To be scared of cats?

[Katherine897]

Ok so I’m not frightened of cats…but I am frightened of toxoplasmosis.

Trying to conceive and scared of contracting this. Cats are indoor and I have no contact with litter tray.

I’m not sure what you mean, are the cats yours or somewhere you’re going to visit?

• Have a look at the NHS advice on toxoplasmosis - basically:
• Avoid cat poo in cat litter and soil if you can, wearing gloves if you need to empty cat litter trays and washing your hands afterwards (or get someone else to deal with the litter trays)
• You cannot catch toxoplasmosis from stroking a cat, having a cat as a pet or from coming into contact with someone who's got it.

I don’t think it’s a common as cat haters say. I’ve had cats nearly all my life. I’ve had two children. I’ve never contracted any sort of infection from having the cats.

How many people do you know or have read about who have caught it? Not saying it can never happen, but it not like hey fever or a cold, is it?

(Hay 😣)

I worried about this when I was first pregnant.
Made my husband do all litter tray tasks!

Tommy's has some excellent and very reassuring advice on toxoplasmosis. It's very unlikely you have it, but for peace of mind you can get a simple blood test from your GP. You're unlikely to pass it on if you are infected during early pregnancy as well. So try to relax, take sensible precautions, and enjoy your time with your cats :)

So I just googled this because I had never heard of anyone contracting toxoplasmosis and apparently there are about 350 cases per year in England and Wales. It’s incredibly rare. I did have to clean out my cats’ trays while I was pregnant when DH was working overseas and no harm came, though I was cautious. And you definitely won’t get it from snuggling your lovely cats.

Everyone is born with the two innate fears of falling and loud sounds. The rest are learned.
Our surroundings – parents, siblings, friends, TV – teach us at a young age to be scared of things, like the dark or monsters.
Experience shapes our fears as we get older.

Seems about as rational as being scared of unwashed vegetables, which can also carry toxoplasmosis.

My friend refuses to come to my house because I have a cat, the cat would just hide from her but don't think you're the only one with this fear

I actually am terrified of cats! I have a phobia of them….from your title, I thought I’d found a fellow phobic! Everyone I know loves them! I’ve never met anyone who’s as frightened as me. People say ‘oh, I don’t like them either’ but they aren’t frightened of them, they just dislike them, whereas, I am trying to find an escape route!

Washing hands thoroughly after handling cat litter, soil, or raw meat.
Cooking meat to safe temperatures, washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly, and avoiding unpasteurized dairy Pregnant women should avoid handling cat litter and take extra precautions when handling food. It's not rocket science.

If your cats are indoor cats and never go outside, I’m not sure how you expect them to get a toxoplasma infection to pass on to you in the first place? As for toxoplasmosis, if you have already been infected in the past, you are likely immune. If not, and you do have outdoor cats, you just need to be careful dealing with their poo. Regardless, you should be careful when gardening and always wear protective gloves, because who knows what cats will have been pooing and peeing in the neighbourhood besides your own?

My friend is genuinely scared of them. She literally jumped in the air one time when I accidentally let one of mine out when she was round. I don’t get it at all, but it’s not just you!