Is it ok to LOVE your cat? Ok, not like that but...

jesslw · August 2010

I have an 11 month old Siamese cat I love with all my heart, and he loves me bunches also. I know about the dangers of toxoplasmosis you catch from cat feces...DH has begrudgingly taken over the box dumping duties even though Jasper is a stay at home kitty and has never been outside (supposedly upping the chances your cat carries the parasite). What I don't know is, are there other ways to catch it? Jasper likes to 'kiss' his momma on the face and we sleep side by side every night. Is this dangerous? I'd hate to change anything about our relationship, he's my 'first born son' and very special to me.

Dixiebell · August 2010

my dogs dixie and tyson and our first children as well. She sleeps with me every night too and we havent been apart for very long ever. They also love giving kisses. They are 80 and 100 pounds though so my biggest worry is that they dont smoosh me or step on me wrong. Good luck! Sorry dont know much about cats but i hope you can keep him as close as you ever have.

RumbleLina · August 2010

Your title kind of boggles me since a lot of people love their animals and treat them as their children.

But...what I wanted to mention is that you might want to rethink about having your cat kiss you and sleep with you. Because once baby comes your cat is probably going to do what he does to you to the baby. Also, you may not want the cat sleeping with you when baby is sleeping in your room the first few months. If you are okay with your cat sleeping with baby and giving it kisses then I would say you don't have to change anything though.

I realize that he may be you "first born son" but remember he is a cat so if you stick him outside the door at night his life won't end and he will get over it within a few night. You might want to start conditioning him so when baby comes he is used to not having all the attention.

reaustin18 · August 2010

I have a Siamese too! I have another "mutt" cat as well. My Siamese girl sleeps above my head every night. I actually grew up around Siamese as my mother and grandmother only ever owned Siamese cats. Mine are both indoor only and my DH has taken over litter duties as well. I have been around cats my entire life and I seriously doubt I will have any issues. They don't go outside at all. Plus, I read that it takes a few days for the bacteria to actually grow in feces. This is why they recommend cleaning the box every day to make sure there is no bacteria present.

You might want to wash your hands before eating, but besides that...I think you'll be fine. Keep loving on that meezer!

1stcomeslove2 · August 2010

I feel your pain. My cat Frankie is my best friend and I love him to death. We snuggle every night and he likes to give kisses as well. It sounds insane but i feel like he really is my first child. I had heard about giving up kitty litter duties but then I started reading things that told me to completely stay away from the cat not to touch him or if you do to run and wash your hands. It sent me into tears. I started to talk to people and it seems that everyone who had cats while pregnant had a very healthy baby. The chances of you actually catching toxoplasmosis from an indoor cat are very low. The chances go up a little if you have mice in the house that your kitty is eatting but you actually have a higher chance of getting it from the meat you eat everyday. Also if you have grown up with cats your whole life there is a good chance you have already had toxoplasmosis and although that doesn't completely protect your baby it lowers your risk a bit. I am still cuddling with my cat every night. I am making sure to steer clear of his kitty litter.( which I don't mind doing) I am trying to avoid the face kisses and moving them to my hands and just washing up a little more and using antibacterial. There is no need to change your relationship completely but just alter it a little bit for a short time

Love your kitty like you always have!!

PeacheeKeen · August 2010

AllysunC:
Your title kind of boggles me since a lot of people love their animals and treat them as their children.
But...what I wanted to mention is that you might want to rethink about having your cat kiss you and sleep with you. Because once baby comes your cat is probably going to do what he does to you to the baby. Also, you may not want the cat sleeping with you when baby is sleeping in your room the first few months. If you are okay with your cat sleeping with baby and giving it kisses then I would say you don't have to change anything though.
I realize that he may be you "first born son" but remember he is a cat so if you stick him outside the door at night his life won't end and he will get over it within a few night. You might want to start conditioning him so when baby comes he is used to not having all the attention.

While this is true, the cat will probably get less attention once the baby is there I don't think you really need to "condition" it to get used to that. Our cat is a huge love bug and still sleeps with us- always has. We didn't co-sleep with DS so it was never an issue. Once or twice I found her sleeping in his crib but never when he was in there and I think it was just an adjustment for her.

I try to limit the kisses to the face while pregnant but it's not always easy.

She is actually really sweet with the kid and they have a good relationship. She definitely gets less attention these days than she used to- but I try to give her a couple minutes of snuggles each night.

Good luck!

StarJay · August 2010

I agree w/ PP about limiting the kisses, and trying to teach him to give kisses on hands or fingers instead, largely in case he does want to be affectionate with baby later. Other than that I wouldn't worry too much about it, unless he has a grooming problem and doesn't keep himself clean. If he's good about his grooming, just make sure you're washing your hands in between cuddle sessions and before meals. Because he is still so young, if you haven't already, I would work with him on making sure his idea of "playing" with people is something safe for babies and toddlers (i.e. traching him not to nip and claw people during rough play.)

FWIW, my cat has been my best friend for 17+yrs. I don't plan on changing my relationship with her much at all. She will still sleep with me at night, though she is going to have to give up her favorite sleeping spot, which is the middle of my belly. I have the advantage that she herself has been a mommy queen before, so she probably has a better idea of whats going on than I do. :-)

MrsChelseaP09 · August 2010

The pregnancy books that I have read say that if your cat has it and you have owned your cat for a long period of time, chances are you have already contracted it and become immune to it. They say to stay away from the kitty litter just for extra precaution. A simple was to stop having to worry would be to have your cat tested for toxoplasmosis at the vet.

CutieBean79 · August 2010

I've been told not to change the litter box, but that I could continue to love them and pet them like before. My little one licks my nose all the time. It's perfectly fine.

Runnergirl2242 · August 2010

MrsChelseaP09:

The pregnancy books that I have read say that if your cat has it and you have owned your cat for a long period of time, chances are you have already contracted it and become immune to it. They say to stay away from the kitty litter just for extra precaution. A simple was to stop having to worry would be to have your cat tested for toxoplasmosis at the vet.

This is what I thought also. I have a sweet persian and I will not change the box but if he has had something I have most certainly caught it at this point. BTW cats are not like dogs, you do not train them...they train you.

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