Cats and pregnancy

[sseivad]

Hello I'm writing here as I've developed some anxiety recently with cats and pregnancy. I am a dad that is currently cleaning my cats litter tray as we are aware that there can be problems with women around cats litter tray/feces during pregnancy. I'm just wondering if there are any cat owners here who are pregnant that can relieve some of that anxiety.

I have been cleaning it as often as I can and my partner hasn't touched it, but I am just worried that I may not be cleaning it well enough or our cat will come out and trapes her paws onto furniture and then my partner become at risk of potential infection.

We also had a scare about a month ago where a male cat managed to get inside our house and now our cat has become pregnant. I don't know if it can be transmitted from cat to cat that way, but it's still a concern. Our cat is an indoor cat and has never been outside, only interaction was with that cat that managed to get into our house in the evening.

I will also add we are 35 weeks pregnant.

Toxoplasmosis is caught from mice. If the cat is indoor, and has had no contact with diseased mice, it's safe

I wouldn't worry about it, particularly with an indoor cat. I've changed our cat's litter all through both pregnancies. She's mainly indoor but does go out in the garden. Not something I worry about. I just wash my hands after.

From what I understand, toxoplasmosis is most dangerous in early pregnancy so at 35 weeks you're well past that. Your wife would need to inject the parasite in order to catch it, which is unlikely, especially if you're dealing with the litter tray. We have a cat, I'm currently expecting our second child and I haven't given it a second thought.

From the Tommys website:
"Stroking a cat or having a cat as a pet puts you at no greater risk of catching toxoplasmosis."

www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/pregnancy-complications/infections/toxoplasmosis-pregnancy

I have 4 cats and was told likelihood is that probably would have had toxo. Years ago and so built up immunity and so not an issue

Oh and you should really neuter your cat it's not very responsible cat ownership to leave them unneutured - the male cat broke in because it knew a female was in there.

Agree with pp that it's probably more of a concern that your cat is now unnecessarily pregnant because she wasn't neutered.

I'm pregnant and change our cats' litter tray all the time, the risks occur much earlier in pregnancy than the stage your partner is currently at.

Should be fine.

And it's your wife who is pregnant, not both of you.

I would not worry in the slightest, we have a cat, my husband cleans out her tray (she goes outside but we have it just incase)

Toxoplasmosis is very rare and difficult to catch.

If you are that concerned you can ask your Midwife for a test.

It's more risky earlier in pregnancy, I'd say if you have got to 35 weeks and all is okay, there should be nothing to worry about.

You have absolutely nothing to worry about. I had cats throughout both of my pregnancies, and I cleaned their litter boxes daily, obviously thoroughly cleaning my hands after. I was fine. My kids are healthy adults now. There's no need to be so paranoid.

Toxoplasmosis is really rare. I have cleaned out the litter trays during both pregnancies and been fine, I just thoroughly wash my hands afterwards as I would do anyway.

There are several reasons why you don't need to panic:

1. Cats can only catch toxoplasmosis from eating infected mice, so with an indoor cat there is virtually no risk unless your house is infested.

1. If a cat does become infected it is only infectious to humans for a month or two at most, and after that it cannot be reinfected, so if you did have a mouse infection, chances are your cat would have caught it and become immune long before now (the disease cannot spread directly from cat to cat so the sneaky tomcat posed no danger I'm that regard).

1. It takes 48 hours or more for Toxoplasma in a cat's faeces to become infectious to humans, so as long as you are cleaning up all mess promptly there is no risk.

1. Toxoplasmosis is common in the UK with about 25% people being carriers (I'm not sure why pp are saying it's rare). It is only catching the disease for the first time during pregnancy that causes problems, so there's a decent chance your wife is in the clear.

1. Toxoplasmosis causes most problems in early pregnancy, so at 35 weeks you're pretty much past the risk period anyway.

I'm pregnant and clean our indoor cat's litter tray daily. J just wash my hands after.

I've had 2 pregnancies. We've had 3 cats in that time. When my other half was away I had to deal with the litter box.

I wouldn't worry.

Your very lucky your female cat hasn’t gone psychotic from not being either bred or spayed. It’s a known phenomenon they go crazy and attack their owners.

Plus the risk of pyometra you really should have had her spayed.

I wouldn't worry about toxoplasmosis but I would worry about the fact that your female is unspayed!

Why on earth isn't she neutered?