Toxoplasmosis - Myths about cats

The care of a mother to be for her unborn baby is extremely natural. The pregnancy period is wonderful and the whole family is preparing for the child to come. At this stage, the pregnant woman is overwhelmed by hundreds of warnings and advice: how to prepare, what brand of diapers is more suitable and especially what to do about her pets. Sometimes the future mother is told to get rid of all the animals, on the base of some horrific scenarios: "You will both get sick, you and the child!", "the cat will kill the baby in his sleep!", and so on. This type of advice is usually generated by ignorance and misconceptions.

The most frequently mentioned "threat" is that of Toxoplasmosis. Most people associate this disease with only one species - cats, but the true major risk of contacting this illness resides in eating infested meat or poorly washed vegetables.

Toxoplasmosis is an infection due to the parasite Toxoplasma Gondii which affects the human, birds and mammals. The definitive hosts for Toxoplasma are, indeed, the cats, but this parasite can be found in over 200 species of birds and mammals. Among the important species are cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and horses. This means that eating meat that came from an infected animal can result in developing Toxoplasmosis in humans.

A European study conducted a few years ago showed that, out of 1110 pregnant women, 10-55% were infected. In UK and Norway the percentage was 10%, while the highest was in France and Greece. Out of all the  confirmed Toxoplasmosis case, up to 63% were attributed to consuming infected meat.

Cats usually get infected by hunting and eating prey, such as small rodents carrying the parasite. This is why cats that live indoors present only a very small risk of ever becoming infected.

Cats carrying the parasite eliminate oocysts in their feces, between day 7 and day 21 after becoming infected. Cat poop can also contaminate the soil, where the parasite can live up to a year, given appropriate temperature and moisture conditions.

Safety measures

·         Make sure your cat is healthy. Don't skip regular deworming or medical checkup. Infection can be diagnosed in a veterinary practice in just a couple of minutes, using rapid test kits for this disease;

·          Wear rubber gloves whenever you clean your cat's litter box. Washing your hands is also mandatory;

·         Don't feed your cat any type of raw or under cooked meat;

·         Also use rubber gloves whenever you are gardening or during activities that require direct contact with soil.

As a personal note, I would like to add that I have seen numerous cases of women that gave birth to wonderful, healthy babies, women who had a cat in the house throughout their pregnancy period. Unfortunately, I have also known of families that simply abandoned the cat, which was sometimes aged 8 or even 12 years, the minute they found out they were expecting a baby.

The pregnancy of a woman is not, by any means, incompatible with the presence of a cat in the household. All it takes is information, a veterinarian medical checkup for the cat and minimum hygienic measures, like washing hands and wearing gloves for litter cleaning. 

Cat Dangers

Indoor

Even in the safety of your home cats can get into a lot of trouble. Kittens are especially vulnerable, due to their lack of experience and eagerness to explore. They will probably misjudge a lot of dangerous situations, like the height of furniture or the temperature of the stove.

Common dangers around the home

• house plants: cats love to nibble on plants, but some of them can be toxic. Such plants are lily, fig, orange, daffodils, begonia, aloe vera, etc. For a complete list of plants that are toxic for cats, click this link: http://mistyhorizon2003.hubpages.com/hub/Houseplants-Poisonous-to-your-Cats
• opened windows: Dangerous especially for cats living in apartments on high floors. While it is true that cats can rotate their bodies during falls, they don't always land on their feet. They can also hit objects while falling, like window panes, tree branches, fences, etc.

          I had a patient a few years ago that died after falling from a window on the 5th floor. After performing all clinical investigations, it was clear that there were no internal injuries, no broken bones, no hemorrhaging. What killed that poor cat was the shock of falling.

• shiny objects that can be swallowed, like needles, safety pins, jewelry and so on. Cats are attracted to small objects they can play with, but due to their size these objects can also be ingested.
• open fire: never leave a candle or a stove unattended while a cat is around. A simple wave of the tail through the flame is enough to start a disaster.
•  medication: a cat will certainly be attracted by a bottle of pills, because it can be rolled around and it produces a rattling sound. This is an easy way for the cat to come in contact  with the pills inside (lick/chew/swallow them). Many human drugs can be fatal for cats, even in very small amounts.

Outdoor

• car accidents: it is very easy for a cat to on the other side of your yard's fence. But once she finds herself in a new environment she can become disoriented and confused. It is very easy to end up in front of a speeding car.
• poisoning: cats will rarely eat poisonous substances. Poisoning in cats is usually associated with feeding on poisoned pray (rodents).
• animal attacks: not all dogs are friendly to cats. Being bitten by a large breed dog could cause life threatening injuries to a cat. Severe wounds may render her unable to move, so your cat won't be able to return home.
• getting stuck in trees: when a cat feels threatened in the outdoors, a tall tree may provide the only means of escape. For them, getting up the tree is easy, getting down is the real challenge.

          When climbing trees, a cat uses its claws and muscle power generated by the hindquarters. When facing down a tree trunk, the claws face the wrong direction - they can't support the weight of the cat. To avoid this, many cats will try to back down a tree.

TOP 5 Things Your Cat Should NOT Eat

1. Dog food
Cats and dogs are two different stories. Their bodies function in distinct ways and they have different nutritional needs.
The main difference between cat and dog food is an amino acid called Taurine. All cat formulas have this ingredient added, because cats need it in their diet. Dogs, on the other hand, don't need taurine in their food, as their bodies can produce it. So, a cat eating dog food will be deprived is this important amino acid. Taurine deficiency can lead to severe heart disease and other health problems.
Cats also require more protein and a different form of Vitamin A than dogs do.

2. Home made food
You may think that cooking for your cat is better than feeding her kibbles. Home made food should be tastier and safer, because you can control the freshness and quality of the ingredients. While it is ok to give your cat, from time to time, a little piece of the steak you are preparing, a regular diet of home made food can deprive your cat of many essential nutrients.
Here are two examples (Source: Waltham pocket book of essential nutrition for cats and dogs):

Recipe 1:  3 parts rice; 2 parts chicken breast; 1 part cooked vegetables.
Cats need: 12 times more Vitamin E.

Recipe 2: 2 parts rice; 1 part steamed fish.
Cats need: 2 times more fat; 2 times more Zinc; 2 times more Vitamin E; 2 times more Vitamin B12.

3. Onions/Garlic
The substances in onions and garlic that are dangerous for cats are the thiosulfate compounds. Thiosulfates, together with other substances and through chemical process, are what causes teary eyes when cutting onion.
This substance can brake down a cat's red blood cells, leading to a form of anemia, called Heinz Body Anemia. These compounds can be found in all forms of onion - raw, powdered, cooked or dehydrated.

4. Chocolate (including white chocolate)
You may think that chocolate is a tasty treat, but it can be lethal for cats. The toxic agent is a substance called Theobromine, also known as Xantheose, and it can be found even in white chocolate. The most dangerous types are black and unsweetened baking chocolate.
Theobromine acts as a heart stimulator and vasodilator. Eating chocolate can cause abnormal heart rhythm, epileptic-like seizures and even death.

5. Sugar free sweet foods
Some products like candy, diet foods and even toothpaste are sweetened with Xylitol. This substance will cause an increase in insulin level which results in a blood sugar drop.
After eating products containing xylitol a cat will start to vomit. She will be lethargic and seizures   may occur. There is also a high risk of liver failure within a few days.