The other danger with toxoplasmosis is that it is able to cross the placenta. In general, pregnant women are all advised not to touch cat litter trays or cat faeces with their bare hands, and to wash your hands thoroughly after patting or touching cats. Having said that, I have 5 cats and 3 kids, pregnant with #4, and I haven't had any problems at all. Even when not pregnant, I wear gloves when cleaning out their litter trays, and now that my eldest is 7, it's one of his chores to clean them while I am pregnant!

If you are that concerned with your mum's cat, maybe sit and talk with her, express your concerns and let her know that you would appreciate it if she took the time to make sure her hands are clean before preparing any food that you are likely to eat. Personally I don't think this is an unreasonable request, especially if she is aware of how much this baby means to you! And make sure, if you touch her cat, that you wash your hands before putting them near your mouth - I am forever washing my hands ...

One other thing as well, is that toxoplasmosis can also be contracted through handling raw meat so be sure to be careful with handwashing and cross contamination there too. If you google "toxoplasmosis" there are alot of search results, so you can find out other ways to guard against it.