Safer way to change cat box while pregnant?

[missmich]

I'd love to tell the roommate it's now her job but I don't think she'd go for it! It's my cat so my responsabilty.

I'm single and there is no one else to change it so it's going to have to me that does it. I know that toxisplasmosis (?) is a risk when your pregnant but I don't have much choice but to clean it myself. I'm going to try to talk to one of my male friends to see if he wouldn't mind doing it once a week or every 2 weeks or something.

How can I minimize the risks?

Oh,just to ad that if I do ask the roomie to change it she will tell me to get rid of the cat just like she is telling to get rid of the baby!

[kitkatkaddoodle]

If your cat never goes outside and cannot get access to raw meat in your house (hunts rats or something), your risk of getting anything from the cat is almost none. However, the bug takes more than 24 hours of being outside the cat to "set" and become infectious, so scooping the litter Every Single Day is a good way to minimize risks. Really, it's not airborn, so simply not putting your hand to your mouth while scooping and washing them immediately after is all that's truly necessary.

OBs make a big deal about it, but changing the cat's litter box is almost a non-risk if you just wash your hands after.

[missmich]

Yeah,my girl is an indoor only kitty so that does lower my risk. That's good. When the budget allows I'll get her a new box with a flap as well. Also I'll be needing a baby gate soon to block off her "bathroom" in the hallway.

[Caneel]

Originally Posted by kitkatkaddoodle

If your cat never goes outside and cannot get access to raw meat in your house (hunts rats or something), your risk of getting anything from the cat is almost none. However, the bug takes more than 24 hours of being outside the cat to "set" and become infectious, so scooping the litter Every Single Day is a good way to minimize risks. Really, it's not airborn, so simply not putting your hand to your mouth while scooping and washing them immediately after is all that's truly necessary.

OBs make a big deal about it, but changing the cat's litter box is almost a non-risk if you just wash your hands after.

My OB told me pretty much the same thing as the bolded. Further, he stressed that there is a greater risk of picking it up from other sources (working in the dirt, raw meats) and that in his 25+ years of practicing, he never saw a single case. All of which put my mind at ease.

Also, there is blood test for both cats and humans that would show past exposure. If I remember correctly, past exposure protects you.

[Marylizah]

You can get a blood test to find out if you're already immune to toxoplasmosis. If you are, no worries whatsoever.

In your shoes I would wear gloves, scoop the poop every day and wash hands after cleaning, but really, your risk is minimal from your cat. You should also cook meat well and wash produce thoroughly as those are the other ways you can get toxo.

[Ola_]

I agree - scoop frequently, wear gloves, wash hands. Do you have one of those scoopers with a handle?

[painefaria]

Our vet stated that you have a higher risk getting Toxoplasmosis from raw/undercooked meat then from cleaning the cat pans. I think that good hygiene is the most important part, not that most people DON'T wash their hands after cleaning the can pan

[missmich]

Oh good it seems like my risk is pretty low then. I don't actually cook or even eat meat,but my roommate does. I may have to have (yet another) chat with her about how she needs to clean the counters better after preparing it. She tends not to care if the raw meat touches the counter or the plastic dish rack and will just wipe it with a wet cloth and nothing else,not a clean cloth either rather one that's she's been using all week. I've asked to to spray either some bleach and water solution on the counter and wipe it with a clean cloth or to spray some vinegar on the counters or anywhere the meat touches when she is done and wipe it with a clean wet cloth,wet with hot water. This is good enough right?

[rcr]

Wow, wish I had known this when I was pregnant.

I also had no choice but to scoop the box when I was pregnant. My approach was to just dunp it out and start over every week - I thought that if they had a clean box more often, and if I did not have to tough the poo (hense, dumping it into the trash), that would help. I did not know it was really not a huge deal anyway.

[rhiOrion]

Yep, I agree with the PPs. Your risk is low. I've had a few people act very concerned when I say I still clean the litter box. But seriously, my cat is indoor only, and I worked at vet clinics for years. So chances are he doesn't have it, and chances are that I have had it already.

I don't even use gloves. I just wash my hands.

Though, I actually do litter pan liners and dump the whole thing every week now. But that has more to do with my ability to bend over and scoop frequently- it just isn't happening at this point in the game!

[Ellien C]

They sell cat pan liners too, if that helps. DH is SUPPOSED to be doing our boxes, but he's not. They're just dirty.

[rhiOrion]

Originally Posted by Ellien C

They sell cat pan liners too, if that helps. DH is SUPPOSED to be doing our boxes, but he's not. They're just dirty.

That is exactly why I kept cleaning the cat box. I'd have one pissed of cat if I asked DH to do it.

[SoCaliMommy]

when i was pregnant with my daughter and had a cat, i used liners so always just put in a new liner every so often and made sure to really scrub my hands after putting a new liner in.

I was never worried about it and my cat was a indoor cat.