Toxoplasmosis and Why Pregnant Women Should Avoid the Litter Box

A big thing that pregnant women are told to stay away from and warned about is the cat's litter box. Isn't the sound of that great!? Doctor's orders to have someone else do the the dirty job for once! Once that is said not many people ask why it's not good for pregnant women to be exposed.

Pregnant women who have cats that need to be cleaned up after take the risk of being exposed to an infection called Toxoplasmosis that can cause problems to a pregnant woman as serious as abortion. This infection is caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. The parasite is known to be carried by cats and is passed on to humans through their feces. As scary as this sounds, the CDC states in their warning that “you are more likely to get it from undercooked meat or gardening.”

Though the CDC has found cat feces to only pose a small risk of causing Toxoplasmosis in pregnant women it is still best to avoid the litter box all together if and when you are pregnant. Women who are pregnant can take some simple steps to ensure their safety in addition to having someone else take over the cat box cleaning responsibilities.

Since the parasite is passed from the feces, to hands, to humans make sure that who ever is cleaning the litter box wears gloves and washes up after they are done. The litter box should be cleaned out at least once every day or more depending on how many cats use the same litter box. Women who do not have anyone to pass the responsibility onto for the time being need to take the same precautions of gloving up and scrubbing up after the job is done. Preferably use disposable gloves that you can toss when you are finished scooping after kitty.

For some pregnant women nesting can include taking in a stray to dote over and baby until the real thing happens but this is a very bad idea, even if you are looking to adopt from a shelter. When you are pregnant it is best to keep your cats in door cats if possible and to not bring in any that are new. Since undercooked meat causes a big potential for Toxoplasma gondii, you don't know what the cat has gotten into while out and about. With that said, also be sure to keep an eye on kitty while indoors if you have any meat sitting out.

If you think that you have been exposed or are worried about the parasite, make an appointment with your doctor to talk about your risk factors. Chances are that if you have already been exposed to the parasite before getting pregnant, you may have built up an immunity to the Toxoplasma gondii and you are going to be just fine. A simple blood test at the doctor's office can clear everything up for you and give you a better idea of what you are dealing with.