Getting rid of your pet when pregnant is an extreme measure, but the myth has some roots in fact. Pets who are not vaccinated can be susceptible to hosting certain diseases and bacteria. Since in the past, there were no vaccines and little medical care for pets, it made animals less safe to be around. But now, most pets are quite healthy and disease-free due to regular veterinary care.
However, you might want to avoid adopting a new pet at this time, especially if you don’t know its health history.
Is it safe to keep my cat?
Caring for cats poses a special problem during pregnancy as their poop contains the parasitic infection called toxoplasmosis. This is an infection that can cause birth defects and the litter becomes infectious after one day. So if you have cats, you should either ask someone else to clean the litter for you or take special precautions when doing it yourself.
You could also try the following methods:
Wear gloves to clean litter
If you live alone and have to clean the litter yourself, wear gloves and wash your hands after every litter change. Clean the litter box every day as it becomes infectious after a day or so.
Get tested for toxoplasmosis
It might also be worth having yourself tested for toxoplasmosis. If you’ve had cats for a long time, you might find you’ve already been infected before and are immune already. In that case, you won’t need to take any special care.
Keep your cat inside the house
Do also keep your pet cat indoors to avoid them possibly eating contaminates. Feed your feline friend only canned or dried commercial cat food. Never give them undercooked or raw meat. Do not bring a new cat into your house that might have been an outdoor cat or might have eaten raw meat.
Spot your cat’s cozy corners
Another thing to look out for with a pet cat is which rooms they can enter and places they can nap. Cats are great at finding the coziest spot to curl up, and that may well be your baby’s cot.