Can We Get Toxoplasmosis from Indoor Cat?

Cats are carriers of toxoplasmosis, the disease that may threaten the lives of unborn children. Pregnant women, particularly worry about toxoplasmosis and they are overly concerned, even when they have the indoor cat. Their main concern is: can we get toxoplasmosis from an indoor cat? According to veterinarians, the answer is simple – yes, if we feed a cat raw meat or a cat gets in contact with the infected cat. Once a cat gets toxoplasmosis, it is usually a lifelong protection from getting it again. In other words, if a cat had toxoplasmosis in the past, it cannot get it again. However, the problem is – we rarely know whether a cat had toxoplasmosis in the past. A majority of cats do not show any signs or symptoms of the disease. It usually goes away by itself. On the other hand, cats with a weak immunity may exhibit some signs and symptoms of toxoplasmosis such as lack of appetite, digestive issues, bladder problems, lack of coordination, a sensitivity of intense light, and even blindness. Usually, many cat owners get toxoplasmosis from cats. In a majority of cases, it looks like the flu symptoms and often goes away within a few days. Pregnant women who got toxoplasmosis in the past are lifelong protected from it. To find out more about toxoplasmosis and whether we can get toxoplasmosis from cats, the article “Pregnant? Know the Real Risk of Toxoplasmosis” gives us the interesting explanation.

– People become infected with toxo when they inadvertently eat the parasite. The risk of contracting toxoplasmosis from ingesting cat feces is much lower than it is from handling and eating undercooked pork. So if doctors are going to counsel that pregnant women “get rid” of anything, it should actually be pig meat, not their pet cats.

– If anybody is going to be tested for toxo, it should be the pregnant woman, not the cat. A cat will come up positive if it has been exposed to the parasite at any point in its life, but it only poses a risk if it is shedding the parasite in its feces, which generally occurs for a very short period. Therefore, a positive feline test is meaningless in this situation. Testing a pregnant woman, on the other hand, can be helpful. If her test is positive already, perfect. She has been infected in the past and even if she is exposed again during her pregnancy her unborn child will not be affected. If she is negative, then she should take precautions.

However, pregnant women who do not have Toxoplasma antibodies should pay more attention to hygiene. The litter box should be cleaned twice a day to prevent toxoplasmosis from spreading. Wearing gloves is a must and washing hands thoroughly after scooping the litter box. Ideally, this job should be left to another family member. In any case, if a cat is indoors and is fed with cat food, then there is no reason to worry. Veterinarians agree that this cat cannot transmit this dangerous infection.