{"id":181183,"date":"2016-10-23T17:22:08","date_gmt":"2016-10-23T07:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.petcloud.com.au\/d\/pregnant-and-own-a-cat-be-aware-of-toxoplasmosis\/"},"modified":"2026-05-30T18:46:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T08:46:06","slug":"pregnant-and-own-a-cat-be-aware-of-toxoplasmosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.petcloud.com.au\/d\/blog\/pregnant-and-own-a-cat-be-aware-of-toxoplasmosis\/","title":{"rendered":"Pregnant and own a Cat? Beware of Toxoplasmosis"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is Toxoplasmosis?<\/strong><\/h3>\nToxoplasmosis is an infection you can get from a microscopic parasite called\u00a0Toxoplasma gondii<\/em>. Although the infection generally causes a mild, symptomless illness in people with healthy immune systems, it’s risky during pregnancy because the parasite may infect the placenta and your unborn baby\u00a0causing stillbirth, long-term structural and neurological damage, and other devastating effects. The good news is there’s a lot you can do to avoid becoming infected in the first place.\n\nSymptoms of infection generally pass unremarked in adults, but can be dangerous to unborn children. \u00a0If you’re healthy, you probably won’t know you’ve contracted toxoplasmosis. However some people\u00a0develop flu-like symptoms. \u00a0Women can become infected with Toxoplasma gondii parasites through contact with infected animal faeces (usually cat faeces),\u00a0undercooked meat, or soil.\n

Can I “catch” toxoplasmosis from my cat?<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe RSPCA<\/a> says that owning a cat does not mean you will become automatically infected with the disease. \u00a0It is also unlikely that exposure to the parasite would occur by touching an infected cat, because cats usually do not carry the parasite on their fur<\/strong>. It is also unlikely that infection would occur through cat bites or scratches. In addition, cats<\/a> kept indoors that do not hunt prey are not likely to be infected with T. gondii.\n

What can I do to prevent toxoplasmosis?<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe RSPCA<\/a> advises that there are several general safety steps you can take to reduce your chances of becoming infected with Toxoplasma:\n
    \n \t
  1. Do not eat raw or undercooked meat. Cook food to safe temperatures (please see links below for more details).<\/li>\n \t
  2. Do not drink unpasteurised milk or its products.<\/li>\n \t
  3. Wash all fruit and vegetables carefully before eating.<\/li>\n \t
  4. Wash hands before eating (including children)<\/li>\n \t
  5. Wash hands and food preparation surfaces after handling raw meat.<\/li>\n \t
  6. Wear gloves when gardening. Wash hands after gardening or touching soil\/sand.<\/li>\n \t
  7. Sandpits should be covered when not in use to stop cats defecating in the pit.<\/li>\n \t
  8. Do not allow cats to hunt or roam. RSPCA Australia encourages the containment of cats in an enclosed area, at a minimum from dusk until dawn<\/li>\n \t
  9. Remove faeces from the litter box twice daily and safely disinfect with boiling water – the Toxoplasma parasite does not become infectious until 1 to 5 days after it is shed in a cat’s faeces so by emptying twice daily the oocysts should be able to be disposed of before they are infectious (generally infectious from 24 hours). If you are pregnant or immune-compromised avoid changing cat litter if possible. If no one else can perform the task, wear disposable gloves and wash your hands with soap and warm water afterwards.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nPlease consult your doctor directly for more safety information. Your vet can also provide advice about Toxoplasmosis infection in animals.\n\nNeed a local cat lover\u00a0to take care of your cat? \u00a0Click the button below:\n\n\"Search<\/a>\n\n\"Need\n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n

    Find local Vets, store your Pet’s Health, etc, download PetCloud today.<\/p>\n\n \n

    Download IOS: https:\/\/apple.co\/2PifzXs<\/a> Android: https:\/\/bit.ly\/3aFeK2m<\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    What is Toxoplasmosis? Toxoplasmosis is an infection you can get from a microscopic parasite called\u00a0Toxoplasma gondii. Although the infection generally causes a mild, symptomless illness in people with healthy immune systems, it’s risky during pregnancy because the parasite may infect the placenta and your unborn baby\u00a0causing stillbirth, long-term structural and neurological damage, and other devastating […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":181184,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3788,4279],"tags":[1472],"class_list":["post-181183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-cat","tag-cats"],"yoast_head":"\nPregnant and own a Cat? Beware of Toxoplasmosis<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"While owning a cat does not automatically mean a pregnant woman will be infected with toxoplasmosis, the RSPCA has given\u00a0these several general safety steps.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.petcloud.com.au\/d\/blog\/pregnant-and-own-a-cat-be-aware-of-toxoplasmosis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pregnant and own a Cat? 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