hi mummies,
read something abt the cat disease thingy Wenthena mentioned,. here quoting some paragraphs frm the book.
"only cats carry a disease that can harm fetus.
if u hv lived with cats for a while, the chances are pretty good that u've already contracted the disease toxoplasmosis & hv developed an immunity to it. the rates of infection are higher among pple who hv cats, as well as among those who frequently eat raw meat or drink unpasteurized milk, both of which can also habour and transmit the infection.
most pple who are infected do notice mild malise, slight fever & swollen glands 2 or 3 wks after disposure.
its optional to test it if u are infected. the risk of a fetus becoming infected occurs in the 1st trimester is relatively small (<15%) but the risk of serious damage to the fetus is high.
in 2nd trimester, the likelihood of infection is a little higher, but the damage somewhat smaller. in the last trimester, the baby is most likely to be infected but the damage is the smallest.
recent advances hv made it possible to test fetal blood and/or amnio fliud to learn whether or not the fetus itself has actually become infected. if no infection is detected, the fetus is probably fine.
if the BB is infected & the mum wishes to continue her pregnancy, its recommended tat she be treated with special antibiotics, possibly for several mths & it greatly reduces the risk of a baby being born with severe problems. treating baby immediately after birth can also reduce complications and may improve the prognosis of such children.
if u hv tested prenatally & not immuned or if u're not sure u were immuned or not, u shld take the precautions:
1. if ur cats hv not tested by a veterinarian to see if they hv an acgtive infection, board them at a kennel or ask a friend to care for them for at least 6 wks. if they are free frm infection, keep them that way by not allowing them to eat raw meat, roam outdoors, hunt mice or birds (which i think 'sporean' cats hardly do excepts for street cats) or fraternize with other cats.
2. use disposable gloves if u must handle the rubbish bin & wash ur hands after u finished, as well as when u touch the cats.
3. wear gloves when gardening. dun garden in soil in which cats may hv deposited feces
4. wash fruits & vege, rinse thoroughly and/or peel or cook them
5. dun eat raw or undercooked meat or unpasteurized milk.
6. wash hands thoroughly after handling raw meats."
hope this info helps.
my hb becomes a little paranoid towards cats after i told him about this. LOLzzz
