is based on outdated information. I always let DH scoop. We had a LitterMaid box back then too. Honestly the bending and smells would have bothered me the most. Pregnancy nose makes smells worse for a lot of people. Or things just smell different. (Seriously; my DH smelled like old salami at night during both of my pregnancies. I'm still amazed I never kicked him out of our room.)

As long as you practice good hygiene I don't think there is much to worry about. I felt like pregnancy made people want to throw a million different things to do or not do at me. I was ready to be told breathing too many times per minute would cause my baby to grow a third eye. But this is something you don't have to add to that list anymore.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

My sister has 2 cats and 2 dogs and is 38 weeks pregnant with her 2nd. Her in-laws asked if they planned on getting rid of their cats when she was pregnant with her first and she flat out told them that wasn't going to happen.