It is possible to raise cats during pregnancy preparation, but it is necessary to scientifically prevent toxoplasmosis infection to protect the health of the pregnant woman and the fetus. By taking appropriate preventive measures, cat owners can fully enjoy the companionship of cats while peacefully welcoming the new life.

For a long time, discussions about whether one can raise cats during pregnancy preparation and pregnancy have never stopped. Many prospective parents worry about this issue, fearing that their "fur babies" at home might affect the health of the future baby. There is a common saying that "once pregnant, you cannot keep cats or dogs; be careful of toxoplasmosis infection causing fetal deformities or miscarriage," which has made many cat-owning families feel conflicted. Some pets are even sent away or abandoned because of this.

Toxoplasma, a somewhat scary sounding name, fully called Toxoplasma gondii, is a tiny parasite that parasitizes inside humans and animals. Although toxoplasma infection usually causes mild or no obvious symptoms in adults with normal immune systems, if a pregnant woman is infected for the first time during pregnancy, it may be transmitted to the fetus through the placenta, posing a serious threat to fetal health. This is the problem everyone worries about the most.

So, how exactly is toxoplasma transmitted? What role do cats play in this? And how can we prevent it scientifically?

Understanding Toxoplasma to Eliminate Unnecessary Panic

First, it should be clearly stated that there are many ways toxoplasma is transmitted. Although cats are the definitive hosts of toxoplasma and can complete reproduction in their intestines and excrete oocysts, they are not the only source of infection. The main routes of human toxoplasma infection include:

• Eating undercooked meat: Especially pork, lamb, and venison; if they contain toxoplasma cysts and are not thoroughly cooked during preparation, consumption may lead to infection.
• Contact with cat feces or environments contaminated by cat feces: Cats infected with toxoplasma excrete oocysts in their feces, which need 1-5 days outside to sporulate and become infectious. If you touch contaminated cat litter, soil, food, or water and then touch your mouth or nose without thoroughly washing your hands, infection can occur.
• Mother-to-child transmission: Pregnant women who become infected during pregnancy can transmit toxoplasma to the fetus via the placenta.
• Other routes: Such as blood transfusion or organ transplantation, but these are very rare.

It is worth noting that dogs are intermediate hosts of toxoplasma. After contact with toxoplasma, they do not produce infective cysts to humans, and their feces and excretions are non-infectious, so simply contacting dogs will not lead to toxoplasmosis.

For cats, they usually become infected by eating infected rodents, birds, or other small animals, or by eating raw meat containing toxoplasma. Moreover, cats generally only shed infectious oocysts in feces during the first two weeks after initial infection. The time of oocyst shedding in a cat's lifetime is very limited. Only during this initial infection period, and if the oocysts in the cat feces sporulate in the environment to become infectious (usually requiring 24 hours to several days), if humans accidentally contact cat feces and ingest them, infection from cats may occur.

From this point of view, the conditions for getting infected with toxoplasma from cats are relatively strict and not as easy as many people imagine. "The risk of humans being infected with toxoplasma from cats is almost comparable to winning the 10 million yuan lottery" – though a joke, it indicates the risk is not high enough to make all cat-owning families afraid of their pets.

Effects of Toxoplasma on Pregnant Women and Fetuses

Although the infection probability is not 100%, we still cannot take it lightly, as infection during pregnancy can seriously affect the fetus.

If infection occurs in the early pregnancy stage (first three months), toxoplasma may cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or fetal deformities. Infection in mid-pregnancy may result in stillbirth, premature birth, and severe brain and eye diseases. Even if the fetus survives, there may be hydrocephalus, microcephaly, brain calcification, retinitis, hearing impairment, intellectual developmental delays, among others. Some symptoms may only gradually appear months or years after birth. Infection in late pregnancy may result in normal development but also premature birth or neurological symptoms after birth.

However, it is important to emphasize that even if a pregnant woman is infected with toxoplasma, the fetus is not 100% guaranteed to be infected; the likelihood just increases.

Scientific Pregnancy Preparation and Cat Raising Guide During Pregnancy

Since the risks are controllable, how can one safely keep cats during pregnancy preparation and pregnancy? The key lies in scientific prevention.

1. Pre-pregnancy and pregnancy testing: Before preparing for pregnancy, expectant mothers can undergo TORCH testing at the hospital, which includes toxoplasma antibody screening (TOX). If the results show IgM negative and IgG positive, it indicates past infection and antibody production, and the risk of reinfection is low. If both IgM and IgG are negative, no previous infection occurred, and extra preventive measures are needed during pregnancy. If IgM is positive, it may indicate recent infection and further tests and treatments should be done under doctor guidance, ensuring recovery before trying to conceive. Meanwhile, cats can be taken to veterinary clinics for toxoplasma testing.
2. Cat management:
   • Avoiding outdoor access for cats: Try to keep cats indoors to prevent them from hunting rodents, birds, and other small animals possibly carrying toxoplasma.
   • Feeding cooked food or commercial cat food: Do not feed cats raw or undercooked meat; preferably provide commercially-purchased cat food or thoroughly cooked food.
   • Regular deworming: Regularly deworm cats internally and externally. While common deworming medications do not target toxoplasma directly, they can reduce other parasite risks and aid overall cat health.
   • Maintain cat cleanliness and hygiene: Regularly groom and bathe cats, keep the cat’s bedding clean, and clean food and water dishes regularly.
3. Personal hygiene and environment cleaning:
   • Assign cleaning the litter box to the expectant father or other family members: This is the most critical step in preventing toxoplasmosis. If the expectant mother must clean the box, she should wear rubber gloves and a mask, seal and discard the gloves and litter immediately afterwards, and wash her hands thoroughly with soap.
   • Daily litter box cleaning: Toxoplasma oocysts need 1-5 days to sporulate and become infectious; cleaning the litter daily minimizes infection risk.
   • Frequent hand washing: Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching cats, handling raw meat, gardening, or before eating.
   • Attention to food hygiene: Cook meat thoroughly until inside and outside are brown with no pink. Wash all vegetables and fruits thoroughly. Keep raw and cooked foods separate, using different cutting boards and knives. Avoid drinking unpasteurized dairy products and untreated water.
4. Reduce close contact with cats: During pregnancy, avoid allowing cats to lick the face or hands, and temporarily do not let cats sleep on the bed or share utensils with the expectant mother.

By following these measures, the risk of toxoplasma infection can be reduced to the minimum, allowing harmonious coexistence between cats and the upcoming baby.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: Must I send my cat away once I am pregnant?
  A: Not necessarily. It is possible to keep cats during pregnancy if you scientifically prevent toxoplasma infection.
• Q: Does toxoplasma infection definitely cause fetal deformities?
  A: No, not 100%. When a pregnant woman is infected, the likelihood of fetal infection increases, and the severity depends on the gestational age at infection.
• Q: Besides cats, what other ways can toxoplasma infection occur?
  A: Eating undercooked meat, contact with contaminated soil or water, mother-to-child transmission, etc. Eating undercooked meat is a major source of human infection.
• Q: Does raising cats cause pregnant women to develop allergies or asthma to cat hair?
  A: If you weren't allergic to cat hair before pregnancy, you generally won't suddenly develop allergies during pregnancy. Some experts believe moderate exposure to pets may even help children adapt to allergens.
• Q: How to tell if a cat is infected with toxoplasma?
  A: You can take the cat to a veterinary hospital for toxoplasma testing.

In summary, raising cats during pregnancy preparation and pregnancy is not a disaster. With scientific prevention knowledge and actions, risks can be effectively lowered. Don't give up on the companionship of your cats due to unnecessary panic. Scientific cat care and safe pregnancy preparation will bring a healthy and happy new member to the family.