Cats and pregnant women

Many women that own a cat suffer an episode of anxiety when they get pregnant. Everyone "knows" that it is dangerous to have a cat at home because it can "pass something to you ". But it is not easy to get rid of a member of the family, right?

Doctors, obstetrician and many midwives recommend to get rid of the cat to prevent the spread of toxoplasmosis. This is because they want to err on the safe side. The truth is that, as they are not veterinarians, they do not know (or they don’t have to know) the life cycle of this parasite. Do you know why, if you ask your veterinarian, he or she is not going to contradict them? Because if she tells you that nothing will happen if you are pregnant and have a cat at home at the same time and then you acquire toxoplasmosis from eating poorly washed lettuce (which is infinitely easier than getting it from a cat) you won’t know, you’ll believe that it's been the cat and you will charge against the veterinarian if something happens to the baby.

This is what you need to know:

1. Toxoplasma  gondii is found mainly in the earth and is acquired only by mouth. A cat contracts toxoplasma through intake of meat infected (from a bird or mouse). A domestic cat that never goes out or hunts mice or birds would hardly get infected.

2. A cat that contracts toxoplasmosis only gets it once and after, he will be immunized for life and he will never get it again. The cat only can "catch" the toxoplasmosis the first time. It would be a big coincidence that that happens during your pregnancy although it can certainly happen.

3. How does toxoplasmosis pass from a cat to a human?

A cat that gets toxoplasmosis for the first time , therefore he is not immunized yet, and he  is expelling the parasite through faeces for fifteen to thirty days. He doesn’t shed the mature parasite but the oocysts (eggs of the parasite).  These oocysts hatch under very specific conditions of temperature and humidity for about 48 hours. Assuming that you leave the poop in the sandbox for such a long time and that, coincidentally, environmental conditions are adequate for the parasite and the eggs hatch, I must insist, that for humans to get infected, they must INGEST the parasite. It would be as simple as you removing the faeces every day and you thoroughly washing your hands afterwards. Or better yet, since you have an excuse, take advantage and ask somebody else to clean the sandbox.

4. You get the immunity to toxoplasmosis test done when you are pregnant because it is only dangerous if you acquire it for the first time during pregnancy. A recent study has determined that approximately 70% of beef and around 80% of game (deer, boar, etc) is infected with toxoplasmosis. This is why you are told not to eat ham, or chorizo or any mature meat unless it is cooked and to wash fruit and vegetables to eliminate the parasite and so that you won’t ingest it.

For a lot of people, a pet is a member of the family. The children who grow up with animals develop empathy, sociability and immunity to allergies. The first choice of many professionals to "get rid of him" is completely unfounded. Ask your veterinarian for information. If you avoid telling him that you're pregnant it will cost him less to be frank, and keep in mind that your vet doesn’t know the risks for human pregnancy like your obstetrician does. Ask your obstetrician about the risks to the foetus of contracting toxoplasmosis, but remember that he doesn’t  have to know the life cycle of the parasite. If you want to know more you can read the article on toxoplasmosis in Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis.

Don't feel bad. Before making a decision, make sure you have all the information. Your cat is not guilty of the doctor’s ignorance to feline health.

Remember that the decision is always yours. Be sure that no one takes it for you.