My eldest daughter is pregnant, she and her husband are expecting in December. Her OBGYN said, no changing the kitty litter while you are pregnant. I just found that out last night, but did not go into it with her because we were talking about names of a boy/girl etc…etc…
So does anyone know why women are not supposed to change kitty litter when they are pregnant?
From this article:
It’s due to a parasite egg that may be in the cat’s feces that can harm immuno-suppressed individuals and pregnant women. Read more here: http://www.adoptapet.com/alexandria/tox.html
Some cats can carry a parasite called toxoplasma, which can be passed through their feces and cause a disease called (appropriately enough) toxoplasmosis.
Here’s the CDC fact sheet on toxoplasmosis:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/toxoplasmosis/factsht_toxoplasmosis.htm
[…as Coda collapses under the weight of simulposted information…]
If the kitty is taking Propecia or Thelidamide, be extra careful.
And sometimes the kitty will tell the pregnant woman to drink beer. And sometimes they push crack.
I hate cats.
Stands up, wipes off, breathes
Whew! Glad I asked. My daughter has two indoor cats, and so hopefully she is at a lesser risk because they are indoor. I think their kitty bin is down in the basement anyway.
Good for her anyway, my son-in-law needs to do a little more now that we are expecting MY first grandbaby…
Damn right. Kitty litter is strictly daddy’s job, from the “oh look, two blue lines” stage right up until the birth. And maybe for a while afterward!
There is a belief that the toxoplasmosis warning is overstated unless you are in the habit of handling the feces with your bare hands. :eek:
However, since it concerns children, the feeling is better to warn than to run the risk of trouble. Have someone else clean the litter box, and make sure they wash their hands afterwards. If she needs to do it, she should wash up well.
It’s mostly a nefarious plot launched by the wimmin-folk to get back at their husbands. The O.B.'s were bribed by this female conspiracy in order to propagate the lie…
Yeah, I’m cleaning that damn box a lot lately, why?
Toxoplasma gondii uses mind control to breed! It needs to be in a cat’s guts to reproduce and needs to go from cat to cat to spread. But the way out of the cat is through feces which cats tend to avoid.
Rodents aren’t so picky about feces so Toxo has adapted the ability brainwash rodents into to loosing their fear of cats. A fatal change in their natural behavior!
Kitty litter is high on the list of things sea otters need to avoid as well, according to this morning’s paper:
SEA OTTERS: They’re dying because their ocean is polluted - cat scat is one culprit, study says