Missing contact with my pet...

[amaryllis]

Hey everyone.

I am very, very close to my kitty, Rogue. I treat her like my little baby, I'm the kind of owner that's bought her presents and surprises and spends inordinate amounts of time just hanging out with her. Many-a-day I will be in the lounge on the couch, tapping away at my laptop or drawing in a sketchbook, and she'll be sleeping nearby. If I go away, she misses me terribly.

Since I've gotten pregnant, she's in my face a lot, which is adorable, but I have to refrain from my usual expressions of affection!

No kitten huffing (stuffing my face in her belly and kissing it), no head-smooches, etc etc. I'm not doing that until I'm sure it's safe to, which will probably be after the baby is born.

Is/Does anyone miss that contact? I only lost my 18 year old boy cat about three weeks ago, and I'm keenly aware of the passing time in relation to making the most of the fun I can have with my cat. It's also helping me work through the grief.

I know it seems very inconsequential on the grand scale, but I'm just wondering if I'm the only pregnant lady looking at her pet and wishing she could just do all the regular silly scruffing and belly-nomming that she used to do?

 

[Rachie004]

I'm still fussing my pets in the exact same way but I'm just taking more care over washing my hands afterwards now.

I plan on still changing my cat litter tray if OH isn't around but I'm intending on wearing gloves and washing my hands - I looked into the toxicplasmosis risk and he doesn't seem to have been open to it.

 

[MMW430]

I'm not worrying about the attention I pay my cats. I'm doing everything the same. I've had two doctors tell me that as long as DH is scooping the litter boxes, it's fine. I wouldn't worry about attention you normally give her.
I'll be honest, I even have my doubts about the whole litter box thing being necessary.

 

[Sizzles]

I have 4 cats who are all my babies. I've not changed how I am with them at all. Like you, I'd miss them terribly if I couldn't snuggle them. I still clean out their litter trays and wash my hands afterwards - as I always do, cos otherwise it's icky!!!
Remember that it may not just be you feeling sad about the limited attention, especially since your cat has also lost a companion in your poor old boy.
I hope you can reach some resolution and return to normal petting duties, exercising caution of course.

 

[BigLegEmma]

I'm still fussing my pets in the exact same way but I'm just taking more care over washing my hands afterwards now.

Me too.

 

[Alita]

I adore my cats and haven't changed my behaviour towards them at all , they still climb on our bed,flop and nap with us ...they are indoor so no toxo risk , i wash my hands of course but just as i do wash my hands after i use the subway ,toilett ect ... I think by now you should be so used to your pets germs if you are so close to them that the risk is very low .. Specially if they don't go out and catch stuff ...
Now i am not sure how will u react when my baby is here..things might change but hopefully i will be rather relaxed about it ..

 

[amytrisha]

I still fuss with my furbaby, my kitty gets lots of kisses!

I couldn't stop smothering him with hugs and kisses! X

 

[ItsAWonder]

My doctor also told me it's fine to sleep with my cat and treat her the same as I always do - just don't clean the litter.

Rachie004 - wearing a mask is much more important than gloves. Toxoplasmosis is transferred through inhalation, not touch. This is also why you should wear a mask if gardening as animals have most likely used a garden for their toilet.

 

[Scout]

I did everything the same with my kitty when I was pregnant...even changed her litter box (I'm single, so I had no choice), but my OB said it was perfectly fine. I had always washed my hands well afterwards and I just did the same while pregnant.

 

[Rachie004]

Rachie004 - wearing a mask is much more important than gloves. Toxoplasmosis is transferred through inhalation, not touch. This is also why you should wear a mask if gardening as animals have most likely used a garden for their toilet.

Thank you, I wasn't aware of that. My pregnancy book just says to wear gloves and wash hands.

I'm not too concerned as I mentioned earlier as it is highly unlikely that my cat has ever been exposed to it Also.. It's generally OH's job to do the cat litter box

 

[Anniebobs]

https://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Toxoplasmosis/Pages/Prevention.aspx

The link above gives advice on how to prevent toxoplasmosis, basically you can get out of doing the litter tray but otherwise carry on as normal. Now go give your cat a big cuddle!

 

[ItsAWonder]

Just an FYI - even though all docs are told that patients need to take precautions, and we should, my doc has never seen a case of toxoplasmosis in 30 years of being an ob/gyn. Not that this is a go ahead to do anything we want, but he told me this so I would not worry about anything. Don't take extra risk, be careful, but don't fret. I am sure there are plenty of docs that have seen it but I wonder how common it really is.

 

[LadySekhmetDJ]

Go cuddle your kitty as much as you want!!!

IF you have had cats your whole life and have had outdoor cats, you're most likely immune to Toxoplasmosis anyways. If your cats are strictly indoors you have nil chances of getting exposed to Toxoplasmosis because it is spread by raw food (rabbit, mice and critters that cats tend to catch), garden stuff outside, etc.

I am most likely immune because I've had several cats that were indoors/outdoors as well as I used to work with a lot of feral cats and outdoor cats due to being a vet tech, so I was exposed to all kinds of stuff from their poop. However, one of my cats was killed by a car 14 years ago, and since then, all my cats has been strictly indoors.

I even scoop the litter boxes as well. I use the pooper scooper and wash my hands well afterwards. When it comes to deep cleaning, I'll let my husband take care of that, just to minimize the risk and inhaling the dust.

I was kind of surprised that my doctor never even brought up asking me about whether I have cats or not. I should ask/tell him next time I go see him, but I don't think he'll be concerned.

YMMV though...

 

[dizzyjoo]

Another one here who doesn't change how I am with my kitty when pregnant. We lost our bigman about 4 weeks ago now and so my little girl needs even more fuss and love. I'm not doing the litter tray - OH has always done it since I got pregnant with my first! But I would do it if he wasn't around etc.
Sadly little girly is also dumping on the floor lately, so I have to clean it immediately to avoid too much carpet ruin! Wear gloves and thoroughly wash hands after.
Go and love your kitty!!!!!!!! xxxxxx

 

[Misscalais]

I've never stopped doing any of that to my kitty. She's in my face all the time, I don't kiss her on the tummy though she'd rip my face off if I did lol. I've had her throughout all of my pregnancies and never done anything different, just extra care with the kitty tray and hand washing after petting

 

[amaryllis]

Thanks for all your reassurances! I've had outdoor cats all my life, grew up around countless cats, as if a stray came along and wanted to live here, we'd let it. Rogue is ostensibly an indoor cat, but she gets out every day or so in the morning and has a quick run around. I'm pretty sure she prefers to either go potty inside or in the dirt under the house.

I've been kissing and rubbing my face in cat fur since I was a wee one, so I assume that I am probably immune. I don't want to do it until I'm sure though, so if the doctor feels a test is necessary, I'll get it, if not, it's business as usual.

I am out of cat litter tray duties, though, and I am kinda relieved about that! LOL!

 

[petite ping]

You could ask to be tested for toxo. If you've been around cats most of the time, you may already have had it before pregnancy and are therefore immunised.

However if you are not immunised, you should do everything to avoid catching it while pregnant as it can cause spontaneous m/c or neurological or occular problems in the baby as well as still birth and other problems if the child survives. The seriousness depends at what stage of pregnancy you catch it.

Actually toxo is mainly transmitted by eating undercooked meat or vegetables that have been contaminated by the toxo parasite. The parasite is mainly found in cat poo. You can also get it by eating unpasteurised dairy.

I am immunised against toxo as I have already had it and it makes things so much easier for me in terms of eating as I don't have to worry so much about the meat being cooked through.