Am I over-reacting? Toxoplasmosis risk question..

tshores90 · January 2014

So I know pregnant ppl are supposed to stay away from litter boxes because of toxoplasmosis in cat poop. Well, we rent a house and aren't allowed to have any pets. A new tenant moved into the house one lot down from us (there's an empty lot with no house on it between our two homes), and they have 4 indoor dogs and several outdoor cats - which are all not allowed btw..

Anyway, the cats are ALWAYS roaming around in our yard..and with that comes their poop and pee. This morning I look outside and notice cat poop right on the front porch only a few inches from our door! Seriously?!?! Besides the fact these animals aren't allowed, I feel like this could be a serious issue with the whole toxoplasmosis risk. Not to mention my other children possibly traipsing through it in our yard unbeknownst to me!

Should I say something to the neighbors, the landlord, or am I being ridiculous?

MrsRage · January 2014

I think you're over reacting. Are you touching the poop?

sm623 · January 2014

As long as you aren't handling the clean up, I think you should be okay. I would still say something to the landlord because it's not okay for them to let their pets do that to their neighbors.

tshores90 · January 2014

I'm not touching it..

I guess my concern lies with me/DH/the kids tracking it in without really knowing..or catching it just from being close to the poop. I was reading that it's transferred thru the air particles that's why you aren't supposed to clean the litter box or be near it really while you're pregnant - and here it is lying on my doorstep.

tshores90 · January 2014

I don't even know why they have these cats. I mean, I understand wanting, having, and caring for a pet, but they have nothing to do with the cats. They just roam around all over town and stop by the house for food I guess. I don't think they are being cared for very well because I always see them drinking water from puddles and drainage ditches. And one of the cats is limping around like its front paw was injured. Saying all that to say I don't think they are very attached to these cats like a caring pet-owner should be.

tshores90 · January 2014

Ok apparently I was misinformed about how to catch toxoplasmosis..that makes me feel better haha.

ElTrain5 · January 2014

Yes to the overreacting. To be safe, have your family leave their shoes at the front door so that nothing is tracked through the house, and have the landlord deal with the poop on the step. You'll be fine.

ElTrain5 · January 2014

You are also at a greater risk for contracting toxoplasmosis by gardening then changing a litter box, so make sure you either avoid outdoor gardening or use gloves and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

Unknown · January 2014

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tshores90 · January 2014

I'll check out the boundary spray stuff. These people brought cats with them when they moved in. I never even saw random cats around the house until they moved in. But I guess it's impossible for me to tell the landlord and prove that their cats pooped in my yard.

hscoggins · January 2014

I think you're overreacting a little. I have 2 cats whose litter box is in our house, only my husband cleans it. Unless you physically touch the poop and don't wash your hands after I'd say you're fine!

k2k2tog · January 2014

Definitely overreacting. You actually have to somehow injest the parasite in order to be infected. Also, if you track it into your house, you'll know it - cat shit stinks.

dragonfly711 · January 2014

You can say something but if you are not touching it you have nothing to worry about.

I have 3 indoor cats with 3 litter boxes. I make sure I wash good after cleaning them. If I remember I wear gloves.

BabyCurtiss2014 · January 2014

I personally still don't understand this...I have a cat...but...when I clean the litter box, I use the pooper scooper soooooo how am I going to get toxoplasmosis?!?!? My doc said to wear gloves but I'm not touching the poop and even after I scoop it with the scooper I wash my hands so I am really not sure why all the paranoia. I do make my hubby clean it at times so I don't have to lol. Also...my cat goes to the box and then walks all over the house...so can his dirty paws transmit toxoplasmosis?

Pepper6 · January 2014

The CDC estimates that 60 million people have it and never have any symptoms, so if you've ever owned cats, it's likely you already have it and just don't know it. You absolutely won't get it from proximity though, so you are probably overreacting on this front.

However, I would be concerned for the welfare of the animals in general. Perhaps you can file a minor complaint with the landlord, and if anything gets worse, you can call the Humane Society (although I try to avoid that with feral cats because they are typically automatically euthanized if they get picked up)

dragonfly711 · January 2014

tshores90 said:
I don't even know why they have these cats. I mean, I understand wanting, having, and caring for a pet, but they have nothing to do with the cats. They just roam around all over town and stop by the house for food I guess. I don't think they are being cared for very well because I always see them drinking water from puddles and drainage ditches. And one of the cats is limping around like its front paw was injured. Saying all that to say I don't think they are very attached to these cats like a caring pet-owner should be.

These cats might be feral cats which are cats that someone could have left behind and reproduced outside now are pretty much wild cats. Someone might be feeding them to be nice.

Problem w feeding them is it attracts more cats to the area and they will stick around until they stop feeding them.

You don't want to stop feeding them now since it is bad weather but slowly they should stop during the summer when they can fend for themselves.

If they are feral you should stay away from them anyway since they probably do not have vaccinations especially rabies shot.

I bet the cats were staying in the empty lot and these people were being nice and feeding them. Not much you can do you can call cat rescues hat do TNR ( trap neuter and release programs) and they will take care of the cats but spaying and neutering usually will give a rabies shot and will notch the left ear so if the cat is ever caught again they can tell the cat is neutered.

You could say something to the landlord but hard to say what cat pooped in your yard.

jdias428 · January 2014

About toxo (I'm a vet)... this is a parasite that is transmitted through poop of infected cats that are shedding the thing in their poops. Only 1% of cats in the nation are shedding at a particular time. That said, an infected shedding cat's poop requires 1-2 days after being pooped for the toxo to become infective. If litter is changed regularly (daily) in a household cat situation, the risk is nonexistent.

Greatest risk for contracting toxo by humans is from eating undercooked pork.

Given your situation: if the cats are these people's, that sucks for the cats, but the landlord should be notified. Honestly IMO, cats should be indoors only for everyone's sake. If they're ferile.. that stinks too! good luck!

hscoggins · January 2014

I think you're overreacting a little. I have 2 cats whose litter box is in our house, only my husband cleans it. Unless you physically touch the poop and don't wash your hands after I'd say you're fine!

ElTrain5 · January 2014

"Despite the cat litter emphasis, the circumstances under which you can get this from a cat are fairly specific. Cats are infected by eating something (like raw meat) that gives them the parasite. The first time they are exposed they excrete the parasite eggs in their feces for several weeks. You can be infected through exposure to these. Once they are exposed once, they typically acquire immunity and are not exposed again. This means you're at risk if you're exposed to a cat during the first exposure. If you cat is old, regardless of whether it lives outside, it probably already had this. Perhaps for this reason, cat littler is not the main source of toxoplasmosis infection. In fact, in many studies it's not even a significant source of infection. For example, one study of pregnant women in Europe compared those with and without toxoplasmosis infections and looked to see what behaviors were more common among women who were infected. The found no evidence that cats matter: women with this infection were no more likely to have a cat at all, clean a litter box, or have a cat who hunts outside." - Expecting Better, Emily Oster

Bigger risks of contracting toxoplasmosis: Uncooked meats, unwashed vegetables, gardening (lots of wild animal poop in the soil).

flerlgirl · January 2014

unless you're licking the cat poop, you're fine

eryale · January 2014

tshores90 said:
So I know pregnant ppl are supposed to stay away from litter boxes because of toxoplasmosis in cat poop. Well, we rent a house and aren't allowed to have any pets. A new tenant moved into the house one lot down from us (there's an empty lot with no house on it between our two homes), and they have 4 indoor dogs and several outdoor cats - which are all not allowed btw..

Anyway, the cats are ALWAYS roaming around in our yard..and with that comes their poop and pee. This morning I look outside and notice cat poop right on the front porch only a few inches from our door! Seriously?!?! Besides the fact these animals aren't allowed, I feel like this could be a serious issue with the whole toxoplasmosis risk. Not to mention my other children possibly traipsing through it in our yard unbeknownst to me!

Should I say something to the neighbors, the landlord, or am I being ridiculous?

I don't think you're overreacting as outdoor cats' feces are more likely to carry toxoplasmosis and it is a spore that can travel in litter and soil dust...
I'm a cat lover (have 3) and am still very cautious! My husband cleans the box while I'm pregnant and I stay away! As unlikely as it may be that you'll contract toxoplasmosis from neighbor kitty poop, the potential outcome could be very devastating to baby... So I'd be very annoyed if I were you. Definitely raise your concerns with the landlord...
Double bummer if you like to garden as you'll have to take extra precautions in your own yard now.

iris427 · January 2014

I would be pissed about a neighbor's pet shitting on my front steps, toxoplasmosis or not.

lscal20 · January 2014

As long as you're not touching it, you'll be fine. The poop needs to sit outside of the body for 24hr for toxoplasmosis to come out. Also, cats only shed the parasite for 3-4weeks of their life. The beat chance of getting toxo is from raw meat or gardening.

I'm a vet tech and while my hubby takes care of the litter box at home, I do have to deal with cat feces at work. I just wear gloves and wash my hands after. It's really not likely you'll get it from a cat

Edit: I would be pissed if a neighbors cat was pooping on my steps and I would say something to them, then go to the landlord.

melaneejo · January 2014

I can understand why you would be upset however I feel like going straight to the landlord is not the best way to make friends. Go meet your new neighbors and mention the cat situation. You might get more to the story and make a new friend as opposed to going straight to the landlord without the whole story.

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