I believe many pregnant mothers like small animals very much and may already have their own cats. However, after pregnancy, they may receive some advice from family and friends, asking you to send your cat away.
But is it true that cats are not allowed during pregnancy? Do you need to pay attention to what when raising cats?
The appearance of cat litter makes it possible for cats to go to the toilet at home and keep cats domestically. Catstar has become one of people’s favorite pets.
People’s worries about raising cats during pregnancy mainly come from a parasite that cats may carry: Toxoplasma gondii.
Why do you guard against cats and dogs?
Toxoplasma gondii can infect almost all thermostatic animals (mammals, birds, etc.), and about one third of the world’s people are chronically infected with Toxoplasma gondii.
Most healthy people infected with Toxoplasma gondii are recessive infections, but for patients with low immune function or pregnant women, it may cause serious complications, even death, and may be transmitted to the fetus in the uterus, causing diseases of the fetus and newborns. Therefore, pregnant mothers are right to be cautious.
In addition, felines are the final host of Toxoplasma gondii. Simply put, only cats can excrete infectious feces, and dogs cannot pull them out…
How do people get infected with Toxoplasma gondii?
There are many ways for people to be infected with Toxoplasma gondii, mainly the following two ways:
1. Cats infected for the first time may excrete oocysts (similar to eggs) containing Toxoplasma gondii. If eaten by people, they may be infected with Toxoplasma gondii.
The average time for cats to discharge oocysts is about 2 weeks, and about 10 million oocysts are discharged every day, which can last for 10-20 days. Don’t believe the online saying that cats only discharge poop containing Toxoplasma gondii once in a lifetime.
Oocysts in vitro begin to be infectious within 1-5 days due to different ambient temperature and humidity.
Infectious oocysts also survive for a particularly long time, 54 months in cold water and 18 months in soil. Extra long standby… can’t be prevented.
Therefore, if your cat was infected with Toxoplasma gondii during your pregnancy, the infectivity is still quite high.
2. Toxoplasma gondii cysts exist in infected animal meat (cattle, sheep, dogs, etc.). People eat such undercooked raw meat, which is another major route of infection.
Therefore, it is also wrong to say on the Internet that Toxoplasma gondii can only be infected by eating cat excrement raw.
Eating contaminated fruits, drinking contaminated raw milk, contacting contaminated soil and eating stomachs, etc., are all likely to be infected with Toxoplasma gondii.
How should pregnant mothers avoid infection with Toxoplasma gondii?
STEP 1 Pay Attention to Cat Food
Cats need to be infected with Toxoplasma gondii before they can infect people. Preventing cat infection is the most important drop!
Cats themselves get sick mainly by eating infected raw meat. There are also ways to contact infected cat dung and direct contact with soil and water with eggs in the wild.
Therefore, controlling the food source of cat lovers can greatly reduce the possibility of infection.
In short, we should do the following three things:
(1) Do not give cats live animals/raw meat.
(2) Isolate from wild cats, do not contact with foreign cats, and do not adopt stray cats during pregnancy.
(3) Cats are kept at home and should not be allowed to live in the wild.
If cats kept at home from birth insist on feeding with cat food and canned food, the probability of infection with Toxoplasma gondii is very small.
Step 2: Handle cat poop
Pregnant mothers should try not to handle the cat’s poop in person, and it is best for their families to do it on their behalf. If you can’t do it, please wear gloves, don’t eat until you thoroughly clean your hands, and regularly clean and disinfect the cat litter tray.
3. Pregnant mothers do not eat raw meat, drink raw milk or eat unwashed fruits and vegetables; Wear gloves in contact with mud
Specifically, pregnant mothers should do the following:
(1) No matter in what, it is not recommended to eat raw meat. When rinsing hot pot, the meat is thoroughly cooked before eating.
(2) When cooking, the chopping board shall be separated from raw and cooked, and all utensils in contact with raw meat shall be thoroughly cleaned.
(3) Vegetables and fruits are washed before eating.
(4) Milk that has not been sterilized cannot be drunk, such as raw milk and raw goat’s milk.
(5) Wear gloves when gardening or working in the soil.
For cat lovers, it is really cruel to be separated from small pets when pregnant.
Recognizing the danger, keeping cats scientifically, avoiding risks, and enjoying pregnancy happily.