Cat and toxoplasmose

wocha · March 2015

hi there ,
Are there other people how have a cat and that are not immuum for toxoplasmose ?
are you guys afraid ?
My husband dont let me touch my cat anymore and my doctor said i have to use gloves when i pet him

ewhitledge · March 2015

The risk for toxoplasmosis comes from emptying the litter box of the cat primarily.

wocha · March 2015

Yeah well i tought so to.
My cat doesnt go in a litterbox, he only goes outside .. I said that to my doctor .. And still he said be careful. The parasite can be on his paws or in his fur..

Laurakat81 · March 2015

Just wash your hands after you pet him. The risk really is quite small. I have 4 outdoor/indoor cats. I have no idea if I'm "immune" or not but I honestly don't worry about it. With no litter box to change and I'm already a frequent hand washer I consider the risk to be so minute it's not worth the worry.

Here's something the ASPCA says:

Although people can be infected through contact with cat feces, the far more common way for someone to have contact with the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis is through unhygienic handling of raw or undercooked meat, drinking contaminated water and exposure to garden soil or sandboxes where infected cats may have defecated. People do not get the disease through direct contact with the cat himself.

Were you tested and know for sure you're not immune?

DrMommaDVM · March 2015

Wearing gloves to pet your cat....that's pretty extreme!

I would recommend keeping the cat inside. If he goes outside he could get infected (not just with toxo, but other nasty zoonotic parasites as well), come into contact with other animals' feces, plus if he's popping outside it is likely sitting around for more than a day (it takes the toxo immature form at least one day to become infective once deposited in stool).

I say it's a lot more hygienic to have the feces contained within a litter box and scooped out as soon as possible before the infective stage occurs.

happylife7 · March 2015

I have two cats and my doctor has advised me against cleaning the litter box but in the event that I HAVE to because DH is offshore, I simply need to thoroughly wash my hands afterwards (which I would hope anyone would do). My cats are strictly indoors though and have never gone out so contracting it is much less likely. Toxoplasmosis can be spread through the feces of cats that kill/eat wild animals that are infected or come in contact with an infected cat feces. If you have a cat that goes outside and you have someone in your household that can clean the litter box, I would stay on the safe side and not clean the box and also, keep the cat from walking across things that may come in contact with something you will put in your mouth (which is how you contract toxoplasmosis) Click Here to read more about Toxoplasmosis.

gumby22c · March 2015

As the others have said, the risk is only with cleaning the litter box. Not with coming in contact with your cat.

I have 2 cats who constantly take naps on me. I'm just fine. I also clean the litter box, but I wear a mask and gloves just to be safe. My H is gone and I don't have a choice, someone's got to clean it. But if you take the proper precautions, you'll be ok.

swhitm · March 2015

What @Laurakat81 said about meat is very true. Not to sound extreme, but we are all more likely to come in contact with toxoplasmosis through undercooked meat at a restaurant than from petting our cat. I have an indoor cat and my OB said it was not necessary for me to take him to the vet for testing because the spread risk is very low, particularly if you do not handle the litter box. Also, if your cat is fully indoors the risk is even lower because they normally pick up the virus outside. I think you're safe with basic precaution

Kanne0729 · March 2015

I have two indoor only cats and have only ever been told not to clean the litter box and if I must then to just wear some gloves and a mask and obviously make sure to wash my hands afterwards, which I would do anyway and I would hope that everyone else would too pregnant or not. I have never heard not to pet them though and if I do to wear gloves, that is absurd. Is it possible for you to keep your cat inside for the remainder of your pregnancy so that there is less of a risk of them contracting a potentially dangerous disease or parasite?

Cardiganmom2 · March 2015

I've never stopped petting the cat and she often sleeps with us. But I made my husband start cleaning the little box when I got pregnant with my first and he's still doing it...sucker!

ml7wilson · March 2015

I wont touch the kitty litter but love cuddles with my cat (when shes in the mood...cats!!). I'm only 6-7 weeks. Doc said would be higher risk with new kitten but older cats not a problem (mine is over 10yrs old). Not sure why.

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