Toxoplasmosis....?

So all my life I have lived with at least 2 cats - before i had my own it was my parents 3 cats who were always outside. Now I have my own 2 cats who have never been outside in their lives and only eat cat food and cat biscuits (no fresh meat) and maybe the occasional (very rare) gecko that makes the mistake of wandering into the garage and gets eaten alive.

Problem is at now 6 wks preg I am finding it REALLY hard not to cuddle up with my babies as they are my fur-kids ... given ive lived with cats all my life and my 2 dont go outside how seriously should I be concerned about Toxoplasmosis?

Oh and my husband does all their litter box changes...

I think it's mainly if you don't wash your hands or change their litter. DP is on cat litter duty here too. Just try avoid kissing their fur and such too because they clean their arse then their fur *shudder*

HTH

Sorry no advice but I have an indoor cat too and was wondering this as well.

I think considering they're adult cats, they don't eat raw meat & they are totally indoor cats means the risk of them having it & passing it to you is very low. You're already doing the right thing by getting your partner to change the tray. I'm sure cuddles are fine, just wash your hands after handling them. I know my friends cat walks on her bench, maybe keep them out of the kitchen area if they do this.

Actually if you have lived for a period of time with cats (like more than a year) you have already contracted toxoplasmosis and have built an immunity. Still beat to avoid poo, and wash hands etc after cuddling, but the good news is you CAN cuddle your kitty. Confirmed by my vet, gp and midwife. If they're outdoor cats a bit more caution is needed with hand washing etc. Enjoy your fur babies!

Cats contract toxoplasmosis from rats, so if your cat hasn't eaten a rat then they're unlikely to have it (apparantly the bug gets inside the rats head and disrupts the part of the brain that fears predators, so they become stupid rats and are easy to eat). I've lived with cats all my life and fully expected to have contracted toxoplasmosis and be immune to it, but nope, haven't ever had it and have no immunity (blood test); but the cats I've had have never been interested in eating anything that didn't come out of their bowl.

DH does all the litter handling, I haven't changed how I interact with them except for a little bit more vigilance with hand washing. Both my cats are fully indoor cats and would probably hide if a rat showed up.

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Actually if you have lived for a period of time with cats (like more than a year) you have already contracted toxoplasmosis and have built an immunity. Still beat to avoid poo, and wash hands etc after cuddling, but the good news is you CAN cuddle your kitty. Confirmed by my vet, gp and midwife. If they're outdoor cats a bit more caution is needed with hand washing etc. Enjoy your fur babies!

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Exactly. Chances are, you are already immune.

Awww yay thanks guys ... that makes me feel much better. As a nurse Im already pretty vigilant with the hand washing but had never heard of Toxoplasmosis until my mum mentioned it to me which made me paranoid.

Anyway I have another Dr Appt on the 10th so i might ask her to add the toxoplasma immunity screen to the barrage of blood work she keeps stickin me with each week lol.

Thanks again!!

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Actually if you have lived for a period of time with cats (like more than a year) you have already contracted toxoplasmosis and have built an immunity. Still beat to avoid poo, and wash hands etc after cuddling, but the good news is you CAN cuddle your kitty. Confirmed by my vet, gp and midwife. If they're outdoor cats a bit more caution is needed with hand washing etc. Enjoy your fur babies!

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Agreed..
Ive lived with cats all my life and my cat doesnt even have a cat litter tray, i have 5 kids and tested negative with toxo until this pregnancy when i tested positive to exposure, my dr isnt concerend, as we dont know when i had contact and im ocd with washing my hands! He thinks maybe transfer from my kids touching me after they have played with the cat.
Dont stress to much, give ur kitty a hug!