How Pregnancy and Your New Baby Affect Your Cat

Pregnancy presents a few challenges when you have a cat. But with a little understanding and planning, you'll overcome all of them while still enjoying your pet. After all, pregnant women, babies, and felines have coexisted peacefully for centuries.

Cats love to snuggle up to warm bodies, and they probably like the fragrance of milk on a baby's breath. Here's more information that'll help ease any other anxieties.

Cat Litter and Toxoplasmosis Concerns

Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by a parasite that can infect your cat. A cat can get it if it eats prey, raw, or undercooked meat with the parasite, or if it comes into contact with contaminated soil. Pregnant women may assume they need to give their cats away because toxoplasmosis can cause birth defects in children.

It's important to understand the disease. In fact, you may have already been exposed to toxoplasmosis. That's because the parasite can be found in raw and undercooked meats or on unwashed produce. However, you could already have a natural immunity to the parasite.

The immune systems of generally healthy humans keep the parasites dormant to give you lifelong immunity. As a result, a pregnant woman will not pass it on to her unborn child. Your doctor can test to see if you're in this group. If so, you have no worries about getting it during pregnancy.

There are a few additional measures to help further safeguard you from catching this disease, recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

• Keep your cat indoors.
• Don't handle litter box maintenance while you are pregnant.
• Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat.
• Wash all surfaces and utensils that touch raw meat.
• Wear gloves if you garden or work in soil (the parasite lives in the dirt).

Prepare Your Cat to Accept Your New Baby

From your cat's point of view, a baby is a loud, threatening, and attention-stealing invader. With some planning, babies and cats can be buddies. Soften the blow to your cat by gradually introducing the change.

• Get your cat used to baby smells long before bringing your infant home. Wear baby lotions and powders and let your cat sniff you while offering praise and treats. The process will help your pet develop positive associations with the new scents.
• Record a baby crying and play it for your cat. Start on a low volume and work up to louder volume and longer duration, using positive attention and rewards.
• Invite a friend or family member to bring their baby over for visits. Let the baby sit on your lap, let your cat sniff the child while offering praise to your pet at the same time.
• Let your cat investigate the new nursery. It'll help your cat feel like it's part of the household.

Avoid Too Many Changes

Keep your cat's routine the same as much as possible. A predictable routine reduces a cat's stress and prevents a host of problems. Ask others to help make sure that your cat gets fed, brushed, and entertained in the usual manner.

However, avoid going overboard by giving your cat extra, compensating attention prior to the baby's arrival. It'll be impossible to keep up your high level of attention once your baby arrives home. Instead, enlist family and friends to help your cat feel like a valued member of the family. Everyone in your household can help keep both your cat and baby safe, happy, and living together on peaceful terms.