"Well you know, you HAVE to get rid of your cats!"

[Amila]

Why oh why do I get this from like EVERYONE!?!? I swear, everyone who knows I am pregnant and also knows that I have cats just LOVES to give me their opinion on the matter. And not just from the in-laws, but from people in line at the grocery store who see me buying cat food. Some good ones:

"Oh, you have to get rid of those cats, ALL babies are allergic to them"

"Cats and babies don't mix! You better find a home for them or they could KILL your baby!"

"You aren't keeping those cats are you?" (Disgusted look on their faces)

I realize that sometimes certain cats really do freak out over a new baby and try to scratch it and stuff, but i am really not concerned! I love my cats, and would never give them up, and I guess it just annoys the crap out of me to have to defend this every single day. :irked:

[TheDivineMissE]

I had two big bullmastiffs and a cat when I had my first....lol...I feel your pain. They all did GREAT together, by the way. The cat still doesn't like my kiddo but she and the dogs are great friends. None of them ever, ever, ever tried to hurt her.

My all-time biggest pet peeve (no pun :P) is that old wives tale that cats "Steal the babies breath because they smell milk". UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG Like how exactly would they do that???? My cat wanted nothing to do with that screaming red faced baby lol and still wants nothing to do with the screaming red faced toddler. Although, the toddler loooooooves the kitty and just wants to pet her.

Anyway, I can commiserate. Just put a humoring look on your face, nod and smile. You can't tell those people anything, trust me. lol

[Red Sonja]

I always HATED hearing that when I was pregnant with DS! We have 7 cats of varying temperaments and I heard it all the time.

You know what? We never had any problems. Sure, the cats slept on the couch for a while when DS first came home but then started sleeping on the bed again once they got used to DS being in there. They just slept on the foot or on DH's side instead of next to me, they never laid on DS. Sometime they did sleep in the crib but that was fine because DS never slept in it.

After "mama" and "dada", DS' next word was "kitty". He loves our kitties and they are amazingly tolerant of his petting. If they don't want to be loved on then they just go to another room.

[2 in August]

My dh's aunt called out of the blue the other day to tell me not to clean my litter box and that dh should do it for me. I understand her concern, but dh will never touch the litter box. It's basically my cat, my problem, it's always been that way. I don't mind it at all but her badmouthing my dh for not doing the litter box got on my nerves. My last cat never went near our dd. This cat is friendlier but I still don't see him wanting to be anywhere near a baby.

[*guest]

Tell them you are buying the cat food for you - craving! People are ridiculous sometimes, so I see nothing wrong with returning the favor.

Somehow my sister and I are still alive after growing up with two cats. The cat we have now did not manage to give me toxoplasmosis. She hides from the doorbell and anyone under 5 feet tall, so something tells me she won't be too quick to climb up next to an actual baby. How does the cat-ridden world continue to spin?

[mum2tori]

I've never understood the negativity people have about cats and children. My cats never had a problem with the babies. In fact my oldest cat (14 years) is the world biggest cat pelt when it comes to the kids. He will lay there and let them roll all over him. He never bites or scratches. The only time he has ever scratched us was when he decides to make a hasty exit and then it isn't on purpose just feet trying to move really fast. ;) Whenever he decides he is done being the cat pelt... he just leaves. No problem.

I like the response "oh the cat food is for me... craving!" :lol :lol

[Quagmire]

My all-time biggest pet peeve (no pun :P) is that old wives tale that cats "Steal the babies breath because they smell milk".

Oh yeah, I got this one. It was in a room full of pregnant woman, one lady said her OB confirmed this. PUH-LEESE. Why must people perpetuate this horsesh*t?

[BelgianSheepDog]

That's just goofy. If someone made a comment like that to me, I'd laugh and say, "dude, that is so retro!!"

[Snowdrift]

um, my cat will snuggle right up next to the baby's face. It's warm and cozy. My cat is only around my baby when I'm holding the baby. The cat is totally uninterested in making sure the baby can still breathe with cat drapedover her head. The cat is definitely not allowed in the bedroom.

[taylor]

We have 3 large dogs (All over 75 lbs) and 2 cats - I can't tell you how many times I heard something about getting rid of them, not caring about them as much anymore and neglecting them... I just got to the point where I smiled and would nod. :lol

Oh, and all 3 dogs and 2 cats do wonderfully with the babe.

[alegna]

I hated that too. My cats are fine around dd. Have been since the beginning. One of them has always been her cat- he was abandoned a couple of months before she was born and he's grown up with her. He always has snuggled up next to her. I never had reason to worry. In fact he keeps her from rolling out of bed!

-Angela

[kittyhead]

a couple of people have asked me when we are going to get rid of our dogs. :irked: no wonder there are so many homeless animals in shelters if pets are so disposable. i grew up with a lot of animals... im not worried. somebody also told me that our cats are dangerous because they might smother the baby... well, i think maybe i wont let the cats sleep on the baby's face and we will be just fine.:rolleyes

[eco_mama]

I had 2 cats when I had my dd. But, I actually did get rid of them after she was born. Not because of what people said because nobody really said anything to me, besides the cleaning litter box thing. It was just a choice that dh and I made together. I have nothing against cats because I love all animals but I just prefer not to have any, anymore. They both went to a really nice guy so it wasn't too hard. It was the best for them really.

And btw, that thing about babies being allergic to cats...people can be so silly I tell ya. I've read that it's actually better to have pets in the house when you bring in a new baby because then they're LESS likely to be allergic to them.

[boscopup]

Amazingly, no one said anything about my cats, but they kept saying I should get rid of my dogs. I have 2 German Shepherds, both obedience trained, both very friendly dogs that are GREAT with kids. I had NO worries about them (or the cats!). I figured the cats might hide for a while, although surprisingly, they didn't! The cats mostly ignored the baby until he became mobile. Then one cat learned to run quickly when seeing the baby coming. :lol The other cat is our "expensive throwrug" Maine Coon - he just lays there while the baby comes up and gives him hugs and kisses (very sweet to watch, btw). We had to teach baby not to sit on cat, and now we're learning not to pick up cat off a chair. But the cat is amazingly tolerant of this child - probably more tolerant than I would be if I were a cat! :duck:

My dogs are great with the baby too. The hyper one (who literally chases leaves in the backyard for HOURS on end - very very active girl) is super calm around small children. She's awesome. My calm boy likes to knock the child over sometimes, but it's an accident, and the child has just learned to brace himself when he sees two dogs coming! :lol I figure the dogs are just preparing him for playing hockey later on. :wink

And the people who said I should get rid of my dogs - they're the first ones on my Christmas card list, since I have always included my male dog (the calm one) in the picture for those cards. The last 2 cards just had a baby added in with the dog. This year, I'll have 2 kids posing with the dog! :mischief

And like PPs, my child's first word after "mama" (before "dada") was "kitty". He LOVES his kitties. And when he sees one, he says "Hey kitty kitty!" as he goes over to pet one. We have dogs, cats, and goats here, but the cats are definitely his favorites! Pets give children a sense of responsibility, they give the children a playmate/friend who loves them no matter what, they give them alot of joy... I can't imagine my children NOT having pets!

[CamsMama]

I totally don't understand where people are coming from. Since when are cats so deadly to kids? I have 2 cats and we had them for 2 years before ds was born. They've adjusted to him fine and I'm expecting the same with this baby. I don't know that I've ever lived in a house without cats. My parents had cats when I was born, growing up, and they still have a cat. I had a cat when I lived at home who moved into my first place with me. I'm still alive! My 2 cats took some time to adjust to my ds, but they're beyond used to him now.

[Yulia_R]

"Well you know, you HAVE to get rid of your cats!"

Well, if you HAVE to do it, you have to do it! We have to do what we have to do, you know (just kidding…just teasing…:lol )

But seriously, I’d definitely recommend to check your cats for internal worms and deworm them if needed before the babe arrives (also if the do have them you need to clean all the carpets VERY good as well, perhaps with steam). Most kinds of internal worms can not be seen in poop, so you need to go to a vet and run some tests. I do believe that all pets may have internal worms no matter how clean and taken care they are (they don’t even need to go outside to get them, you may bring eggs on you shoose, for example, so I’d take that very seriously).

[MiamiMami]

What, haven't you all heard all those news reports about cats killing babies:lol Its a worldwide crisis I tell ya.

And when people bring up the toxoplasmosis thing tell them that already being a cat parent means chances are you've already been exposed therefore immune.

It is wise for a preggo woman who had never owned a cat to steer clear of cat poop and wash their hands after petting one IMO.

[TexasSuz]

Both my children have co-slept in the bed with us and the cats as infants. At times the cats were right next to the baby. My cats have always been very protective and sweet to the children. The cats almost treat the kids like their own. I have never had to worry about the cats EVER hurting my children. But the kids have hurt the cats (pulling tails and such) at times! :)

[citizenfong]

Well, and I only ever heard this during my first pregnancy. What's up with that? Like any subsequent children don't deserve to be protected from the deadly scourge of cat love? :lol

[mothragirl]

when i was pregnant i got a second cat to keep our first cat company. it was the best decision ever! we're not able to give them as much attention as they were used to getting and they get it from eachother. all 5 of us are happily cuddled up in bed too.

[Amila]

Haha, wow I am pretty surprised at how many people get the same lines of bs! I am NOT worried about any of my kitties hurting the baby. Every time my friend brings over her toddler the one cat I have who can be a little bitchy runs scared, while the other two succumb to some petting and tail pulling before they run away too. And Yulia, I think your concerns are totally valid. In fact, we actually did just get our carpets professionally cleaned (not for that reason but all the better!) and all three cats are indoor cats who came from the shelter and were all treated for worms. So all is good. It is reassuring to know I am not the only one subjected to such stupidity (though I wish we all didn't have to deal with such ignorant people!)

[thefragile7393]

Dear lord I am so so so amazed that this stupid idiotic tale is STILL being passed around, even from doctors! I had the same thing happen to me, and I just told people that we don't believe the urban legends surrounding cats. It's sad, but a lot of it goes back to how cats were considered evil by many (during the Salem trials and other times) and I honestly think that the predjudice continues down to this day because of all that. Yet we had a dog and few would make comments about the dog needing to go (though it DID happen, just not as often with my kitties). So disgusting.

[charmander]

Three cats here, and two kids. No problems whatsoever.

What is funny is that even though we set up a crib for DD, she never slept in it because she was always with us, but the cats thought it was the most awesome place to take naps. :lol

P.S. - When I was pregnant with DS, my great-aunt insisted that I better be careful, or my cat would smother DS in his sleep.

[Jael]

Dogs are eating their owner's faces and various other body parts. Why just last week, a small dog was found feeding off of an elderly, bedridden person. And, of course, we've all heard about the woman with the face transplant after her dog ate her first one. Pit bulls regularly attack children, but the cat hate manages to outweigh them all.

**Disclaimer**

I love dogs and, of course, they're not evil. The above is meant to highlight the unfair bias that most people have in favor of dogs and against cats despite regular and countless stories of dog attacks.

[sunshinestarr]

One of my neighbors didn't say anything overt but looked very surprised and a little horrified when I told her that we are keeping our (2) cats (she asked). Her husband, though, told us that we'd "see after the babies come." We "won't have time for cats anymore and won't care for them." (Paraphrase - it was a while ago now.) :irked: I thought it was a cultural thing (I moved out of the US) but I guess not!

[thefragile7393]

Dogs are eating their owner's faces and various other body parts. Why just last week, a small dog was found feeding off of an elderly, bedridden person. And, of course, we've all heard about the woman with the face transplant after her dog ate her first one. Pit bulls regularly attack children, but the cat hate manages to outweigh them all.

**Disclaimer**

I love dogs and, of course, they're not evil. The above is meant to highlight the unfair bias that most people have in favor of dogs and against cats despite regular and countless stories of dog attacks.

Exactly! And I love doggies too....I miss mine so much! Yet the above is so true...cat hate is in so many movies, TV shows, people's attitudes...yet you rarely see the same about dogs. Maybe in the movie "Cats and Dogs" and that's it.:irked:

[taradt]

We had 3 cats when DD was born, man did they become scarce for the first few weeks :lol they didn't want anything to do with her until she became a much older (and calmer) person. They did like sleeping in the crib but I think it was because they felt safe there (and it wasn't getting used). Now that DD is 4 the 2 we have left (one died) love her and she loves them, she has learnt a gentleness with them that we could never teach her, she loves caring for them and they do love snuggling with her. I am curious to see how the new baby will be with the cats (and how the cats will be going through the baby thing a second time).

tara

[TheDivineMissE]

." We "won't have time for cats anymore and won't care for them."

I still find I have time not only for a cat, but two dogs (one of which is very active), two birds, four rats, and several fish. :P In fact, I have a lot MORE time since I worked before I had kids, and now I'm at home all day. I'd have more pets, but the hubby has drawn the line. :P Some day we'll have a mini-farm and then the fun will really begin!! :D Wait until I get my kids (and myself) a pony - can't wait for the editorial comments on THAT one. LOL

People are so silly. I love exposing my kiddo to animals. She's safer around them then any of her little friends (who tend to go a little nuts with the dogs since they never see them), always has someone to play with, and has learned how to respect them and take care of them. There's nothing that makes her day more then helping to feed them all.

[sunshinestarr]

She's safer around them then any of her little friends (who tend to go a little nuts with the dogs since they never see them)...

EXACTLY!!!!
:twothumbs:

[GearGirl]

My two somehow survived the two cats, I'm not sure how. :lol

[sapphire_chan]

Off topic but related:
I've been trying to teach my cats to run away from people shouting "keety" in a squeaky little voice, but they just lay there.:lol

Oh, and could you all stop sharing that it's probably safe to scoop litter while pregnant, I'm really looking forward to that being dh's job. :laugh:

[MidnightCommando]

I have 2 cats and a GSD and I'm not worried about the animals. I did inquire with my vet about the straight facts. If you have a real fear of toxo, you can get a blood titer done to se if you have already been exposed.
Growing up in a house where cats were bred I think I've been exposed and I'm not worried about it. Sapphire_chan you have the right idea!! I haven't told the BF that I 'can' still do it. Guess who has been cleaning the box (hee hee) He doesn't like the cats so I think of it as bonding:duck:

[BelgianSheepDog]

If you eat pork, you can also get toxoplasmosis that way (if it's undercooked.) In fact that's more common than getting it from cats! But still totally slough the catbox duties off on someone else! It's an entitlement of pregnancy. :lol

[boscopup]

If you eat pork, you can also get toxoplasmosis that way (if it's undercooked.) In fact that's more common than getting it from cats! But still totally slough the catbox duties off on someone else! It's an entitlement of pregnancy. :lol

Yeah, the funny thing is that I handle raw meat everyday because I feed my dogs and cats a raw diet. So yes, my cats have probably had toxo through that, and I've probably been exposed at some point while owning cats. I'm not worried about it (I do wear gloves when I handle the meat - my skin gets icky otherwise... and of course I wash my hands thoroughly after touching raw meat anyway).

I haven't had the toxo titer done, and yes, I still use the excuse of "I can't change the litterbox. I'm pregnant". :wink I know I *can* change it, but it's still a good excuse to make DH do it! :)

[Daisie125]

Unfortunatly sometimes it does happen that way. One of my cats sprayed my DD when she was only a few days old (she was in a low to the ground bassinet) that was enough for him to go.

But our two other cats did just fine. My DD's first word was kitty :)

[BelgianSheepDog]

Yeah I was kind of a wild child and I grew up doing things like trapping feral cats behind my grandparents' barn...I'm sure I've been exposed to toxoplasmosis so many times, I got bitten and scratched by cats that ate wild animals so often. But I still don't change the cat box!

[Rani]

I couldn't help posting here....two cats - when dd was an infant, the older cat just steered clear. The younger would look at the crying baby, go find my dh and bite HIM!!! As if to say ....can you PUH-LEESE do something about the noise? :lol

When dd got older, she and the cats learned to get along quite well. We also made sure to give the cats some extra attention when we first brought baby home.

I heard this too. Actually, while pg, got hubby to do the litter boxes all the time. When he found out that it didn't really matter...he reads Mothering too...well...that gravy train was gone. Oh well.

[lurve]

i have three dogs. as soon as i told my mom i was preggers, she said i would really have to watch my dogs as one of them might turn on the baby and eat him/her!!! umm, no. all the dogs have been babyproofed (just smart doggie-oversight! you can tug on tails, ears, fur. you can put your hand in their food, you can remove food). the only thing i worry about is my dogs being even more clumsy than me!

[BabyBumblebee]

Whilst I was pg with dd we fostered 7 cats - and somehow none of them managed to steal her breath or smother her - oooh, neither did they claw out her eyes....:rolleyes:

Now they have all been successfully places, and we're negligent enough to have 3 dogs....who are all socialised, and who dd absolutely adores! Her first 'word' was woof-woof!

I'm amazed at the amount of misinformation about babies/pets (cats especially) that is still out there; it's crazy :irked:

[Abery]

When I was pregnant with DD our cat never left my side. After I gave birth, DD had to stay in the NICU for 3 days. When I went home after I was released from the hospital, our cat kept jumping up on me and was constantly doing the loud meowing so I brought her home a pair of the onesies that DD had worn all night and that seemed to calm her down a bit. She slept on that pair of onesies until I brought DD home.

After DD was home, the cat would lie at her feet when I nursed. The only time she ever got in the crib was when it was empty and that was just a couple of times. I was never worried about our cat around DD.

Even when DD got mobile and grabby with the cat, I wasn't worried about what the cat might do to DD, I was worried about what DD might do to the cat. But it only took 2 grabs for the cat to learn "run and hide" when she saw DD coming. :lol

Now that DD is 3, she is so gentle with the cat and they are good buddies.

[MidnightCommando]

... i would really have to watch my dogs as one of them might turn on the baby and eat him/her!!! ...

Now that I am beginning to show a little I get this comment from strangers when I am out walking my big scary German Shepherd :rolleyes I just snicker to myself and think that he is probably more well behaved than most people you know. He is formally trained - I trust him with my life as well as the life of my child to come. It really bothers me that people with their kids will cross the street and/or comment to their kids that "that" dog will probably bite you. They are teaching their kids to be breed discriminatory. getting off topic..end of rant:wink

[boscopup]

He is formally trained - I trust him with my life as well as the life of my child to come. It really bothers me that people with their kids will cross the street and/or comment to their kids that "that" dog will probably bite you. They are teaching their kids to be breed discriminatory. getting off topic..end of rant:wink

ITA!!!!! When my older GSD was a puppy, I socialized him to kids by taking him to the park across the street and meeting every kid we could! When he got "big", the neighborhood kids LOVED to give him obedience commands. I trained him with German commands (we did Schutzhund for a while, so yes he's even trained to bite a bad guy wearing a sleeve! :lol), and instead of saying "platz", the kids would say "plops", but he'd still lay down. It was really cute. I also took him to every outdoor public event we went to. He's sat in the middle of the trombone section of my community band during several concerts. :)

The only danger my son is in with my GSDs is a) getting licked to death, and b) getting knocked over. And well, the knocking over part just gets him ready to play hockey in a few years! :wink

And if those people saying I should get rid of my dogs only knew... I feed them raw meat, one is trained in bitework... Oh the horrors! :lol

[ferrum97]

My BIL asked me if I was allowed to be around cats while pregnant because he saw me holding one of our cats. I have finally convinced DH to change the little boxes but I have had cats almost my entire life (including one who had toxo) so I'm bound to have been exposed. I haven't let DH know that yet. ;) Not exactly the same topic, but I once at cat food as a baby - I crawled right up to their dish and started eating and it didn't kill me so neither will the cats being around the new baby in Nov.

[BelgianSheepDog]

You know, I got my cats before I got my dog and people told me that I "couldn't" keep the cats with my dog either. And now they're convinced that the dog is going to turn on the baby. Whatever. I should just carry around one of the many photos I have of the dog laying passively on a blanket while a cat drools on her and uses her as a pillow.

[jzimms1115]

I have a 20 lb cat that is extemely attention seeking, loves kids and at this point claims the soon to be nursery as his own. So i am a little worried myself . I'm not getting rid of the cat i'm just going to be responsible and watch and see how things go. Keep the doors closed to the outside hallway because our room is connected to the bathroom to the nursery. I'm more worried about my black lab/ sheperd mixed 2 yre old dog!!

[sunshinestarr]

Now that I am beginning to show a little I get this comment from strangers when I am out walking my big scary German Shepherd :rolleyes I just snicker to myself and think that he is probably more well behaved than most people you know. He is formally trained - I trust him with my life as well as the life of my child to come. It really bothers me that people with their kids will cross the street and/or comment to their kids that "that" dog will probably bite you. They are teaching their kids to be breed discriminatory. getting off topic..end of rant:wink

In, um, my defense, I am terrified of dogs!! I can't help it!! :innocent:innocent:innocent And I feel like they smell my fear and that makes me even more afraid. If you see me and you have your doggie (who I'm sure is very nice) and I go the other way please don't take offense! :innocent:innocent:innocent

[bri276]

our wedding photographer somehow commented on how he'd get rid of his cat when his wife got pg (don't ask how this came up, I wasn't pg at the time). I told him I didn't agree with that, that I would always keep mine. He was paranoid that they'd somehow get into the crib and smother the baby. well, the baby doesn't need to be in a crib! besides I said you just close the door- but that wasn't good enough for him, ugh! sometimes I wish I'd fired him based on that :) but he did a good job on the pictures anyway.

my girl kitty did nip the baby once. I feel it was my fault because she's a pretty dangerous kitty and I had the baby too close. she would never actually attack viciously but she's overly playful and doesn't mind using her teeth to do the talking. I'm still not getting rid of her, far from it. She's bit me hundreds of times (never hard enough to break the skin). DH and I have accidentally hurt the baby plenty more times than that one little nip. I guess we should put her in a bubble.

dogs to me are another story. I am going to wait to get one until I know dd can assert herself as being higher in the pack. then again I want Dobermans and I think you DO need to take breed into consideration. Sorry but a Bichon Frise is different than a Rottweiler, period. Doesn't mean they don't all have the potential to be either vicious or great family dogs, but you do need to acknowledge their differences to be a good owner.

[boscopup]

DH and I have accidentally hurt the baby plenty more times than that one little nip. I guess we should put her in a bubble.

:lol Yeah, I shut DS's finger in a door one time and it was bleeding EVERYWHERE. Horrible horrible! One of my cats has swatted at him once - without her claws extended. She was doing a warning swat. She's not done it since. I think I'm much more dangerous to my DS than the cats or dogs, after the door incident! :o


Sorry but a Bichon Frise is different than a Rottweiler, period.

Honestly, of the members of those breeds I've met, I'd trust a Rottweiler before I'd trust a Bichon Frise! Little dogs can be really NASTY, and alot of owners of little dogs don't bother to train them, which makes them worse. Rottweilers are usually really nice dogs. I wouldn't have my child around a drug dealer's Rottweiler, but that goes without saying. :lol I know families with pit bulls, Rotts, Dobes, GSDs (mine), and many other large breed dogs, and the dogs are GREAT with the kids. The ones I know of that have problems are usually the smaller breeds. Of course, never judge a dog by its breed - judge it by its individual personality.

But you are right about pack stuff - I have GSDs, and they are a dominant breed. My older GSD, Bosco (hence the username:)), doesn't quite yet see DS as being above him, but he's so well socialized that it's not a problem at all. Bosco knows that if he touches a hair on that child's head, he'll have the WRATH OF MOM come down upon him! No really, he's great with kids anyway, but he does know that *I'm* the leader, and I don't leave him and DS alone together. That's just basic parenting - don't leave your really young children alone with a dog... and mostly that's because sometimes the children aren't as well trained as the dog. :wink DS loves his dogs and cats, but he still has to be reminded at this point not to do some things... he's still being trained. You wouldn't believe what my poor Maine Coon has put up with... *sigh*

[bri276]

I really wasn't trying to imply that a Bichon will be a better family dog than a Rotty- my point was that breeds ARE different. If they weren't, you'd see toy poodles herding sheep, greyhounds sniffing the trail of criminals, or Portuguese water dogs trotting alongside thier handicapped owner. Sure- there are exceptions. But overall, people should understand the breed of dog they own so they can know what to expect in terms of meeting needs. This is why you see so many labs chewing people's couches up, because no one thinks the poor thing wants to go outside and RUN!

[didkisa]

My best friend growing up had about 3-8 cats at any one time. Her mother babysat many babies and toddlers in their home without any problems whatsoever! Also, the exposure to animals helps babies and children build up an immunity so allergies are less likely. So there! :p

[ColoradoMama]

The whole kitty litter debate is one of my biggest pet peeves! I actually got pretty snippy wity my midwife with my first pg about it. She made the comment that I SHOULDN'T clean the kitty litter because I could get toxoplasmosis. I actually shot back at her, "Do you tell your non-vegetarian patients to not touch raw meat?" She said, "Well, uh, no." I said, "I think I'd be a LOT more likely to touch my face after working with raw meat then after cleaning out a stinky kitty litter!!!" Heh, heh. It was actually kind of funny in retrospect. Sheesh! It's not like I'm going to NOT wash my hands thoroughly after cleaning the kitty litter - blech! Not to mention, all my cats have been super pampered, indoor kitties since they were kittens! They don't go around catching birds and are probably too darn lazy to even go after a mouse if they saw one!:lol

[odenata]

I still use the excuse of "I can't change the litterbox. I'm pregnant". :wink I know I *can* change it, but it's still a good excuse to make DH do it! :)

Me too! In fact, even though dd is now a year old, I insist that dh change it "just in case." :lol

And my cat and dd get along wonderfully - "kitty" was one of her first words! She loves kitty, and the kitty has been nothing but sweet to her. And during pregnancy and labor, I called her my doula cat - always wanting to comfort me. :D

[rileysmommy]

people are so weird about cats.
however, we did have to get rid of our 3....
the baby was in fact allergic.

its a hard call. our girls were such a part of our family and lives..
they are missed terribly.
we didn't find them a anew home though, until we actualy had a blood test revealing the fact that the new baby was allergic.
our first child was not allergic.

but again, people are just werid about cats...:dizzy:

[rileysmommy]

and the whole toxoplasmosis thing... if you cat stay indoors, you aren't at risk, and if your cat has it, then you have already been exposed( prepregnancy) so its not an issue when it come sto changing the cat box.
its only being infected during pregnancy that a problem arises... and if you already had the animal.. its a nonissue.

[boscopup]

and the whole toxoplasmosis thing... if you cat stay indoors, you aren't at risk

If they're raw fed, they are. :wink But yeah, if your cats have it, you've likely been exposed before pregnancy, so it doesn't matter.

And yes, if I have to touch kitty litter, I *always* wash my hands - pregnant or not! Same goes for touching raw meat. I even wear gloves when handling raw meat most of the time because my hands tend to have dry skin and the meat blood BURNS. So it's better to just wear some cheapo food service gloves and wash my hands afterward anyway. :)

DH changes the litterbox even when I'm not pregnant. He has litterbox duty (they were HIS cats to begin with:)), and I have feeding duty (used to be just dog feeding duty, but when we finally switched the cats to raw, that became my duty too).

[the_lissa]

Yeah if they can eat mice or rats inside, then it can be an issue, but only if their poop is left to sit for more than 24 hours. So, cleaning it every day has more than one advantage. Plus,like people have mentioned, if you've had cats, you're most likely immune to it.