Toxoplasmosis

[doe_eyes]

So this morning while laying in bed, my cat decides to bite my arm. Usually, he will do this when I'm not paying enough attention to him and it was fine when I wasn't pregnant, but now I am very worried about this type of behaviour. The cat is quite moody, he does not get a long with little children nor with other animals which makes it hard for

Comments

[swizzle_]

I believe that a cat will only carry toxoplasmosis for 2 weeks after catching it. Cat's that go outdoors are more likely to get it, so our cat is now staying indoors. I have heard that if you have been around cats a lot there is a chance you have had it and have developed an immunity to it, but I read that in a book once and haven't heard that anywhere else. As long as you wash your hands before preparing meals you are fine. This goes for everyone in the house too, especially after they change the litter. As far as the bite be sure to put lots of neosporin on it if you haven't already.

[sarakenobi]

http://www.cdc.gov/NCIDOD/dpd/parasites/toxoplasmosis/factsht_toxoplasmosis.htm

its very very very possible that you've already had it and are immune. it is also possible that your cat does NOT have it :) its really a small chance to get it at all. don't be so afraid its ok! its up there with listeria for things that are supposed to scare you but ultimately shouldn't.

the wee one will be fine:)

[doe_eyes]

Thank you for your kind words. I hate feeling like one of those overly crazy first time moms and I definately try not to absue the community with mindless questions that I can just goggle, but in this case I was/am worried.

[sarakenobi]

oh no! i was terrified of Toxoplasmosis or whatever because we have two cats and ZOMG etc. but then I learned it wasn't that big of a threat just bad if you got it. the first trimester is very stressful! it will be over soon!

you are fine and not a postwhore! legit questions = A++ :)

[fireyirishangel]

I don't have the links handy right now, unfortunately, but my fiance did some extensive research after we got our kitten (I was already pregnant when we brought her home

[krisnili]

I begged my midwife to let me continue changing the litterbox because I was afraid of it becoming a fight with my husband (not over whether he'd do it, but if he'd do it often enough). She flat out refused.

The interesting thing about toxoplasmosis is that it affects the behavior of those infected, making them more brazen. This is an evolutionary advantage for the toxoplasmosis cause it causes mice who are infected to be more likely to be caught and eaten by cats thus perpetuating the disease. Just interesting, I don't really have a point in mentioning it.

I don't think I would call the toxoplasmosis warnings a "craze" though....just a cautionary thing. I would be interested to find out how affordable/accessible testing for antibodies is, I wanted to do that to see if I was already immune but the doctor I was seeing at the time blew me off.

Just as far as hearsay goes though, some people say "you've probably already had it if you grew up with cats" which would indicate that it is common and easy to catch. Other people however

[fireyirishangel]

I call it a "craze" because I can count at least two dozen people who, upon learning that I'd brought a kitten home, launched into a lecture that I was not to go near the litter box. It got old really fast, especially after we did the research and I explained it to them and they continued to argue with me merely because it was what they always heard.

[crazey_03]

I have a kitty and I don't change the litter either but my fiance only does it every other day and I was tested in the first trimester and everything came back fine...I wouldn't worry too much about it like the others said just be sure to wash your hands and don't play in the litter box as if it were a sand box LOL

[anemone]

You have to eat the cat poo to get toxoplasmosis from it. (So if you cleaned the litter box, touched cat poo, and then ate an apple without washing your hands, you might get it. But you're not going to get it from inhaling cat box fumes.)

Also, the cats only shed the cysts in their poo shortly after being infected. If your cat has been outdoor all his life, it's likely he's already run across it, and no problem for you. If your cat is an indoor cat, he'd have to find and eat a mouse that had toxoplasmosis.

Also, there are other ways to get toxoplasmosis beside the cat's litter box. (Contamination of raw meat, gardening, etc.)