Cats and Toxoplasmosis

Many pregnant women are warned about cats and toxoplasmosis. Cats become exposed to toxoplasma, a disease producing micro-organism which causes toxoplasmosis by eating raw or uncooked meat. Toxoplasmosis can harm the developing fetus but disease transmission can be simply prevented. You can have your cat checked for the presence of toxoplasma, which is shed in the cat’s feces for only about one month after exposure. After this time, the cat’s immune system will make antibodies to toxoplasma. You can keep your cat indoors to ensure that it does not eat raw meat, remove cat feces from the litter box at least once per day, and flush it down the toilet. Feces must lie in the litter box for 48 hours for the toxoplasma to be shed. And of course, use proper hygiene while cleaning the cat’s litter box.