When embarking on the journey of welcoming a new life, many expectant mothers will face a dilemma: Can their adorable cats at home still accompany them? Just like me, when I learned that I was going to become a mother, amidst the great joy, I also encountered strong opposition from my parents and my in-laws. They all unanimously demanded that I send my beloved Doubao away. During that period, the family atmosphere was tense, and quarrels and tears became interludes in our daily life. Fortunately, with my understanding of cats and firm belief, I finally managed to safeguard my bond with Doubao. Today, I’d like to share with you some things about keeping cats during pregnancy.
During the preparation for pregnancy, understanding Toxoplasma gondii is crucial. Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that may affect the health of the fetus, which is also the main reason why my family strongly opposed keeping cats during pregnancy. However, in fact, the probability of domestic cats being infected with Toxoplasma gondii is not high, especially for cats that are not allowed to roam freely outdoors. To set our minds at ease, it is necessary to have both ourselves and our cats checked for Toxoplasma gondii before pregnancy. When I took Doubao to the pet hospital for the examination, I was really nervous. When the examination results came out and both Doubao and I were found to be healthy, I felt a huge sense of relief. Some cat owners may, like me, for more comprehensive considerations, want to give their cats some medications for the prevention and treatment of Toxoplasma gondii, such as “Happy Brown Sugar.” However, it should be noted that currently, there is no authoritative report that can prove its exact efficacy. It is more of a psychological comfort.
After getting pregnant, we still can’t let our guard down. When I was three months pregnant, I went to the hospital to have another check for Toxoplasma gondii. The doctor said that as long as we pay attention to hygiene during pregnancy, the risk of infection is very low. After that, considering the probability of infection and the necessity of the examination, I didn’t have frequent checks anymore. In terms of daily feeding, it is essential to deworm the cat regularly. In my family, we do internal and external deworming once every three months. In summer, when parasites are more active, it is safer to do external deworming once every two months. Insisting on not letting the cat roam freely outdoors can greatly reduce the cat’s risk of being infected with Toxoplasma gondii. At the same time, I also made adjustments to Doubao’s diet. I changed its raw meat diet to cooked cat food. Although raw meat is theoretically okay after being processed at a low temperature, changing to cooked cat food is not only more convenient but also makes me feel more at ease. After all, during pregnancy, we should avoid eating raw meat ourselves because the probability of being infected with Toxoplasma gondii by eating raw meat is much higher than that of keeping cats.
There is one more thing to remind all expectant mothers. It is best to let family members, especially husbands, take on the task of cleaning the cat litter. If there is Toxoplasma gondii in the cat’s feces, direct contact poses a risk of infection. My husband took the initiative to assume this responsibility. Every time he cleaned the cat litter, he wore a mask and gloves and washed his hands carefully after handling it. This not only protected me but also showed his love and care for our family.
Keeping cats during pregnancy is by no means impossible. As long as we master scientific methods and take protective measures, expectant mothers can live in harmony with their cats and look forward to the arrival of the new life together. Every cat is a member of the family, bringing us endless joy and companionship. During this special period, we should, based on scientific evidence, protect this precious bond with love, allowing both the cat and the baby to grow up healthily in an environment full of love.
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