muddy pawprints and toxoplasmosis

[atalantis]

I'm 6 weeks pregnant and have an 11 month old cat. He doesn't use a litter tray and comes and goes using a cat flap. Although he usually sleeps inside at night, he tends to go out early (about 6) and then comes back in about 7 and jumps on our bed, sometimes leaving a trail of muddy footprints. I've just realised (foolishly late) that there's a chance that these footprints create a risk of toxoplasmosis. We kept the bedroom door shut last night, and he scratched furiously at the door and wailed plaintively for a full half hour between 6.30 and 7 this morning, until I got up. Can anyone advise me what I should do? I don't want to put the baby at risk, but I'm not sure I can cope with this caterwauling!

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the risk is tiny, absolutely tiny (if not non-existent from paw prints). Seriously, don't worry
keep the door open, if he gets angry he may do a protest poo inside which will be worse . sleep while you can

If you have had cats for a while then the chances are you will have caught the virus ages ago and therefore have an immuity to it..The midwife told me that if you have had cats then there is a tiny risk, but advise not to be getting cats if you are pregnant if that makes sense?

As long as you arent handling cat poo, or gardening without gloves then you'll be fine!

Hello,
Despite having cats and an amazing variety of animals as a child,and despite my great love of rare steaks, foie gras etc, I never caught toxo - until I was 8 months pregnant with DS. I had been monitored every month - with a blood test - when my Dr first saw that I had not got the imunity, and I am sure that your Dr will do the same. It will appear in your 1st blood tests, so just ask him/her to check for it. When we found out that I had caught it (still no idea how as I was VERY careful when preg and don't have any pets) then they gave me anti-biotics and I had a c section 3 weeks early to put DS on anti-biotics too. To cut a long story short, there was nothing wrong with DS, he just took the anti-biotics for a year and he is a very alert, bright, happy boy. Don't worry about it. Ask your Dr if you are worried, and just make sure you wash your hands when you handle the cat alot. DONT google toxo - I had a full on panic attack and went utterly hysterical. Save your sanity!

I've got two cats and have emptied their litter tray throughout my pregnancy but always wear gloves and wash my hands afterwards. As geordiemaxminx says, it's likely that you've already had it if you've had cats for a while.

Don't worry about a few paw prints

Thanks for all this advice -- it is truly sanity saving . The information on toxo from the web is horrifically worrying. Went to see my GP for the first time yesterday, who told me to keep the cat out of the bedroom, but did also say that pregnancy is basically one long worry, so to try to keep things in perspective. He didn't offer me a blood test for toxo. Maybe I'll ask the midwife when I see her in a couple of weeks' time.