Cats, Pregnancy and Babies: Toxoplasmosis Without Panic

Many expectant parents are told to rehome their cat. In reality, most pregnant women can safely keep their cats with a few sensible precautions — and cats and babies can live together very happily. Here's what you need to know. Always discuss specific concerns with your doctor or midwife.

What is toxoplasmosis?

Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. In healthy adults it usually causes no symptoms or mild flu-like illness. But a first infection during pregnancy can pass to the baby and cause serious problems. People who were infected before pregnancy are generally considered immune.

How do people catch it?

The most common routes are:

• Eating raw or undercooked meat, especially pork, lamb and venison, or cured meats
• Unwashed fruit and vegetables contaminated with soil
• Gardening or handling soil without gloves
• Contaminated water
• Cat feces — less commonly than many people think

Why pet cats are a lower risk than you'd think

• Cats usually shed the infectious form (oocysts) only once in their lives, for one to three weeks, after their first infection — usually as young cats who hunt or eat raw meat.
• Indoor cats fed commercial food are unlikely to be infected.
• Oocysts in feces take 1–5 days to become infectious, so scooping the litter box daily greatly reduces risk.
• Petting your cat does not spread toxoplasmosis.

Precautions during pregnancy

• Ask someone else to clean the litter box if possible. If you must do it, wear disposable gloves, scoop daily and wash your hands thoroughly afterward.
• Keep your cat indoors and feed commercial cat food, not raw meat.
• Wear gloves when gardening, and cover children's sandpits.
• Cook meat thoroughly, wash kitchen surfaces and utensils, and wash fruit and vegetables well.
• Don't adopt a new stray cat or handle unknown cats during pregnancy.
• Ask your doctor about testing if you're concerned.

Other health considerations

• Cat scratch disease (Bartonella) — spread mainly by fleas and scratches from young cats; keep your cat on flea prevention and wash any scratches.
• Allergies — pregnancy doesn't usually cause new cat allergies; see an allergist if symptoms appear.

Preparing your cat for a new baby

Cats dislike sudden change. Start months before the baby arrives:

1. Set up the nursery gradually and decide early whether it will be off-limits to the cat. If so, fit a screen door or baby gate and train your cat before the baby arrives.
2. Introduce new sounds and smells: play recordings of baby crying at low volume while giving treats, and use baby lotion and wipes around the house.
3. Adjust routines gradually — if feeding or play times will change, change them now.
4. Move cat resources (litter box, food, beds) now if they'll need to move, so it's not linked to the baby.
5. Provide high perches and quiet retreats your cat can use when the home gets busy.
6. Visit the vet for a check-up and parasite treatment before the birth.

Bringing the baby home

• Let your cat investigate a blanket or clothes that smell of the baby before the baby comes home.
• Greet your cat calmly first when you return from hospital, without the baby.
• Let your cat approach the baby at their own pace while you hold the baby; reward calm behavior.
• Keep routines as consistent as possible and give your cat attention when the baby is present, so the baby predicts good things.

Keeping everyone safe

• Never leave a baby and cat together unsupervised.
• Keep the cat out of the cot/crib — a crib tent or keeping the nursery door closed during sleep helps. Old myths aside, the concern is simply that a cat could lie on or near a baby's face.
• Keep litter boxes and cat food out of reach of crawling babies and toddlers.
• Teach toddlers gentle touch, and respect the cat's warning signs. See introducing a cat to children.

If your cat shows signs of stress — hiding, litter problems, over-grooming — see stress in cats.