No need to rehome cat for pregnancy: Pet Connection - GoErie.com
Q: I'm pregnant with our first child, and my mother-in-law says we should get rid of our cat because of the risk of toxoplasmosis. Is she right?
A: You can safely keep your cat. Toxoplasma is an internal parasite that lives in the muscles of sheep, rabbits and rats. Cats who eat the meat of an infected animal can spread the parasite through their feces. If your cat lives indoors, she's unlikely to become infected. And in most cases, only young cats pass feces contaminated with toxoplasma eggs (oocysts). If you have an adult cat, the chance of infection is very low.
Veterinarians are well informed on this subject, possibly even more than doctors, because they learn about toxoplasmosis at least four times during their education. I can assure you that female veterinarians and veterinary technicians don't stop working with cats when they are pregnant. You can take the same easy precautions they do to reduce the risk of infection to the developing fetus:
• Delegate litter-scooping duty to your spouse. (Do this before the pregnancy when attempting to conceive.)
• Have your spouse scoop the litter box once or twice daily. Toxoplasmosis organisms need time after being passed in the cat's feces to become infective.
• Keep your cat indoors to prevent her from hunting and eating wild prey.
• Whether you're cooking for yourself or your cat, cook lamb or rabbit meat well. And wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling raw meat.
These precautions apply to anyone who is immunocompromised, not just women who are pregnant.
THE BUZZ
Cat film wins awards, acclaim
• The film "Catnip Nation" tells the stories of people who risk job loss, arrest and fines to care for the community cats in their towns and neighborhoods. Director Tina Traster was inspired to make the 75-minute documentary when she became aware of people being punished for acts of kindness to the cats. The film won the 2019 MUSE Medallion from the Cat Writers Association in the Video or Television Production (Rescue and Advocacy) category, and is an official selection of the Nature Without Borders International Film Festival. Stream it on Amazon or Tubi.
• The Bolognese isn't an Italian pasta dish, but a member of the Bichon family of dogs, whose other members include the Maltese, bichon frise, Havanese and coton de tulear. The small, fluffy white dogs hail from the northern Italian city of Bologna, where they were known as early as the 13th century. They love people and are described as smart, happy and vivacious. Keep their cottony white coat tangle-free with daily brushing.
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by veterinarian Marty Becker and journalist Kim Campbell Thornton of Vetstreet.com. Joining them is dog trainer and behavior consultant Mikkel Becker. Send pet questions to askpetconnection@gmail.com.
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