Raw kitties & toxoplasmosis

[KittyMommy]

I saw something about toxoplasmosis the other day, thought it'd be a good idea to post about it here.

Apparently kitties get it from eating raw meat. Passing it along via the litter box to a pregnant woman is rare if she takes precautions, but still a possibility.

So if you're pregnant and have a raw kitty, have someone else clean the litter box, or make sure to wear gloves and keep your distance as much as you can when you do.

If your kitty stays indoors and doesn't eat raw, then it shouldn't be a problem, but check w/your vet just in case.

[Kitty]

my aunt got this from her cat and her cat was feed regular cat food. so I think it happens no matter what. She had to give birth really really early because of it and it was a scary time. So definitely don't change litter boxes when pregnant.

[lafsalot]

my aunt got this from her cat and her cat was feed regular cat food. so I think it happens no matter what. She had to give birth really really early because of it and it was a scary time. So definitely don't change litter boxes when pregnant.

So true! Insects and earthworms are carriers - you can easily be infected from the soil while gardening wo gloves or by eating improperly washed uncooked fruits/vegetables that have been contaminated by manure. Cat feces is a favorite haunt of flies and bugs - hence, they can easily spread the toxoplasmosis onto cooked foods. ~ Cathy

[justinesmith]

So true! Insects and earthworms are carriers - you can easily be infected from the soil while gardening wo gloves or by eating improperly washed uncooked fruits/vegetables that have been contaminated by manure. Cat feces is a favorite haunt of flies and bugs - hence, they can easily spread the toxoplasmosis onto cooked foods. ~ Cathy

THis is so true. We learned in vet tech school that it is actually easier to get it by gardening than by changing the litter box. YIKES!!

[salsababy]

yea, I've been taught that it can be spread through cleaning the litter box- eating raw meat didn't make a difference. Can't wait to get pregnant! lol. (and NOT have to clean my 2 cats litter boxes!).