Cats And
Pregnant Women

see also: Kids & Kittens Choosing Kittens

Hi Simba,
I am 7 months pregnant and just got a new kitten. What are my risks for toxoplasmosis? Can I still get it this far in my pregnancy? Brandi is 5-weeks-old and we plan to have her as an indoor cat. Also, Brandi has fleas. We are using a flea comb on her. Is anything else we can use to kill the fleas? Heidi

Hi Heidi,
Congratulations on the baby and on your soon to be born child! First a little background on toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by a microscopic protozoan called Toxoplasma gondii. This is an intestinal parasite that infects cats or other mammals that eat small animals, birds, or other anything that carry Toxoplasma cysts. Once consumed, these cysts develop into eggs inside the intestine. These eggs are then shed in feces, where they develop further. If these infect pregnant women, they can affect the fetus and cause birth defects. The risk to the baby increases the later in the pregnancy the new infection is acquired.

TESTING FOR TAXOPLASMOSIS

• A vet can test for Toxoplasmosis by performing a examining the cat's feces for presence of the eggs.
• In addition, blood tests can determine if antibodies have been activated to respond to Toxoplasma. What makes this difficult is that cats rarely show signs of toxoplasmosis, although some infected kitties may have fevers, coughs and swollen lymph nodes, or may experience a loss of appetite.

REDUCING RISK FOR TAXOPLASMOSIS

• Have your cat tested for Taxoplasmosis.
• Keep kitty indoors! Remember that toxoplasmosis is transmitted to cats via infected prey, thus keeping kitty indoors will reduce the risk of his becoming infected.
• Thoroughly cook any meat you feed your cat (this goes for people too).
• Thoroughly wash your hands after handling any raw meats.
• As a pregnant woman you should not perform litter box duty.
• Have another family member clean and disinfect the litter box on a regular basis.

It might be a good idea to discuss these matters with your vet at Heidi's next visit. At 5 weeks she is probably due for her shots. As to Brandi's flea problem, check out the Fleas on Infants section in Little Kittens section. Be sure to discuss with your doctor and follow whatever precautions are recommended for pregnant women. Keep me posted. Simba