Is it possible to keep a cat indoors during pregnancy?

» Signs » True signs with cats for pregnant women

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In ancient times, everything that could not be explained was considered mysterious and gave rise to many different speculations. One such process in people’s lives is pregnancy. And even today there are mothers who do not want to cut their hair, do not buy things for their children in advance, do not knit or touch cats during pregnancy. What is so terrible that a sign with cats for pregnant women can tell?

Signs for pregnant women with cats

Interpretation of superstitions

Almost any sign that concerns pregnancy and childbirth is based on two main facts: fear and curiosity. As for signs with cats, most of them can be substantiated from a scientific point of view. There are four signs associated with cats and pregnant women:

• during pregnancy, it is necessary to reduce close contact with animals to a minimum;
• You can’t pet cats;
• you can’t go near the cat’s litter box;
• when you feel the urge to play with a cat during pregnancy, it means that the future baby will have a difficult life ahead of him and will be surrounded by many enemies.

During pregnancy, the risk of contracting toxoplasmosis increases. Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by parasites. It is especially dangerous for pregnant women and unborn babies. It is the cat that is often the carrier of this parasite, which multiplies in the animal’s intestines and enters the external environment along with feces.

As you can see, these signs can be substantiated scientifically. However, if a woman had a cat at home for many years before pregnancy, this does not mean that she should be thrown away immediately. It is better to consult a doctor and undergo all relevant laboratory tests.

Mysticism or reason

Cats are creatures that are credited with mystical abilities, and pregnant women, unfortunately, are too impressionable, so they often believe in various stupid superstitions. Many women try to get rid of a pet during pregnancy, but in vain.

No superstitions have anything to do with reality. But there are medical reasons why you need to limit contact with cats or take all preventive measures to protect yourself from serious diseases, and with them from very serious consequences.

Folk wisdom related to pregnant women and cats

There are many other signs associated with contact between pregnant women and felines:

• Do not touch the animal with your feet, otherwise the baby will have problems with the nervous system;
• It is also prohibited to harm animals, such an act will harm the health of the mother and baby;
• a tricolor cat serves as a talisman for your pregnancy, so it should not be kicked out of the house;
• if a calico cat leaves a pregnant woman’s house, it means the baby will not survive;
• when a calico cat asks to come into the house, and a woman in this position cannot be turned away;
• a cat can strangle a child out of jealousy.

These signs can also be easily substantiated or refuted from a scientific point of view. During pregnancy, it is not recommended to make too sudden movements. This has a bad effect on both the woman herself and the fetus. The emotional state of a woman is transmitted to the fetus and threatens nervous diseases. As for domestic cats, scientists have proven that while living in a house, people develop a strong immunity to toxoplasmosis. If a cat has lived in your house for many years, then the future baby is in no danger at all.

If we consider the belief that says that you cannot drive away animals that have strayed, there are also many nuances. Today, most people suffer from allergies, and their manifestations can be very different. Pregnant women especially often experience such problems, even if this has not been observed before, therefore, no matter what color the animal passes the threshold, a person simply will not be able to take it home and nothing will happen.

Cases of infants being strangled by cats happen quite often. However, this is most likely not out of jealousy, but because the animal is trying to warm the baby and lies on top of him. It is advisable to isolate your pet for the first time and not allow it into a crib. There is another sign that says that if a cat begins to climb into a pre-prepared crib at the end of pregnancy, it means that in a couple of days the baby will be born. It is believed that the animal subconsciously feels its owner and her condition.

Cats and your behavior

During pregnancy, not only your hormones change: you are moody, tired, constantly nauseous and very irritable. These emotional changes will affect your behavior, and your cat will likely realize that you are acting differently. (They are creatures of habit, after all, just like us.)

Rapidly rising hCG levels can cause nausea, and if you vomit in the bathroom every morning instead of feeding your cat at the usual time, she will notice.

Progesterone can make you overly tired during pregnancy, and your cat may wonder why you nap on the couch so often instead of running errands.

You're busy planning for the baby—like designing a nursery and researching lists of baby names—which means you have less time and energy to shine a laser pointer around the house for your cat to chase.

Blood volume and circulation increase during pregnancy, which may raise your body temperature slightly. Your cat may notice that you're hotter than usual (and she might even like it, because cats seek out warm, cozy places).

If you normally groom your cat, note that you should no longer clean her litter box. She may be wondering why someone else is doing this task now.

Beliefs for those who dream of becoming a mother

If a woman cannot get pregnant for a long time, and a pregnant cat comes into her house and she needs to be sheltered, then a woman’s desire to become a mother will soon become a reality. The same applies to a kitten picked up on the street. You should not buy a cat or kitten; you must pick it up from the street.

Higher powers should notice your sincere desire to help the disadvantaged. Then you will be given the opportunity to become a mother. In addition, cats get along very well with children, so the baby will not be bored when he grows up.

Summarize

Does your cat know you're pregnant? Yes and no. She doesn't know what pregnancy is, but she probably knows that changes are happening in you.

We can't say for sure whether cats are reacting to any new smells, hearing a new but faint heartbeat, or simply picking up on all the changes in daily life.

But cats are very sensitive and perceptive animals. It's reasonable to assume that many of their super senses are triggered when a new person is growing up nearby.

Sources

• A cat's five senses. (2019). vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk/a-cats-five-senses/
• Amat M, et al. (2016). Stress in owned cats: Behavioral changes and welfare implications. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26101238/
• Lee NM, et al. (2013). Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3676933/
• Sanghavi M, et al. (2014). Cardiovascular physiology of pregnancy. ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/circulationaha.114.009029
• Stella J, et al. (2013). Effects of stressors on the behavior and physiology of domestic cats. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4157662/
• Verhaeghe J, et al. (2013). Pheromones and their effect on women's mood and sexuality. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3987372/

Beliefs associated with pets

If a cat lived in your house long before pregnancy, you should not immediately fall into hysterics and think about where to give it. The animal has been your friend for years, loved you, and with the onset of pregnancy, nothing will change in the pet’s behavior. Folk signs regarding domestic cats say the following:

• if a cat lies on its stomach or sits next to it, it means something will happen to the fetus;
• You shouldn’t let a cat on your breast, because the milk will spoil.

Some signs are almost ridiculous. These two are just in that category. For example, if an animal has always laid down on your stomach or chest before, it will not stop doing this, even when you are in a position, it is clear that this should not be allowed. Another cat feature is that when it’s cold, they will try in any way to get under the owner’s blanket and settle down where it’s warmer. When an animal just lies down near the stomach or in the chest area, it simply wants to show its owner its attitude, demanding affection and attention.

There are a lot of good signs associated with cats and pregnancy. So, for example, if we take a tricolor cat into the house, we attract luck; a tabby or spotted kitten can bring money into your home; a black cat can be an excellent protector from negativity; take a cat home - attract prosperity; cat - find a protector. A cat poses absolutely no danger if a person takes it to the veterinarian on time and carries out worm prevention, and also gets all the necessary vaccinations. This applies to any animal that lives at home.

Is it possible to clean a cat's litter box?

The cat litter box is a breeding ground for infection and the cause of many illnesses, no matter how trivial it may sound. It should be cleaned only with gloves, and ideally, delegate this task to someone from the household.

To avoid becoming infected with toxoplasmosis, you need to have time to remove feces before the oocysts (i.e., cysts that have multiplied in the cat’s intestines) mature, i.e., within several hours.

It is more difficult to protect against worms, but you can do the following: feed the cat only commercial food, do not allow it outside, and carry out anthelmintic prophylaxis once every six months.

The cat litter box must be kept clean at all times.

Conclusions, generalizations

Many people believe omens to this day, because they were compiled over the years, through observation and collection of information. Some of the popular beliefs are current, while others are on the verge of insanity. Quite a large number of signs are associated with pregnancy and childbirth. The basis of any popular belief was fear of the unknown, and the process of pregnancy and childbirth has not been fully studied to this day.

Scientists and doctors support many signs associated with contacts between cats and pregnant women. There is no clear certainty about what our ancestors were thinking when they said that a pregnant woman should not play with cats, have less contact with them and not clean up their waste products. But it is better to observe all these provisions, because cats are carriers of such a serious disease as toxoplasmosis. This disease in an adult is asymptomatic and does not threaten him in any way, but it poses a very strong threat to the body of a pregnant woman. Its ability to penetrate the placenta can provoke the appearance of various pathologies in the development of organ systems in the unborn child.

Other signs that say that you should not stroke cats with your feet, because this is fraught with nervous disorders, frankly, look like nonsense. In defense of cats, I would still like to note that a woman develops immunity to toxoplasmosis if she has an animal living in her house for several years. And then, not every individual survives the disease. If this is a domestic cat that has been provided with the necessary care, does not walk outside, has received all the necessary vaccinations and is regularly prevented from helminthic infestations, then there is nothing to worry about, such an animal does not pose any danger at all and there is no need to throw it out into the street.

Allergies are a completely different matter. For example, if you consider the sign that you cannot kick a calico cat out of the house if the woman is pregnant, otherwise the baby will not survive. Very often, pregnant women become allergic to the fur and epidermis of their own pet, who has lived with her in the apartment for a long time. This is due to hormonal changes, many years of sensitization of the body to allergens and a decrease in the body’s protective functions. In this case, no matter what the cat is, it must be given away as soon as possible, otherwise the risk that the child will be born with an allergy increases.

There is only one conclusion: if you want to be able to believe in omens, no one forbids you from doing so. But first of all, you need to think about whether this really shouldn’t be done or whether someone came up with such a belief so that a person would not try to find out what he is not supposed to. For example, in order to intimidate expectant mothers, they said that they should not determine the gender of children in advance and buy things for children. But, if you think about it, what will a woman dress her baby in after giving birth if she doesn’t buy him clothes? Every person believes in what it is convenient for him to believe.

Cats and the fetal heartbeat

Thanks to its keen hearing, your cat knows that the garbage truck is on its way to do its thing before you do. But we don't know if they can actually hear your baby's heartbeat before it can be detected by other means, such as a Doppler or stethoscope.

Cats have an extra fold on their ears that can play a role in amplifying high-frequency sounds, allowing them to hear things we can't hear.

At some point late in your pregnancy, your partner will be able to hear your baby's heartbeat simply by placing his ear to your belly. So it's reasonable to assume that around this time, Fluffy can also hear the baby's heartbeat from his seat nearby on the sofa.

However, how sooner a cat can hear it and how well is still a giant scientific question.