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

[phyak]

you shouldnt be so worried

[in_bloom]

If your cat is an indoor cat and has been for a while, the chances of it having Toxoplasmosis and being able to spread it are very rare. It is caught by the cat eating raw meat, usually of a dead animal, or also caught by you yourself eating raw meat or unwashed vegetables (again, very very rare).

Having had to go through a series of tests for this after I received a false positive for Toxoplasmosis, I can relate to your fears. Before I got pregnant, I had no idea how this was spread or what it even was. When I started reading up on it after I tested positive for it, I was terrified.

After a stressful month of these tests and having to have my blood sent to a clinic in California that specializes in testing and treating Toxoplasmosis, the tests showed that while I do have the anti-bodies for Toxo in my system, it is not harmful to the baby because I am already immune to the disease.

[army_wife51b]

You might also want to take into consideration about the litter/feces that can get stuck under his claws when he scratches in the box. I'm not sure if toxoplasmosis can get transferred via entering the blood system(i.e. he has poop under his claws, scratches you, then you get it) but it would be something to think about. Probably be a good idea to keep his claws trim if you don't already do it--I'd have someone else do that for you though, in case he struggles during getting them trimmed and scratches you.

[maelwaedd]

My sister had that happen to her. She got her kitten Mia quite young and had to bathe Mia for some reason. Mia reacted badly, as cats do, and her claw went right into my sister and got caught under the skin for a moment before they together managed to get it out. Either way, the wound got infected and toxoplasmosis ahoy.

She wasn't pregnant so it didn't matter, but apparently it can happen.

[blacksico]

If you had it before you got pregnant, then your baby is inoculated against it until it's born. If your cat is an indoors cat, the risk of it having tox. are exceptionally low as they get it from eating/killing mice & rats. You can only get it from handling cat feces and then not washing your hands. I think you are relatively safe given that you don't do the litter any more. If you've had your cat for a long time you are even safer than that because you've probably gotten tox (I got tested as soon as I found out I was pregnant. I have it, therefore baby is fine. I clean the litter with a mask on and wash my hands thoroughly to be on the safe side.)