Female pregnancy and cat in the house

Author Anastasia Rogova

09/16/2018 08:18 (Updated: 09/13/2021 20:09)

Zoosphere » Interesting

Very often you can see an advertisement: “Cat, young, healthy, purebred, affectionate, litter box trained, I’ll give it to good hands.” And the reason for parting with such a wonderful cat turns out to be the expectation of a child by a young married couple.

As a rule, there are two reasons why an expectant mother is going to get rid of a pet, which until recently was the family darling, and both are based on fear.

The first is the fear of contracting some dangerous disease from a cat,
the second is that the cat will behave towards the newborn like a roaring lion - it will attack, gnaw, bite, scratch, and everything like that.

Very often, all these horrors and persistent advice to get rid of the animal are suggested to the pregnant woman by the older generation. After hearing terrible details about unsanitary conditions and cannibal cats, a young woman, fearing for the health of her unborn baby, is looking for ways to get rid of the cat, sometimes with tears in her eyes. Although, for starters, she would have to look for detailed information - are children and cats really so incompatible that when the former appears, she should get rid of the latter? Especially in advance?

Is a cat really that dangerous for a pregnant woman?

A dangerous disease for pregnant women that can be contracted from cats is toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis is a disease of cats, dogs and some other animals, caused by the protozoa Toxoplasma - intracellular parasites, and transmitted to humans. Why is toxoplasmosis dangerous specifically for pregnant women? Because if a pregnant woman becomes infected with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, then parasitic protozoa, penetrating through the placenta into the developing fetus, cause congenital deformities of the fetus, as well as death or premature miscarriages.

How your cat might react to your pregnancy

When cats face major life changes, they react differently. The only thing you can expect is that your cat will react in some way to everything that happens, but other than that, it's hard to say how.

Some cats are protective of an owner who isn't feeling well or is behaving differently, so your cat may work harder to get between you and your partner.
Some cats develop into stage 5 clinging when their owners behave strangely. Your lonely cat may suddenly act like a little shadow, following you from room to room and placing itself in your personal space.
Some cats become real assholes. They may urinate in random places, scratch furniture, hide from you, refuse to eat - all this is typical rebellious behavior of cats that are very excited about changes in their lives.

Cat and baby

The next fear is the cat’s attitude towards the newborn. Here, no one can determine in advance how the cat will behave in a changed situation. If the cat itself is aggressive, sometimes attacks its owners and generally behaves inappropriately, then yes, you should probably think about rehoming it.

But if your pet is an affectionate animal that has not been seen in such misanthropic actions, then it is unlikely that it will radically change its behavior with the arrival of a child in the house. True, there is such a thing as cat jealousy. However, we should not forget that cats and people still perceive the world somewhat differently. The child will not encroach on the cat's food bowls, and for the first year he will definitely not pull her tail.

Cat and baby

If you don’t forget to feed your pet on time and give it a little attention, then no problems should arise. The cat is not jealous of the owners’ TV, although in some families it takes up quite a lot of the owner’s attention. It rarely happens that a cat perceives a new member of the human family as an obvious enemy.

Usually cats are quite calm about adding to the family. Some show a completely legitimate interest, some are indifferent. There are cats that immediately understand what’s what - that the new member of the family is an integral part of the dear mistress, therefore, it is necessary to take care of him in order to once again show his best side and earn bonuses to his reputation. Such cats try to stay close to the baby, but at a respectful distance. There are cases when cats provided a soft landing for babies who fell from the sofa, softening the pain from the blow with their own body.

As a rule, conflicts between children and cats can arise much later - when the child is already able to move independently and begins to perceive the cat as a living toy. But here, too, everything does not always end badly.

Firstly, cats will not necessarily defend their dignity with claws and teeth, but rather will choose the tactic of a hasty retreat.
Secondly, adequate parents will always be able to explain to their child that the cat should not be offended, it is better to pet it and make friends with it.

Cats and children

A cat that has become attached to a child will forgive him for any torment, even those for which she would long ago punish adults. Therefore, you should not make hasty conclusions and get rid of the cat when a baby appears in the house.

As for allergies to cat hair, it has long been proven that precisely those children who were raised in the presence of cats are not allergic to cat hair.

Safety regulations

Let's speak out in defense of cats - after all, these incredible pets are the best antidepressant. They are delicate, they always understand where it hurts, they see that the owner is upset. Let’s not argue with doctors, toxoplasmosis and worms are no joke, but you can protect yourself by taking basic precautions:

Assign the cleaning of the litter box (daily) to another family member , as they say, it is better to be safe.

Wash your hands before eating , and if you suspect that your cat is infected with a fungus, use gloves.

When planning pregnancy or in the early stages, get tested to detect antibodies to toxoplasmosis. Perhaps you already have a strong immune system and there is no need to worry.

If there are cats in your house and you find out about pregnancy, do not delay and get your pets tested for toxoplasmosis.

Don't forget about parasite prevention.

Important! Toxoplasmosis is very dangerous for people and children with initially weakened immune systems. If the expectant mother is a carrier of HIV infection, she really shouldn’t have contact with cats and other animals.

Let's assume that you picked up a kitten or an adult cat on the street. Don't panic and be as vigilant as possible before visiting the vet. Hand washing and daily cleaning of the litter box remain ironclad rules. In addition, until you are sure that the animal is healthy, it needs to be isolated from the pregnant woman while sleeping.

Important! It is not recommended to prevent worms in a cat that is under stress; this procedure should also be carried out under special supervision if the kitten is not yet 3 months old.

The incubation period for most fungal agents lasts from 10 to 16 days , which means that the cat should survive 2–2.5 weeks in quarantine. If a pet is found to have ringworm or subcutaneous mites , the cat is completely isolated from the pregnant woman. Treatment should be carried out by a veterinarian or another family member, and the pet should not have access to the bedside of the expectant mother. Further, in accordance with the schedule, the animal must receive vaccination and these measures should not be postponed.

Psychologist's opinion

In addition, any psychologist will confirm that an animal in the house always has a beneficial effect on the child’s psyche. Children growing up in families where there is an animal are more socially adapted than those who did not communicate with our smaller brothers. It’s not for nothing that animal-assisted therapy—the treatment of certain diseases through contact with animals—is becoming increasingly popular in the West.

Instead of dragging your child to a psychologist, it is better to give him a cat or dog. At the same time, the future member of society will also learn responsibility, which will be very useful to him in adult life.

Topics immunity pregnancy

What could be the real danger?

As mentioned above, rational reasons why pregnant women should not touch cats are associated with the risk of contracting a number of diseases:

Toxoplasmosis. The disease poses a serious danger to the fetus: infection soon after conception usually leads to miscarriage, and later - to premature birth and often the birth of children with disabilities. If infected before the 24th week of pregnancy, artificial termination is usually recommended.

If you live permanently with a cat or have frequent contact with stray animals, there is a high probability that infection with toxoplasmosis went undetected (according to statistics, this is about 90% of women). The body of a healthy person copes with toxoplasma without outside interference, and as a result, stable lifelong immunity is formed. You can find out about its presence using a special analysis from the TORCH complex.

Worms. They appear not only in street pets, but also in apartment pets. Almost all types of “cat” parasites (roundworms, threadworms and tapeworms, echinococci) easily settle in the human body, with the exception of hookworms. The use of anthelmintic drugs is contraindicated in pregnant women, so if infection occurs, treatment will need to be delayed until at least the 3rd trimester or until delivery. Parasites do not have a direct negative effect on the fetus, but provoke a deterioration in the woman’s health, the development of anemia and vitamin deficiency.
Ringworm. The pathology does not pose a great danger to the pregnant woman, but treatment will again have to be postponed. Foci of lichen will only grow, so recovery will take a longer time.

Other diseases (chlamydia, salmonellosis). Usually the risk of catching them from a cat (even a stray) is not too high, but it would be wiser to limit contact with other people's animals.

Having a cat in the house during pregnancy is not necessarily dangerous. A healthy, examined animal cannot harm the expectant mother (especially if she has immunity to toxoplasmosis. Timely vaccinations for the animal, regular treatment for worms and parasites, and compliance with basic hygiene rules will ensure comfortable coexistence with the pet and positive emotions from communicating with it.

What to do with things?

Wash combs and brushes in hot soapy water. Or soak them in alcohol for one hour.
To destroy lice and nits on linen, clothing, and bedding, they must be washed for half an hour at a temperature of at least 60°C (the higher the better). Afterwards, iron the items with a hot iron.
If items cannot be washed at high temperatures, you can use cold. Take things out into the cold (in winter) or put them in a freezer at a temperature of −14…−20°C for a day
Seal all items that cannot be heat treated. Place them in sealed plastic bags for 2 weeks. Lice and nits will die of starvation, without any additional treatment.
Vacuum the floor and furniture.
Bulky upholstered furniture that is difficult to move into an unused room for two weeks can be hermetically wrapped in cellophane for the same period and continue to be used.
To destroy lice and nits on linen and clothes, they must be washed for half an hour at a temperature of at least 60°C. Afterwards, iron the items with a hot iron.

How to understand that recovery has occurred

The first sign of ongoing recovery is the absence of difficult breathing. How many days someone is sick with coronavirus before the first signs of recovery depends on the correct diagnosis and the amount of medical care provided:

for mild cases - within 1-2 weeks
moderate severity, presence of uncomplicated pneumonia - 3-4 weeks
in severe forms - in 1-1.5 months

How long coronavirus lasts and whether the outcome is favorable depends on proper examination and treatment.

Causes and mechanism of occurrence

The mechanism of occurrence is not fully understood, and it is believed that RB occurs due to hormonal changes, in particular, under the influence of progesterone, estrogen, hCG and other hormones, the concentration of which gradually increases during pregnancy. Some authors believe that the occurrence of RB is associated with the worsening of concomitant AR. Some studies show that hormonal effects lead to relaxation of the smooth muscle that makes up the walls of the vessels in the nasal mucosa, resulting in nasal congestion. These findings are supported by other studies that show that oral contraceptives cause similar effects in the nasal cavity (but not in everyone). Other studies show that increased body mass index, excess weight, and multiple pregnancies provoke or aggravate RB.

Possible consequences of treatment

During pregnancy, taking any medications should be careful and balanced. And the question about the effectiveness of therapy and the safety of taking medications is justified.

The study, conducted in California, compared the condition of children whose mothers were treated for toxoplasmosis and also refused treatment for any reason. The data showed that among women who received active treatment, the children born were much less likely to suffer from microcephaly, eye lesions and developmental delays in the long term.

Rule 4: Move, don't lie on the couch all day

In the third trimester of pregnancy, the baby grows by leaps and bounds, so the woman quickly gains weight and it becomes difficult for her to walk. Before giving birth, a woman even develops a “proud gait” that resembles a “duck walk.” The center of gravity shifts greatly forward, which forces a woman to throw her shoulders back and spread her legs wide when walking.

Many women in the third trimester begin to get lazy and stop going for walks and doing physical exercise. But lying on the couch all day won't prepare your pelvic floor muscles for childbirth.

Remember that activity in the third trimester of pregnancy is the key to a quick and easy birth. Of course, it is difficult to perform the exercises that you did in the first and second trimesters in full before giving birth. Leave those exercises that are easy for you. Introduce leisurely walking in the morning and evening. Learn breathing techniques and gymnastics with a fitball. All this will help you prepare your body for the upcoming birth.

Groundless speculation

There are beliefs about pregnant women and cats that can often be heard from older people:

A pregnant woman should not pet a cat, otherwise the baby will be born with hair all over its body.
You cannot pick up an animal, much less play with it - with such actions the expectant mother will make many enemies for the child.
Tripping over or kicking a cat will lead to a difficult birth.
Stroking a cat will lead to the birth of a child with stubble. The animal's fur is covered with a special substance that protects it from the negative influence of the external environment. This substance, if you stroke a cat, is absorbed into the mother’s skin, and then through the placental barrier enters the child’s body. That's why children are born with stubble. Then the child will have to be treated by healers and egged out.
If you look into a cat's eyes, it will steal the child's soul.

All of them are absurd to say the least, and in addition, have no scientific basis.

Progression and potential risks

RB, in the absence of adequate treatment, has an adverse effect on the course of pregnancy and can lead to the development of rhinosinusitis, which is especially difficult to tolerate in the 3rd trimester. On the other hand, pregnancy is a special period in a woman’s life, during which a large number of medications are prohibited, and ENT pathologies, these restrictions are also not spared. Very often I hear at appointments: “Doctor, I’m pregnant and I’ve been struggling with my nose all this time, but the doctors tell me there’s nothing to be done, I have to be patient.” On the other hand, the opposite situation is often observed: “Doctor, I’m pregnant and I can’t live without vasoconstrictor drops.” These situations, of course, are not correct, since on the one hand there is a way out and optimal treatment, but on the other hand, constant exposure to vasoconstrictor drugs is not a way out of the situation at all.