cats and pregnancy

[magzs1112]

i heard that pregnant women need to stay away from the litter box?  is this true?  also my cats sleep in the bed with me  ( usually near my head ) and a co- worker told me to stop having them do this.  just wondering whats in the kitty litter that is harmful.  thanks

[Joyce49788]

well i still dont know if i AM or not yet....but no as far as i know there is no secret club...at least i have never been invited to a meeting...maybe they dont think i can keep a secret...haha

anyhow kids are wonderful and the BEST stage is the newborn...but i was lucky with all of mine...slept through night from day i brought them home and no colic or anything....my oldest and youngest both were reflux but that didnt effect thier disposition....now they are almost 14 and almost 6 and they are ALOT differant than they were as infants...lol

good luck with making a decision...lmao

i would LOVE to see some candid shots though...lmao

[Savas]

Heh heh...they can be so cute and so ANNOYING at the same time. Well...you could always wear bitter apple when you go to sleep. Nothing is more disconcerting than waking up to a cat nipping your nose/cheek or chewing on your hair.

I am convinced, btw, that pregnant woman get automatic membership into a secret club that meets regularly through some sort of advanced teleportation device. There are too many darned similarities in the changes they go through, physically and mentally!

you can tell me the truth now, the whole "peculiar behavior" thing is planned out, once a month, at these meetings to screw with us males.

It's all just a big contest to try to see who can get us to have the most desperate, confused and distressed look on our faces. Prizes are awarded for the best candid shots.

(My wife and I are considering children. Our big issue is if we have the strength to put up with the whole affair). :)

[Joyce49788]

i am sure that is suppose to be a compliment...lol
i am not sure if i AM in a delicate condition or not, but the extra attention does get annoying at times... especially Jagger (completely black neutered male) will climb on me and nuzzle my face, lick my chin, it is quite cute at times....all he does to soon to be dh is nip when he nuzzles...lol

[Savas]

Well, that's the nicer of the options. I've heard pregnant woman complain of their pets treating them like unwanted in laws during their pregnancy. I'm glad your kitty appreciates your delicate condition. I wonder why it's called "delicate condition."? Pregnant woman have always struck me as being quite hearty and capable. Ah well... :)

[Joyce49788]

It isnt as though he is treating me like a stranger, quite the contrary, he is OVERLY attentive, so much so that it is getting quite annoying...my soon to be DH has even noticed it.  i have not have a BFP or even taken a hpt yet...as my lmp was May 2nd...anyhow thank you and i will look for it....:)

[Savas]

Heh heh...Ghilly, I went to an OB/GYN because i was concerned about this, should I ever get pregnant. He pointed out that since I'm a "Male of the species", it should not be a problem.

I insisted on a definite answer as to the chances of damage to my potential baby!

I never got my answer, as the police escort out of the building where VERY rude and interrupted my conversation with the nice doctor! :)


As to cats knowing about pregnancy? Yes, I believe it's a fact. After all, when pregnant, a woman goes through biochemical changes that affect their scent. And cats are VERY sensitive to scent and its changes. It isn't uncommon for your kitty to treat you like a total stranger for the first month or so of your pregnancy.

[Joyce49788]

is it true that cats can tell if you are pregnant before you even are aware of the symptoms...my cats are getting extra attentive, will actually cry at the door of the bathroom if i shut it...and one of them even gets up at the table next to my computer and cryies and then will jump onto the pc tower on that table to get closer to me.....this is new behavior within the last week....

or is that just a old wives tale?

[Canuckchick]

I looked into this when I was pregnant. Cats can get this if they eat any raw meat, not only wildlife...but you're only at risk if you've never had it before as you can only get it once. I had cats all my life...most of them being outdoor cats as I lived in a small town...therefore I'm 99% sure I've had it before and will not get it again now from my completely indoor cats. You can also have your OB/GYN test you for it.

There are so many misconceptions about cats and pregnancy and babies. They're for the most part completely false. Being around a cat wont harm you anymore than being around a dog or another person. The only worry is toxoplasmosis and if you're still worried after all that we've told you you can wear a dust mask and gloves when doing the litter...or better yet...get your other 1/2 to do it!!

[Ghilly]

LOL!!  You're so bad!  

Ghilly

[Savas]

I commonly wake to find one of my kitties crouched on my chest, trying to steal my breath. It's unnerving how the little soul stealers can sneak up on you like that. :->

[Ghilly]

The reason pregnant women are told to avoid a cat litterbox is because there is a disease called toxoplasmosis that can be transmitted from the feces in the box to the pregnant mother and it's dangerous if that happens.  The thing is, it can only be transmitted IF the cat is a carrier of toxoplasmosis.  There is a test that can determine whether or not this is the case.  If the cat is not a carrier, then it's still good to practice good hygiene when cleaning the litterbox, like thoroughly washing one's hands when one is finished, and not coming into direct contact with the feces.  It also won't harm you if the cats continue to sleep on your bed.  There are a lot of old wives tales out there about cats and pregnant women, and about cats and babies, and cats always end up getting a bad rap, but just use common sense and everything will be fine.  Make an appointment with your vet to have your cats tested to make sure they are not carriers, and then it can be business as usual.  If they do turn out to be carriers, then just have someone else scoop out the litterbox for you until you're not pregnant.  If your cats are indoor-only cats and do not run around outside killing birds and rodents and eating them, then the chances are extremely small that they are toxoplasmosis carriers as that's how they get it, from killing and eating wildlife.  

Ghilly