Tip – 35 – Babies and cats – babies and kittens – pregnancy and cats

There is no reason whatsoever why you need to get rid of your feline friend if you become pregnant or if you have babies or small children. There are many myths out there about cats and babies and the number one myth might be cats sucking the breath out of babies. Cats and kittens DO NOT suck the breath from babies. Cats may approach babies and sniff them, they may even lick them but they don’t suck the breath from them.

Common sense is the best attitude when dealing with babies. Babies and young children should not be left unsupervised with any pet. No matter how improbable, unlikely scenarios can always happen.

One cat related disease that pregnant women should watch out for is called toxoplasmosis. It’s a parasitic disease that doesn’t harm healthy humans. A large percentage of North americans are already carriers of the disease and will never become sick. However it can be passed to the fetus by a woman who contracts it during pregnancy, and it can seriously harm the fetus because it is so fragile. In order to pass it on to the fetus the parasite enters the body orally usually by way of unclean hands that have touched infected cat feces or infected raw meat. It is therefore recommended that pregnant women avoid litter box duties if at all possible. If it’s not possible then wear disposable gloves and a mask and put the feces into a sealed plastic bag before disposal. Wash hands thoroughly afterward.