being around a kitten

rhiney22 · October 2012

I was around a baby kitten today that my sister found and it doesnt have a little box yet and hasnt pooped yet but i was wondering if there was any harm being around kitten and holding it? im 19 weeks tomorrow.
thank you!

Allycat11 · October 2012

You are fine. My cat climbs all over me every day.

Stillharbor · October 2012

Allycat11:
You are fine. My cat climbs all over me every day.

ditto. I snuggle my cat and hang her around my neck all the time.

March2013FTM · October 2012

The concern is with toxoplasmosis if you come into contact with fecal matter - you'll prolly be fine. I was fostering kittens for 2 weeks before I knew I was pregnant.

synchrosally · October 2012

My cat is sitting on my stomach as I type.

KmfMjf1024 · October 2012

I have two kitties and they sleep with us, sit on me, everything. The danger is in cat feces so you just want to avoid scooping cat litter, and some doctors say avoid gardening if you have stray cats in your neighborhood.

Saki67 · October 2012

I have 2 cats who are kinda old (6ish years old) and a kitten that will be a year old soon. All three sleep with me in my bed, the two older ones sleep right by my head and the kitten I mostly find by my feet or watching over me from the dresser by my bed. Now they are all fixed, but I've been finding the two oldest (they are both female and the kitten is male & actually my BFs) cuddling up with me more since I got pregnant.

It's kinda pointless to mention now, cuz if you're on this board you well already know you are, but they can sense when your pregnant cuz of some change in your sent. (cats are cats... so they just have that 'i don't care' air about them. so they might not act totally different around you.) The point was, don't worry too much if the kitten changes it's ways around you when you lose that prego sent.

Like others said, don't scoop the litter yourself or clean kitties poopy mess if it goes outside of the box. Have someone else clean the litterbox.

If your doing the single mom thing..... I guess (and I'm GUESSING here) you can do it, if you wear long gloves and clean the gloves really good with soap and water before taking them off. unless the issue is not so much skin contact as breathing in something when litter stuff is being shifted around.

Kingston54 · October 2012

I think it's the litter box that's a concern, not the animal itself - you should be fine! Vets and vet techs have to be around them...

Saki67 · October 2012

RedheadBaker:

Pregnant women can scoop litter boxes. Just don't snack on the poop.
A cat must first be infected with it, typically by eating an infected rodent or infected raw meat. Then, they are only contagious for about two weeks. They shed spores in their fecal matter, which must then sit for 24 hours for the spores to "hatch." Then, the person must ingest the fecal matter to become infected with toxoplasmosis. It is not transmitted through skin contact.
You're more likely to get toxoplasmosis from gardening.

My OB was the one that strongly suggested that I don't scoop my cat's litter and I did tell her that they are indoor only cats. So I'm going to stick with the bf cleaning the litter boxes. I'm pretty sure she's not wrong in her suggestion since she works for a highly recognized hospital.

ally2011 · October 2012

Saki67:
RedheadBaker:

Pregnant women can scoop litter boxes. Just don't snack on the poop.
A cat must first be infected with it, typically by eating an infected rodent or infected raw meat. Then, they are only contagious for about two weeks. They shed spores in their fecal matter, which must then sit for 24 hours for the spores to "hatch." Then, the person must ingest the fecal matter to become infected with toxoplasmosis. It is not transmitted through skin contact.
You're more likely to get toxoplasmosis from gardening.
My OB was the one that strongly suggested that I don't scoop my cat's litter and I did tell her that they are indoor only cats. So I'm going to stick with the bf cleaning the litter boxes. I'm pretty sure she's not wrong in her suggestion since she works for a highly recognized hospital.

I completely agree. Everything I have ever seen since for pregnant women not to clean the litter box, and if you absolutely have to, wear gloves and wash up after.

My cat has been an inside cat for 12 years but my husband still cleans it out. If I were around a cat I did not know or a stray, I would just make sure to wash up after petting/playing with it.

JumpAroundBucky · October 2012

Just wash your hands after playing and petting if you want to be very careful. I was pregnant while working in a vet clinic. You'll be fine. Snuggle that kitten!

SarahBBowers · October 2012

RedheadBaker:
Saki67:

Like others said, don't scoop the litter yourself or clean kitties poopy mess if it goes outside of the box. Have someone else clean the litterbox.

If your doing the single mom thing..... I guess (and I'm GUESSING here) you can do it, if you wear long gloves and clean the gloves really good with soap and water before taking them off. unless the issue is not so much skin contact as breathing in something when litter stuff is being shifted around.

Pregnant women can scoop litter boxes. Just don't snack on the poop.

A cat must first be infected with it, typically by eating an infected rodent or infected raw meat. Then, they are only contagious for about two weeks. They shed spores in their fecal matter, which must then sit for 24 hours for the spores to "hatch." Then, the person must ingest the fecal matter to become infected with toxoplasmosis. It is not transmitted through skin contact.

You're more likely to get toxoplasmosis from gardening.

This. Most human doctors don't know the details about toxoplasmosis transmission. That being said, I still have my husband do them, but if you have to scoop just wash your hands afterwards. Eating raw meat is another way to get Toxo

RavenlovesZeek · October 2012

just be careful around feces (i have 2 kitties)

lenya_35 · October 2012

RedheadBaker:

Pregnant women can scoop litter boxes. Just don't snack on the poop.
A cat must first be infected with it, typically by eating an infected rodent or infected raw meat. Then, they are only contagious for about two weeks. They shed spores in their fecal matter, which must then sit for 24 hours for the spores to "hatch." Then, the person must ingest the fecal matter to become infected with toxoplasmosis. It is not transmitted through skin contact.
You're more likely to get toxoplasmosis from gardening.

Thanks for this info. Just don't tell my DH. I've got him convinced he needs to clean our 10-year old strictly indoor cats' poop box now and while I'm breastfeeding

being around a kitten

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