Myths About Cats And Pregnant Women
Years ago, when we were not as interconnected as we are now and a woman was pregnant, it was common to hear a strong campaign against cats in homes. That situation was the perfect breeding ground for a wave of myths about them and pregnant women to start to emerge.
In the midst of this intense campaign, doubts and fears appeared that surrounded the word: toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by a parasite that can cause malformations in the fetus.
But why the campaign against the cat? Firstly, it is because of household pets, the cat is the only domestic animal that can be infected with this disease without presenting any apparent symptoms. However, that doesn’t make it the absolute culprit for transmitting toxoplasmosis.
Abandoned cats
In Spain, 13% of abandoned cats, (about 3,000 a year according to the Promiau Association), are thrown out of the house due to fear of toxoplasmosis or that the feline complicates the conditions for the birth of a baby.
This situation is quite unfair, especially since it is a consequence of not being well informed. Well, as you can see, there are scientific studies that show that the chances of contracting toxoplasmosis through cats are very low, in fact, they are almost nil.
A myth that you have to stop believing about cats
Let’s start to demystify the “evil” relationship between cats and women at the beginning. First of all, it is necessary to know that the cat is not an intrinsic carrier of toxoplasmosis as many believe.
There are those who claim that you can contract the disease just by stroking it. But the feline that is not infected by the parasite will not transmit toxoplasmosis to any pregnant woman or to another person.
In order for the cat to be considered a “problem” in the home, it must contract the virus through the ingestion of raw or undercooked meat or sausages. And even this does not guarantee that the cat will contract the disease. Since not all meats or sausages carry the parasite that transmits Toxoplasma Gondii, the scientific name with which the virus is identified.
The feline’s dietary guidelines and lifestyle must ensure that the animal does not acquire the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis during pregnancy. “It is about such simple issues, such as that the cat does not eat raw meat, but a commercial food. To guarantee this, it is necessary that the animal does not go outside, such as a garden, where it can hunt mice or birds ” , the veterinarians explain.
Having a cat is not the same as getting toxoplasmosis
On the other hand, it is convenient to talk about the symptoms that toxoplasmosis causes in humans. In summary, almost all doctors agree that suffering from toxoplasmosis is like having a bad cold or flu that is accompanied by fever and general malaise.
Therefore, a high percentage of people have contracted the disease at some point in their life and have not noticed it. Furthermore, there are women who have antibodies that protect them from the disease because they have been infected before their gestation.
“In these cases there is no contagion from the mother to the baby, since her immunity protects her against new infections,” says a member of the Feline Medicine Specialty Group of the Association of Spanish Veterinarians Specialists in Small Animals (AVEPA) . Who bases his statement on a study done on toxoplasmosis, cats and pregnancies.
Don’t get rid of cats in your pregnancy
There is also numerous scientific evidence showing that human transmission of toxoplasmosis through contact with the feces of an infected feline is unlikely. This happens mainly because the vast majority of people who get infected do so through undercooked meat. Or through the consumption of contaminated or badly washed vegetables.
And if we use logic, it is convenient to open the focus a little and not forget that there are many veterinarians in the world who are in daily contact with cats during their gestation process without contracting the disease.
Therefore, it is unnecessary to interrupt coexistence with felines, animals so noble that they provide numerous emotional and physical benefits to those who enjoy their company. The separation of a pregnant woman from her cat can cause trauma that alters her psychological well-being.
Cats at home
If you have a cat at home and you are pregnant or are already thinking of having a baby, there are some small considerations to take into account to avoid a possible contagion of toxoplasmosis:
- In order for a cat to produce infectious feces, it must first be infected while you are pregnant. Such contagion occurs when cats eat animals they have hunted or raw meat. So if your cat does not go outside, surely it will not infect, also by keeping it indoors you will control its feeding by giving it cat food.
- The contagion period lasts from three to twenty days maximum. After that time, the animal releases the parasite through its feces for a month. If it later becomes infected again, it will not release any more parasites. Therefore, for it to release the parasite it must also be its first contagion, which must be determined through an examination. As in humans, the cat with toxoplasmosis usually has no visible symptoms.
How is it transmitted then?
For feces to be infectious, they have to mature on exposure for 24-48 hours. Ideally, clean the cat’s litter box more than once a day and it is recommended that someone else do it for the future mother.
If you had toxoplasmosis before you got pregnant, the baby cannot be infected. And if you are in the last weeks of pregnancy, the risk of contagion is lower. However, if you still have doubts and fears, the best thing to do before separating from the cat is to take medical tests. Follow the advice of your trusted doctor.
Being well informed will help you carry your pregnancy safely with your feline pet. Well, you will know that they are not the culprits of transmitting toxoplasmosis. Sharing your pregnancy with your cat can be one of the most beautiful experiences you have.
In addition, you will be helping to curb dropouts and unnecessary adoptions, mainly those attributed to a false myth. In time you will see that there is really nothing better than a baby that lives with cats from birth.
