Pregnant Women Can Be Around Cats
The Claim
Pregnant women should avoid cats due to health concerns.
News posted on
Emerging story
Many on social media say that pregnant women should avoid cats for fear of catching toxoplasmosis.
There's a fairly prevalent folk belief in korea that cats cause infertility, and as such women who want children are advised not to keep them
— Full Penetration MMA (@Cbachmann10) December 25, 2020
People with pet cats. Cats r definitive hosts for Toxoplasma gondii. Cause behavioral changes.Association with schizephrenia/bipolar disorder. Cognitive probs. Infertility in young women. Know that plz. Waise vi billi sabh chatt jaandi. Changi nahin hundi. #cats #animaldisease
— Ramandeep Kahlon Sangha (@rkahlonsangha) July 8, 2020
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar's investigation found that toxoplasmosis, a rare parasitic disease that can cause miscarriage and birth defects, can be passed to humans via cat feces. However, the chance of transmission is very small, and most experts – including the world's number one digital parenting resource, Baby Center – report that it is safe for pregnant women to be around cats.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), humans are more likely to contract toxoplasmosis from eating undercooked meat or from gardening than they are from contact with a cat.
The CDC also released helpful tips to reduce the risk of environmental exposure to Toxoplasma:
- Avoid changing cat litter if possible. If no one else can perform the task, wear disposable gloves and wash your hands with soap and water afterward.
- Ensure that the cat litter box is changed daily. The Toxoplasma parasite does not become infectious until 1 to 5 days after it is shed in a cat’s feces.
- Feed your cat commercial dry or canned food, not raw or undercooked meats.
- Keep cats indoors.
- Avoid stray cats, especially kittens. Do not get a new cat while you are pregnant.
- Keep outdoor sandboxes covered.
- Wear gloves when gardening and during contact with soil or sand because it might be contaminated with cat feces that contain Toxoplasma. Wash hands with soap and water after gardening or contact with soil or sand.
The CDC also recommends that pregnant women keep their cats: "Owning a cat does not mean you will be infected with the parasite. It is unlikely that you would be exposed to the parasite by touching an infected cat because cats usually do not carry the parasite on their fur. In addition, cats kept indoors (that do not hunt prey or are not fed raw meat) are not likely to be infected with Toxoplasma. But, if you are pregnant, planning on becoming pregnant, or have a weakened immune system, it is important to protect yourself from infection."
Since it is possible for pregnant women to get toxoplasmosis from cats, but since the chance of transmission is very minimal, we rate this claim as misleading.
