Myths About Pregnancy And Cats: Do They Pose Risks?

The lack of knowledge on the part of society leads to very erroneous statements, in many cases without any scientific basis, about pregnancy and cats. Learn more below!

There are many misconceptions about the presence of cats around pregnant women. Most of them are false and based on isolated cases.

If you’re on the “sweet wait” or planning to have children, it’s a good idea to read this article to answer your questions. Do not give or abandon your pet!

Myths about pregnancy and cats

There are still people who look down on a pregnant woman having a cat at home. In addition, there is a prejudice that claims that domestic cats bring diseases to mother and baby.

While it is true that cats can transmit to us a disease called toxoplasmosis, which is deadly to the fetus, not everyone is infected with it. Therefore, not all cats will pose a risk of contagion.

Worst of all, each year thousands of cats are abandoned or given up for adoption when their human “parents” decide to have children.

Undoubtedly, this is an unfair situation, based on lack of information or myths, such as the following:

1. All cats have toxoplasmosis

This is completely false. First, for the animal to become infected with the disease, it must eat raw meat or sausages. Therefore, the disease is not common in animals that feed on feed and do not leave the house much.

Second, for contagion to occur, the food must be infected with the responsible parasite,  Toxoplasma gondii .

And finally, the pregnant woman needs to come into contact with the animal’s feces to become infected. If the litter box is not inside the house and someone else is in charge of cleaning it, the chances of contagion will be greatly reduced.

Another thing that is worth noting: some women already have the necessary antibodies to deal with the virus.

This occurs if they were already infected in the past, before pregnancy. That way, the immunity will be passed on to the baby, there’s no need to worry.

2. Cats cause miscarriages

We don’t know where this “theory” comes from, nor the one that claims that cats make women sterile. Living with these pets does not affect fertility or pregnancy.

It doesn’t matter if the cat has lived at home since a puppy or if it was adopted from the street. There is no scientific evidence that they can cause miscarriages. Otherwise, female veterinarians could not be mothers.

3. Cat hair and dandruff are dangerous

Allergic reactions or asthma due to cat fur can appear at any stage of life, but are only seen in 10% of the population. In most cases, symptoms are discomfort such as sneezing or hives.

If the woman has an allergy to dandruff or the animal’s hair, she can take some additional steps when expecting the baby.

Some of them are: do not allow the animal to climb into bed, ventilate the rooms well and vacuum the pillows and sofas more often.

However, if so far there have been no signs of allergy, nothing in particular needs to be done.

4. Cats are aggressive and can hurt a pregnant woman

Some people claim that cats are “treacherous” and fake, including that they bring bad luck or are linked to dark energies.

Such statements are based on the lack of coexistence with cats. What we can say is that these are very expressive animals, intelligent and very attached to their owner. They also defend themselves tooth and nail.

There are not only myths about pregnancy and cats, but also about when the child is born.  It is said, without foundation, that the feline can attack the baby while he sleeps.

Perhaps the animal is more protective or catches the child’s attention, but it is almost impossible to harm it, let alone purposefully.