Question
We are a couple who are trying to get pregnant. We are now considering getting ourselves a cat.
We are concerned about the diseases the cat can affect the embryo with.
What is your opinion on the matter?
Answer
The main risk associated with having a cat is in coming into contact with an infection called toxoplasma.
Toxoplasmosis is a disease contracted from animal faeces or raw meat. The major source of this infection is the domestic cat, but other animals such as sheep can also carry it.
The infection is acquired by ingesting the organism in infected cat faeces.
One third of pregnant women are immune to the disease.
In those who are not immune, infection with toxoplasma can cause miscarriage in early pregnancy and unlike most other infections can also cause problems later on in pregnancy.
However, many people who become infected have no adverse consequences for either themselves or their babies.
Contact with a cat is not a problem. The usual advice is that you should either avoid the cat litter tray altogether or wear gloves when emptying it.
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