Download You`re pregnant - Siamese Cat Rescue Center

You’re pregnant? You DON’T have to give up the cat!
You’re sitting at the doctor’s office nervously waiting. She walks in and utters those two
words: “You’re pregnant.” You find yourself suddenly excited and anxious and stressed
and confused all in one moment. Your mind races furiously as you consider the future
and the changes to your life. Can we afford it? What about work? Is the house big
enough? Who’ll take care of…THE CAT?!
One of the most unfortunate myths when a pregnancy is diagnosed is that the cat has to
go, either banished to the outdoors or removed from the home altogether. Frequently the
owner doesn’t even know why the cat should leave; she just knows that she has been told
to stay away from cats when she is pregnant. Many, many cats are rehomed or turned into
shelters each year due to fear of toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by
a microscopic parasite called Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). This infection can lead to
miscarriage or severe illness and birth defects if a woman acquires toxoplasmosis during
her pregnancy and transmits it to her unborn child. But concern for possible infection
does not mean that Tabby needs to find a new home or be put outdoors to live. Owning a
cat doesn’t mean that you will be infected with the disease and does not necessarily
increase the risk of acquiring toxoplasmosis. It is very unlikely that you would be
exposed to the parasite by touching an infected cat because cats usually do not carry the
parasite on their fur. In addition, cats kept indoors that do not hunt prey or are not fed raw
meat are unlikely to be infected with Toxoplasma. Pregnancy and cat ownership are not
mutually exclusive events.
To understand how the organism is acquired by humans, it is important to understand the
life cycle of T. gondii. Once the parasite is ingested by a cat, usually by eating birds,
rodents, or other small animals infected with the parasite, it is passed into the cat’s feces.
After a cat has been infected, it can release the parasite into the feces for up to two or
three weeks. Once in the feces, the parasite incubates for one to five days before
becoming infectious to others - human or animal - who might ingest it. The parasite can
live in the environment for many months and can contaminate any place where the cat
may have defecated – soil, water, fruits and vegetables, sandboxes, grass where animals
graze, and litter boxes. If the food source of animals such as pigs, sheep, or deer becomes
contaminated with the cat’s feces, then the animals become infected. The cat is the only
animal that sheds the infectious stage in its feces. Therefore, these animals ingesting the
feces will not shed the parasite in their feces. However, the parasite forms cysts in the
muscles of these animals ingesting the Toxoplasma, and their meat can be infective from
these cysts. This life cycle therefore creates several opportunities for humans to become
infected.
Humans can acquire toxoplasmosis in various ways. The most common way that people
contract the infection is by eating undercooked meat which contains the T. gondii within
the tissue cysts in the meat. Pigs, sheep, deer, and other animals may eat contaminated
feed or soil and become infected. Eating this meat when raw or undercooked can then
lead to human infection. In addition, other food can become contaminated if the knives,
utensils, cutting boards, or other foods in preparation have had contact with the raw meat.
This can lead to ingestion and subsequent infection. Fruits and vegetables grown in
contaminated soil may also be infective if ingested without first being washed
adequately. Finally, direct ingestion of the organism can occur. This may happen by
accidentally touching your hands to your mouth after activities such as gardening,
cleaning the cat’s litter box, or touching anything that has come into contact with cat
feces. Similarly, touching your hands to your mouth after handling infected raw meat can
lead to direct ingestion. Drinking water contaminated with Toxoplasma is a less common
source of infection. Infection through organ transplantation or a blood transfusion is
possible but very rare.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 60 million people in the
United States may carry the Toxoplasma parasite. Of those infected, most do not have
symptoms or know they are infected because a healthy immune system keeps the parasite
from causing illness. When illness does occur, it is usually mild. Infected individuals may
have flu-like symptoms with swollen lymph nodes or muscle aches and pains that go
away after several weeks or longer, and treatment is not needed. One study has shown
that approximately 38% of pregnant women in the United States have evidence of prior
toxoplasmosis infection. Evidence of previous infection means that the future mother is
not at risk for transmitting the infection to her unborn child. And in most areas of the
United States and Canada, fetal toxoplasmosis infection is rare. In the U.S., about 1 to 10
infants per 10,000 actually become infected before birth. Because of this low rate of
infection, pregnant mothers are not screened for toxoplasmosis in this country.
Cats only spread T. gondii in their feces for a few weeks after they are first infected with
the parasite. Like humans, they rarely have symptoms when first infected, so most people
don’t know whether their cat has been exposed to Toxoplasma. Kittens and young cats
can shed millions of parasites in their feces after infection. Mature cats are less likely to
shed Toxoplasma. Also like humans, once a cat has been infected with toxoplasmosis, he
typically acquires immunity and only rarely can be reinfected. So it is usually only during
his first exposure to Toxoplasma that he will excrete the infectious organism in his feces.
Good tests are not available to determine whether you cat is passing the organism in its
feces.
Fortunately, you can easily avoid contracting toxoplasmosis from cat feces without giving
up your feline baby. It is difficult for cats to transmit toxoplasmosis directly to their
caregivers, and a pregnant woman is generally unlikely to contract the disease from her
pet. There are a number of precautions that can be taken to prevent toxoplasmosis,
however, to better ensure a healthy pregnancy.
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Change litter boxes daily. Remember, the organism in the feces becomes
infective only after one to five days of incubation. Daily changing of the litter
box removes feces before they are infectious.
If you are pregnant, ask someone else to change the litter box. If you must
change it, wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water
afterwards.
Other precautions not directly involving your cat can also be taken.
 Avoid stray cats, especially kittens. Younger cats are more likely to be
shedding Toxoplasma.
 Don’t bring a new cat into your house that might have been an outdoor cat or
might have been fed raw meat.
 Wear gloves while gardening and wash your hands after gardening.
 Cover outdoor sandboxes when not in use.
 Do not eat raw or undercooked meat. The internal temperature of the meat
should reach at least 160° F.
 Wash hands well after handling raw meat.
 Wash all uncooked vegetables thoroughly.
 Wash cutting boards and utensils that may have come in contact with meat
before using them to prepare other foods.
In addition to these precautions, you can also protect your cat from acquiring
toxoplasmosis.
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Feed your cat only commercial dry or canned food. Never feed your cat raw
meat.
Keep indoor cats indoors.
If the recommendations above are followed, the risk of getting the disease is low. Cats
can be continuous sources of joy and companionship to their owners during pregnancy
and after childbirth. Your cat should remain as a loved member of the family while you
await your new arrival.
Whew. You walk out of the doctor’s office elated and relieved. She has just helped you to
understand that your cat doesn’t have to leave after all. You head for home, excited about
the future arrival and looking forward to the opportunity to teach your child about the
joys and responsibilities of cat ownership and the incredible love and companionship that
can be found with a feline friend.