TOXOPLASMOSIS

Unfortunately, many doctors will tell a pregnant woman to give up her family cat(s) due to the possibility of contracting toxoplasmosis, which could potentially cause harm to the fetus. Doctors will often say this without offering any detailed information, and we get calls from panicked, heartbroken women who are insistent on giving up their cats. Part of the reason doctors advice this course of action is the fear of a malpractice suit, even though the odds of the fetus being harmed in this way, with proper precaution, are astronomical.

Rest assured, you don't need to give up one member of your family in order to welcome another.

FACTS:

• Only about 10 percent of cats carry the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis.
• You are likely immune to it already.
• The vet can give your cat a simple titer test to see if s/he carries the parasite.
• If your cat is an indoor cat, the odds of s/he having the parasite are greatly reduced.
• You have a far better chance of contracting toxoplasmosis from cutting raw meat or working in your garden soil.