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Your Pregnancy and the Cat (A Practical Approach to Toxoplasmosis for Feline Owners) Cari McDonald, DVM Congratulations!
You just found out that you are pregnant.
It is a moment of great joy and expectations.
Then, you start hearing the horror stories from your well meaning doctor,
girlfriend or mother-in-law, that you must now get rid of your beloved cat or
cats. There is a lot of
misinformation out on the subject of Toxoplasmosis with regards to pregnant
women. It can be scary and as one
of the recent inductees into this group, I can relate to how very easy it is to
confuse and terrify a pregnant woman when it comes to the health and well being
of her unborn child. I would like
to help explain the facts of this disease and give you some simple precautions
to prevent an infection for you and your baby. Toxoplasmosis is an infection from a microscopic parasite
whose primary host is the cat family.
Outdoor cats that eat undercooked meat or wild rodents have a greater
risk of becoming infected than a cat that has only been indoors for more than a
month and eats regular cat food.
Most infected cats have no symptoms, but can shed cysts of the organism in their
stools. This is a source of
transmission of Toxoplasmosis to humans, but that does NOT mean that you need to
get rid of your beloved pet. Other
infections in men and women can be caused by eating raw or undercooked infected
meat or eating unwashed contaminated produce, drinking contaminated water or
handling contaminated soil or meat and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes. In people with healthy immune systems, the infection is
usually a mild, flu-like illness.
The risk to pregnant women is that the parasite can sometimes cross the placenta
and infect the baby. This can cause
severe damage to an unborn child.
However, in the Litter Box: It is best to avoid the kitty litter box all together.
You can have a significant other, family member or friend help you with
this task, which is best done on a daily basis.
If all else fails, (as it did with me) you can pay the neighbor kid a few
dollars to do it for you. It also
helps to disinfect the litter box itself once a week with a mild bleach solution
or very hot water. If you still are
the only one left to do it, there are special filter masks you can buy to
protect yourself from inhaling the spores and you should wear disposable gloves. Food: Make sure all meat is well cooked.
It should no longer be pink in the middle and the internal temperature
should be at least 160 degrees.
Fruits and vegetables should be well washed before eating or preparing.
Don’t touch your mouth, nose or eyes while preparing food and always wash
your hands before eating. Wash
kitchen surfaces after handling uncooked meat.
Don’t drink unpasteurized milk and avoid raw eggs.
Avoid contaminated water.
Keep flies and cockroaches away from your food. Outdoors: Wear gloves while gardening or doing anything outdoors that
involves handling soil. Avoid
sandboxes or cover them when not in use.
Cats: You want to keep them from getting infected, so it is best to
keep them indoors so that they won’t hunt down potentially infected mice or
birds. Feed them only commercial
cat food or well cooked meat (if they are on a special diet).
Keep them off the kitchen counter and dinner table.
Wash your hands after playing with your cat.
Do not get a NEW cat or kitten and do not play with strays.
It would be best to refrain from rescue activities until after your baby
is born. There are no guarantees against infection from Toxoplasmosis,
but the risks can be minimized and you don’t have to lose your purring friend.
If you are still concerned, there are blood tests for you and for your
cat that can detect infection or exposure.
Your doctor and veterinarian can discuss this further for your personal
situation. My best advice is to
relax, enjoy your pregnancy, try not to worry and love on your cat. |
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