Pregnancy and Cat Litter - Advice Please!

[Gingerbreadpixie]

Long before we found out I was pregnant, DH and I agreed to look after a friends cat this coming weekend. Just popping in, feeding, scooping poop out of the litter tray and giving it a clean probably one of the days too.

Now we've just discovered I'm pregnant, I see its not safe for me to clean out the litter tray. DH is happy to do it. Is it safe for him to do so? Would he be at risk from bringing germs home if he did? Is it OK if I still go and sort the food out while he deals with the litter tray? It's located in the kitchen if that makes a difference.

Thanks

It's fine for your dh to do it, I was a bit naughty last week and changed my friends cats litter tray while they were away but I basically just emptied it into a bin liner and poured new in, isn't scoop or clean the tray. But it's perfectly safe for your other half to do it as long as he washes his hands (obv!!) :)

And yeah food and stuff is ok x

Yes it's safe. If you need to do it yourself, just wear gloves. Dh should of course wash his hands later, but that's something he would hopefully do anyway. No risk in touching cat food or generally being in the same house

Most people who get toxo get it from eating raw meat - studies have not shown any correlation between toxoplasmosis infection and cat ownership.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14526343
(I have 3 cats, am pregnant and not worried).

Hubby does both our cats litter trays when I am pregnant/breastfeeding. He moans, but does it! I make sure he does it outside/utility room o I do not breath in dust etc

I think I'll just let him go round there and sort it out and I'll stay home to be extra safe

I used to do it when necessary (if dh was at work and it couldn't be left - boy, it really couldn't be left). I wore gloves and washed my hands thoroughly with hot water and soap afterwards.

I always changed the trays when pregnant. But then I have had cats for years so I guess I have already been exposed to toxoplasmosis anyway. Just wear gloves / wash hands if you have to do it. But you don't have to so you will be fine

Thousands of pregnant women feed cats and change litter trays and are fine.

Ok. My mum always had outdoor cats from my birth until I was about 20. So maybe I have been exposed when I was younger too and immune now.

I am a vet nurse and worked with many cats during my pregnancy just wash your hands/ use gloves this is what I did at work lol but at home with my cat I told my DH I couldn't clean the litter tray it got me out of that job for 9 months naughty I know

You shouldn't assume though that you're immune and can now forget about the precautions, just because you've been in contact with cats. As said, cats are not the main or even an important source of the infection - I've always had outdoor cats and I have not had the infection yet (am in France and all pregnant women are tested for toxo here)

Me too; born and brought up in a house with outdoor cats, but not immune, apparently.

Ok, I won't assume anything! Thanks