Playing cats while pregnant, is it true that there is a risk of Toxoplasma?

Toxoplasma in cats

If you heard playing cats while pregnant can carry parasites that can cause harm to you and your baby, it is true. But something has to be straightened out, in fact the toxoplasma parasite in cats, the main source of transmission comes from cat feces. There is a risk that if you play a cat during pregnancy and get Toxoplasma, this can cause serious birth defects in the baby. The resulting birth defects can include eye and brain damage to the fetus.

The toxoplasma parasite in cats is actually contagious if you are dirty in cleaning cat litter or if your cat's cage is unhygienic. This parasite is transmitted through hand contact with feces, then carried to the mouth until it enters the body, which will cause infection.

If you have a cat and play with a cat while pregnant, that's OK. It's just that what needs extra attention is when cleaning cat litter. Ask someone else to clean if possible for prevention of infection. But if not, and you have to clean your cat's litter yourself, at least do it every day.

Actually, this parasite will be contagious for a period of one to five days. So if you clean it before 24 hours after the stool is removed, this will prevent transmission to humans.

How big is the risk of Toxoplasma from playing cats while pregnant?

Only about 15 percent of fertile women are immune to toxoplasma, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of women who get Toxoplasma infection during pregnancy is still relatively small, and not all of these infections impact pregnancy.

In fact, if you are infected with Toxoplasma in the first trimester, the fetus will only be at about 15 percent risk. If you become infected in the second trimester, the risk of the baby getting toxoplasmosis is about 30 percent, and a 60 percent risk in the third trimester.

There is also a very small risk of infecting your baby when you become infected a few months before becoming pregnant. If you were infected before becoming pregnant, some experts recommend waiting as long as six months before trying to become pregnant.

How can I prevent toxoplasmosis during pregnancy if I have a cat?

This does not mean you can no longer play with your favorite meow when you are pregnant. However, to reduce the risk of getting toxoplasmosis, do the following things as a precaution.

When it comes to cleaning cat litter, have someone else clean it every day. If you are the only one who has to clean it, be careful. Use disposable gloves when cleaning litter or cat litter. Don't forget to wash your hands with antiseptic soap and water afterward. Some experts also recommend wearing a mask to prevent parasites from entering through your breath while you are cleaning cat litter.
To prevent your cat from becoming infected with toxo while you are pregnant, make sure your cat does not eat carelessly and only eats specialty store-bought cat food, or properly cooked household leftovers. Avoid feeding your cat raw meat.
Keep your cat indoors so that it won't interact with outside wild animals such as birds or mice. If you have rats in your home, make sure your cat does not interact with house rats while you are pregnant.
Keep cats away from your dining table and kitchen.
Although parasites rarely appear on a cat's coat, it is recommended that you wash your hands immediately after petting a cat, especially before eating or touching your mouth with your hands.
Do not buy or adopt a new cat when you are pregnant, and avoid interacting with stray cats during pregnancy, because in contrast to pet cats that you can take care of and monitor their health, we never know their condition with stray cats.

If you are concerned that you may have toxoplasmosis, you can consult a doctor and do a blood test to see if you are immune to infection with the Toxoplasma virus.