Would you get rid of your pet when you are pregnant?

I was involved in a heated discussion in another forum on whether or not a person should get rid of the cat when she's pregnant. To my surprise, an overwhelming majority have said "yes, just get rid of the cat because it could cause birth defect to the baby due to toxoplasmosis". Some have mentioned that "it's only a cat".

Just wondering how many of you feel the same way (or the other way).

You should not get rid of your cat when you are pregnant. I have known many of people that have had cats the whole time they were pregnant. You should however wear gloves while chaning the liter box or have someone else do it (that is the better of the two) if you have to change the liter box than wear gloves and wash hands good after finished. :D But, outside of that there is no reason to get rid of your cat. :mad: So many times this is what happens though a new baby comes and out goes the pets. :mad:

ive had multiple cats thru all three of my pregnancies, and no birth defects to date, my sister in law has had 1 baby, no birth defect, my mom 3 babies all born with cats at home no birth defects.

its a risk i felt safe taking and I love my cats to bits, however my husband did take over litter box duties while i was pregnant


Eleni

From what I've heard, you can only get toxoplasmosis from scooping the cat litter(breathing in the dust). But if you've had cats for a long time, your body has built up an immunity to this "toxo" so it is less likely you'll get it while pregnant. It should be the husband's job(haha) to scoop the litter until mom has given birth and has finished breastfeeding. No need to get rid of the cat!! :mad:

by the way a family doctor can also test to see if you ahve been exposed to toxoplasmosis, as most people who own cats ahve been and are immune. and tell you if it would even be an issue for you. I know my doctor did a blood test when i mentioned to him I had cats and asked if it was safe to handle them, ths was with my first pregnancy over 4 years ago now


Eleni

by the way a family doctor can also test to see if you ahve been exposed to toxoplasmosis, as most people who own cats ahve been and are immune. and tell you if it would even be an issue for you.
That's right. My doctor tested me with my first pregnancy, and he said I was immune. Both of my children were born with a cat in the house, and neither had any birth defects. People who get rid of pets because a child is on the way are either a) too lazy to research issues beyond what their mothers have told them, and/or b) never cared much about those pets to begin with. :(

I'd never get rid of my cats. I have to admit anecdotes will not convince me - it is just that one's cat is a member of my family! I am rather offended even at this question being posed on an animal rights web site actually - was initially going to write to a moderator but I may as well say it here. There is NO scientific reason for anyone to "get rid of" as the question so indelicately asks any pet during pregnancy.

Sure, toxoplasmosis can be transmitted to a pregnant woman through parasites in cat litter but it is not the only zoonotic (possible of being transmitted to humans from animals) infection possible. Roundworms, ringworm are other examples and there will be others as our world changes.

There are ways to address all of these. For example, my sister had five cats during her pregnancy. Her husband was on litter duty for nine months. We treat worm infections proactively.

I can understand this question on a newspaper web site but a pet lover's site???? Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

I am 5.5 months pregnant and even with mounting pressures from unknowing family and friends, NEITHER of my animals are going anywhere!! Expect to the new house when we move! ;)

My Dh scoops and changes the litter; and even though she pulls and yanks me around, I walk the dog every day! There is NOTHING that could make me give me dog OR cat away. Only people that are unwilling to learn and educate themselves would do such a thing.

I am actually kinda surprised that this question is here as well....I would have thought the answer would have been a given!

to get rid of the cat. I had 7 cats at our farm when I was pregnant with my first daughter. My husband did the litterbox in case but I was probably in more danger from breathing chicken dander than the cats. People are nuts when it comes to pregnancy and cats in MHO.

I would never give up any of my pets. When one takes on the responsibility of getting a pet in the first place it should be for the life of that animal. Regardless of what type of animal it is!

Too many people use the excuse of pregnancy or children when giving up their pets. It is just an excuse, what they really want to say is that they just don't want the added responsibility that comes with having pets and children. Something they should have thought of before getting their pets in the first place. This really upsets me because you can have kids and pets.

I grew up with all kinds of different pets. My mother had cats while pregnant with me and I turned out perfectly healthy! My parents would not have given up their beloved pets either just because they were having a baby!

My pets are mine for the rest of their lives, period.

I don't have kids but I would never give up a pet during pregnancy. My mom smoked and drank coffee all day, I'm ok, but I would really have rathered that she had a cat instead!!! :p

We always had cats when my Mom was pregnant. Maybe that's what happened to me. :crazy: ha ha.

I have only heard that you are not supposed to scoop the litter. My sister has had 4 kids and had cats the whole time. She did make her husband scoop the litter the whole time (maybe not in the early stages when she didn't know that she was pregnant yet) and all of the kids are fine.

It should be the husband's job(haha) to scoop the litter until mom has given birth and has finished breastfeeding. No need to get rid of the cat!! :mad:


*grumble-grumble-grump!*...stupid cats...(goes off to clean litter box...again...)

I am 5.5 months pregnant and even with mounting pressures from unknowing family and friends, NEITHER of my animals are going anywhere!! Expect to the new house when we move! ;)

:thumbs up

Definitely NOT. My pets are equal family members. Unfortunately too many people do use pregnancy as a convenient excuse to be rid of pets - or they wait until the baby is born and then pay no attention whatsoever to their dog who up until that time had been there "baby". So many people start to ignore their dog instead of making the dog feel as if there is a new person for him/her to take care of and vice versa. Then of course the dog becomes jealous - and why not.

to get rid of the cat. I had 7 cats at our farm when I was pregnant with my first daughter. My husband did the litterbox in case but I was probably in more danger from breathing chicken dander than the cats. People are nuts when it comes to pregnancy and cats in MHO.

I totally agree! Some people are ready to chop my head off because I support the lady in keeping her cat who she had before she even met her hubby!

wow im shocked there is a yes vote

Ya, how come the YES person didn't bother to comment?

It's REALLY upsetting for me to see people simply discarding their pets for a minute risk, in many cases, a perceived risk. In this particular case, the lady wants to keep the pet but the hubby couldn't care less, he doesn't like the cat from the beginning, now he has a "perfect case".

What upsets me even more is that the majority of people from this other forum are actually in support of the hubby! How unbelievable is that?! Am I nuts or the world has gone mad?

It's REALLY upsetting for me to see people simply discarding their pets for a minute risk, in many cases, a perceived risk. In this particular case, the lady wants to keep the pet but the hubby couldn't care less, he doesn't like the cat from the beginning, now he has a "perfect case".

What upsets me even more is that the majority of people from this other forum are actually in support of the hubby! How unbelievable is that?! Am I nuts or the world has gone mad?

Maybe she should get rid of hubby instead.... ;)

*grumble-grumble-grump!*...stupid cats...(goes off to clean litter box...again...)


Now Schwinn go clean the box and stop grumbling! LOL Poor Schwinn, has t dump the box. You do know that is why we like to keep the animals is because you men have to tak care of them for 9 mts. LOL Just kidding. :D We have to go through having the baby I think the least you can do is dump the box. LOL :D

Ya, how come the YES person didn't bother to comment?

Reading the responses here, I think I would want to remain annonymous if I posted "yes" to that question!! :p

Maybe she should get rid of hubby instead.... ;)

Hey if this is my hubby... :evil:

Its hard to imagine that anyone would actually get rid of a pet for this reason.

As anyone who actually has a cat today should know of the litlterbox issue, and the "old wives tale"of babies and cats not mixing a complete fairy tale, I believe as mentioned that this merely provides a "convenient" excuse for some.
Like moving.

*grumble-grumble-grump!*...stupid cats...(goes off to clean litter box...again...)


HEY! Would you rather carry the baby????

I kept all my gang through two pregnancies,but it really surprised me how many people thought I should get rid of them ,first it was the ones who said toxoplasmosis then the ones who said cats suffocate babies.We even have birds who my mother in law keeps telling me cause cancer,then again she was surprised our dogs were allowed in the house,you should have seen her face when I told her she was sitting on thier couch and they wanted it back!

This is an nonissue to me,my cats are part of my family,short of death,there is nothing in the world that would ever make me give up my 4-legged familymembers.... I LOVE them.
People who do dump their cats/dogs,for all these moronic reasons just don't love them :evil:
I had 3 boys and cats and dogs,two boys who were born with problems,but not because we had animals.
Today,we are carrying the"babies need to live in sterelized"environment too far and the children end up with all kinds of allergies and other problems.

Re: "now he has a "perfect case". I don't understand - why does he have a perfect case? He has no case at all , imho! (and in the opinion of anyone who knows anything at all about toxoplasmosis)

Cats can only spread the parasite in the first few weeks after they have been infected.

Cats are also unique in that they are the only animal which gets toxo in the intestine. This usually occurs the first time a cat ever ingests it. Three days to three weeks after becoming infected the cat begins to shed the toxo in its stool. This usually causes no illness in the cat and the shedding stops after one to two weeks. The toxo that is passed in the stool is not immediately infective. It takes two or more days before the toxo is infective, but it then remains infective in soil or sand for months.

This means that any pregnant woman needs to be cautious about not just the litter box but sand and earth around the home (especially earth in a garden or if she has flowers) for the nine months if there are nearby families who may have an outdoor cat. (Most in my neighbourhood are indoor kitties but there are a few ferals and strays that show up from time to time).

Actually, since cats are usually infected when they hunt and catch small rodents, it is less likely that an indoor cat would ever be infected. Yet another reason for keeping a kitty inside but I am speaking to the converted here.

And, most women who have cats have already been exposed to toxoplasmosis and will not be reinfected. But it is wise to be safe!

This is also true for people with compromised immune systems - anyone with cancer or HIV for example. As someone who has treated literally thousands of children with HIV and cancer, I can say that not one of those children who had a cat at home ever rehomed or otherwise put up their kitty for adoption. Most kids do not clean out the litter box anyway. ;) But I do advise my patients to stay away from any sand or soil the cat may have been in, not to feed it or themselves raw food, wash their hands after playing with/handling the cat and to be supercautious around raw food.

This is all advice that is good for all of us anyway. I wear gloves when I change the litter tho I clean out the feces once or twice a day anyway and change it usually biweekly. (I do not like clumping litter - even older cats can track it on their little paws and end up with digestive probs when they lick it off.

Actually, the stats show that more pregnant women at least contract toxo from undercooked or raw meat and and unpasteurized dairy products from their diet than from cat litter! They need to be more concerned with that.

I kept all my gang through two pregnancies,but it really surprised me how many people thought I should get rid of them ,first it was the ones who said toxoplasmosis then the ones who said cats suffocate babies.We even have birds who my mother in law keeps telling me cause cancer,then again she was surprised our dogs were allowed in the house,you should have seen her face when I told her she was sitting on thier couch and they wanted it back!

Did you really tell her that? Hohoho, I would LOVE to say that to my mother-in-law. My pet is much closer a family member to me than my mother-in-law ever going to be. Some people just don't get that.

I pisses me so much to hear things like "oh it's only a cat!" :mad:

Re: "now he has a "perfect case". I don't understand - why does he have a perfect case? He has no case at all , imho! (and in the opinion of anyone who knows anything at all about toxoplasmosis)

I know that, cyberkitten, we all know that, but the hubby thinks he has a perfectly good case now. "Why take the unnecessary risk when you don't need to?" "It's only a cat, why risk the health of our baby over a cat?" The sad thing is, he really believes that, and no supporting facts would change his mind.

You can't win, those people live on a different planet.

CK,I too stopped using the clumping litter,I found it too dusty and if there was dust on everything in"their"bathroom,I can imagine how much they(the cats)got into their little lungs.

Well, sadly, the main is illinformed and not very smart!

I would not get rid of my dogs. Even though my one chihuahua hates children, I would work around that. These dogs are my life and my responsibility, not someone elses.

I had 6 of my own cats and 4 fosters when I was pregnant :crazy:
My son was born very healthy, and has never even had allergies (with all those cats in the house maybe he built up an immunity?)

Anyone who would even consider getting rid of a pet when they become pregnant, should NEVER get a pet in the first place!!

I would love to have a "yes" voter roast :evil: :evil:http://pages.prodigy.net/rogerlori1/emoticons/campfire.gif

I would prefer to place a free to good home ad for the baby!!! ROFL I am kidding folks!!!! Really though, why is it ok to dump a pet?

There's a great link on my website, you should watch and pass along:

www.minpinandshibarescuebc.com it's on the front page - "Important Message"

Mia- I was going to say the same thing, but I didn't want to get in trouble.. Bring the baby to the lesser-known SPCB (Society for the prevention of cruelty to Babies). Teeheehee.. :p

I don't have kids (yet). I do have 3 cats and a dog (and a dwarf hamster). And the only thing I expect to have to worry about when I have kids is how to keep the cats from snuggling with the baby--2/3 are long haired; I'd worry that snuggling too close to baby's face could smother the baby, and the 3rd weighs 23 lbs--if he wanted to snuggle or even sniff the baby, he could easy crush a newborn!! Would I worry about toxoplasmosis? Nope. Would I take precautions anyhow? Yup. Same as how I intend to take Folic Acid supplements and not drink any kind of alcohol when I'm even *considering* getting pregnant. No need to risk it.
As for re-homing my cats due to concern about toxoplasmosis, worms or other zoonosis.... IMO, I'd rather have a baby that has problems due to toxoplasmosis than who has to suffer allergies their whole life. See the following article: http://www.hsus.org/pets/pets_related_news_and_events/study_early_exposure_to_pets_may_reduce_allergies. html

That's MY two cents. And now I'm off to see how many pounds of furry friends I can snuggle with at one time!
Take care,
Melissa

I've been preaching the allergy issue for yrs. I actually never believe people when they say they need to rehome their kitty due to allergies (esp when the allergy miraculously occured after they've had the cat for 9 yrs!). There are so many many alternatives to coping with an allergy. Granted, there are some exceptional circumstances but not enough to account for the fact this is one of the tip excuses given to shelters when people turn in pets, sigh!

I have never thought of giving my kitties away when I was pregnant. Nor did I worry that the cats could smother my babies. No worries here about the cats. :D

I heard a while ago that cats and molds CAUSE asthma and dogs just cause attacks... Any truth to this? I ask because I am living with mold, for one, and another reason is I'm a sponge for research that affects real life very directly....

I can't believe there's a yes vote.... I'm 7 months pregnant and even though I don't have cats, my shepherd is NOT going anywhere! There's just no way!

Well, while I would never give away a pet just because I was pregnant, I AM the allergy story you hear about.

When I was born until I turned 8, I was sick every two months. Even when I wasn't sick I always had red eyes and a wheeze. When I turned 8 I was hospitalized with pnemonia, and diagnosed as asthmatic. I was allergic to cats. We had a beautiful Siamese cat named Tia that was my best friend, but we had to re-home her for my health. :sad: She went off to live with my grandparents. It took a couple of weeks, but once she was gone and the house had been vacummed and dusted I started to get better. Since then, I simply cannot be in a house with a cat, and sometimes, if a person is particularly furry from their cat, I can't be near them either. I get VERY sick.

If I had a cat, or even my dogs, I wouldn't consider re-homing them just due to pregnancy, but if my child were sick with allergies, yes I would.

Allergies to pets and Asthma often go hand in hand and really aren't anything to take lightly. You simply can't put your pets ahead of your health, or that of your childs.

I've been preaching the allergy issue for yrs. I actually never believe people when they say they need to rehome their kitty due to allergies (esp when the allergy miraculously occured after they've had the cat for 9 yrs!). There are so many many alternatives to coping with an allergy. Granted, there are some exceptional circumstances but not enough to account for the fact this is one of the tip excuses given to shelters when people turn in pets, sigh!
Well, CK, I have to say that allergies can come on very suddenly - especially for a woman after going through a physically stressful expereince such as child birth. Your body changes drastically during & after childbirth (even if it's not evident on the outside). My sister had cats all her adult life, and developed allergies after her son was born. Mind you, she did not immediately dump the cat. She dealt with her allergies as best she could, and it was only when Sugar got old and ill that she had her put down, but she has not had a cat since. On the other hand, I know a woman who was quite allergic to animals all her life, but her husband and children really, really wanted a dog. So she gave in and started taking meds for her allergies. After a year or so of living with the dog, she found that her allergies decreased to the point of being tolerable without the meds. My sister, for that matter, and her daughter (who is also allergic to cats) used to have to take Benadryl every time they came over to my house. Since she got her dog, though, their reactions to my cat haven't been nearly as severe (they only react if they happen to wrap themselves in a blanket that the cat has been rolling around on).

But, yeah, I agree with you. There may be exceptional circumstances that might warrant the rehoming of the animal, but nowhere near as many as are being experienced in today's disposable society. :(

Unfortunately I did have to rehome my cat before I had my daughter(18 years ago)..I didn't want to,but had to.Sassy was a problem cat.She was very aggressive with kids.She constantly attacked my neices head.She actually dug her nails into her head and would bite her.This also happened if she would scream.She did this everytime she came over.As soon as Sassy new she was over,she would go after her.My neice was 6,had 2 cats and a dog,did absalutely nothing to prevoke any of this.She was great with animals.Was I going to chance this with my baby?Not at all.I had more concerns with Sassy then my 4 year old GSD Cujo.So I had no other choice but to rehome her.She went to live with my best friend who lived across the street.I still got to see her everyday.I even brought my daughter over to see how she would react.Forget it.She went after my daughter.If Sassy wasn't like this there was no way I would have given her up.But I had to think of my daughter.

HEY! Would you rather carry the baby????


Sure, up until the past couple of months, I was looking about 5 months pregnant anyway.

Now, giving BIRTH I would have an issue with. I just don't have the plumbing for that...

I'm actually the one insisting that I change the cat box. When I forget and my wife does it, I usually give her heck. That being said, it's another reason the baby can't come soon enough. (I've had issues with the cat ever since she pee'd in my mountain bike gear, and I found out as I wiped my face with the "snot rag" in the middle of the bush...)

I don't believe in getting rid of any animals for preventative measures. Now, if there was a conflict between my kids and my animals, obviously I would make the choice then. I would work with my animals, but I wouldn't take any chances if there seemed to be an issue.

And the only thing I expect to have to worry about when I have kids is how to keep the cats from snuggling with the baby

My brother and his wife had 6 cats when they had their daughter. Their solution ("getting rid" of the cats never occured to them) was to install a screen door on the baby's room. Cats and hairballs were kept out, but they could see and hear their daughter at all times. Easy solution!:)

Right now, we own 3 cats, 3 dogs, and 2 rabbits. We also have 2 toads, but they aren't going to smother any infants! :p

My in-laws have told us REPEATEDLY to "get rid" of the cats, and even the dogs. I'm 4 months pregnant, and I'd rather puke than "get rid" of anything in my house!! They think that the animals take up too much of our time,a nd that the baby is going to suffer. :rolleyes: There's 2 of us, and one can walk and feed the animals, the other can watch the baby. No big deal. I just hate it when people think animals are disposible! I said to my hubby, "Did your parents consider 'getting rid' of you when they were expecting your sister due to time constrainsts??" Of course not! She doesn't have time for 4 kids, but oh well! You make do.

None of our animals are going anywhere unless they directly threaten to harm the baby phsyically. And that's if the persist after lots of training. :)

Lucky, I was thinking about putting up a screen door on the baby's room, but how do you prevent the cats from hanging off of it and tearing it? :confused:

Personally, I think pets enhance a child's life. I've insisted that we always have a dog. Of course, then wife insisted we always have a mini-van to let said dogs run around. I'm re-thinking always having a dog...

I just hate it when people think animals are disposible!

That's what ticks me off the most! Some people (to my surprise quite a number of people) think of pets as nothing more than just another commodity, like a piece of cloth that they could simply get rid of!

It was a shocking news to me that so many people regard their pets this way. Are we the minority here?

Heelers, you get out the spray bottle, twice and you're done.

Personally, I think pets enhance a child's life. I've insisted that we always have a dog. Of course, then wife insisted we always have a mini-van to let said dogs run around. I'm re-thinking always having a dog...


My dog has enhanced my sons life.

my son had HORRIBLE separation anxiety from me, I mean terrible, he would yell and screem for hours.

when we got the Dog we worer coming and going walkign the dog so much that he stopped having separation anxiety.


Eleni

Schwinn,you clearly are a nutcase :D :D A Mini-van...oh noooo,what's next???http://pages.prodigy.net/hauxfan/Signs/Group_3/8.gif

Heelers, you get out the spray bottle, twice and you're done

I try the spray bottle, and my cats don't like it, but they don't stop the bad behaviour. They'll lay off for about 30 minutes, but then they start again.

I'll try to be more diligent with the spray bottle, and hopefully it'll work. Most of the time when they do something bad, I'll say "KITTENS!" really loud and the dogs go after them to get them away from what they're doing. The dogs also know the cats aren't supposed to be on the counters, so they go after them there too. It's pretty handy, and the dogs think it's a game! :D

No way!!i think that our hearts would break if we had to give up our babies. I would just take all the necessary precautions to avoid contracting the Toxo... And as for allergies... I am severly allergic to cat hair...have tried all the desensitization etc... since i was really young, but it did not work... i now take a daily antihistamine... which i would have to stop if i were pregnant... so i would probably be a snivelling mess all throughout my pregnancy anyway... Allergies can just make you wish you were dead... sometimes it is like you have a slab of concrete inside your head, and you cannot think clearly at all.... but from the heart, because of love i just could not give up our furry babies... they are so bad for me, but soooooooooooooooo good for my soul!!!!!!!

HEY there are 2 yes votes now... Hmmm... No reasons or anything. :confused:

Voting Trolls, ?? :confused:

This what we did for the first few months to keep kitties out of babies room.our guys don't like to jump on anything not solid so we just leaned screens on door our guys never went in.The cats weren't really interested in sleeping with babies anyway,even when we took down screen.Both of my kids now sleep with at least one cat now.I think the record is all six with my oldest!

I've given this a lot of thought... cause hubby and I have been trying for quite some time now. If I am so blessed as to have a child there is no way I am going to give up my pets... any of them. I even went so far as to tackle the childhood allergy question because it hits almost every member of my family, and although my mom went with the no allergens allowed in the house, I don't think that that is the best thing. There are so many alternatives now to displacing a beloved pet, I can't understand how it is even an option for some people.

There are air cleaners, hepa filters, you get rid of your carpets, you keep the pet out of the bedroom, you take allergy meds like me! ;) I honestly think that since having pets, my allergies to them have diminished, almost like building up a natural immunity to their specific danders. And as for the toxo whatnot, wear gloves and a mask (I have those cheapies from Wal-mart in the utility isles, for my asthma/allergies, as the litter box seems to be still gettin to me when I do a thorough cleanout), switch to corn litter (to get rid of the silica dust). And to help avoid the rest(worms/parasites), keep the pet indoors.

To me there just is no question, I LOVE :love: my kitties and know that they are with me until our ends (mine or theirs). They are part of my family, as I can see many of you feel about yours too. It's just sad that there are those that still see these precious creatures as 'disposable' companions :sad: .

Ya and that screen door thing for a babies room is GENIUS! :thumbs up :D