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you have nothing to worry about - just don't change the cat litter. I have a cat too - have had one forever - and have never been told I can't have him around. I forget the name of it, but whatever it is you can get from cats - you are more than likely to have already been exposed to it BEFORE you ever got pregnant if you've had cats for a while. Plus, it will be good for your baby to be exposed to a pet - they tend to not have pet allergies when exposed as kids.

I have seven cats, I haven't had any pregnancy problems at all. I really don't think you need to worry about anything but the litter box. I say keep the kitty! :)

i say keep your cats, i used to have 2 cats and never had any problems :=) xx

h**p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis This is why you heard the "get rid of the cat" thing. All you really need to do is avoid changing the litter box, but some people have b__wn it WAY out of proportion. There's other reasons why people will say get rid of the cat that are just as paranoid - they're worried the cat might attack the baby, might get in the crib with the baby and "steal the baby's breath" (old wives tale), etc. The fact is if you've been around cats for a long time chances are you have already been exposed and there's nothing to worry about. However, since your immune system is weakened during pregnancy to keep your body from rejecting the baby, anything new is going to cause bigger issues than it would while you're not pregnant, not to mention Toxoplasmosis is one of the few things that can cross the placenta and infect the baby in utero, and if mommy doesn't already have the antibodies to fight it (pre-pregnancy), baby isn't going to have them either. Since you really have no way of knowing if you have had pre-pregnancy exposure to Toxoplasmosis unless you get tested, it's really best to just avoid cleaning the litter box. If you can't avoid it, use gloves and wash your hands afterwards. :)

When i was pregnant i worried about everything. I have a cat and read up on everything about the dangers while pregnant and got needlessly panicky. My kitty scratched me then i read about "cat scratch fever" and was convinced i had it. Then i was always worried about the toxoplasmosis even though i didn't scoop the litter. From what i later read, you have a better chance getting toxoplasmosis from meat then your kittys litter. So anyways, when it was all said and done, my boy was born more perfect then imagined. Keep the kitty! Just don't scoop the litter and you and baby will be just fine.

I agree, I have two kitties and I just have my hubby change the litter box. I love my cats and could never get rid of them unless it was medically necessary. I feel badly for your friend.

HI there, I agree with the other ladies. I have several cats and my Dr. said I had more chances of getting toxoplasmosis by gardening than by my cats. First of all, you should know that toxoplasmosis can be in your cat's poops for up to 6 months after exposure. If your cats don't go outside, the risks are almost none. If your cats don't eat raw meat, the same. Another thing: the disease gets contagious when it's in contact with air. So even IF you had to change the litter box (hopefully, you don't but you never know), if it's done everyday, the risks are minimal. And even then, you would basically have to touch the poop and put your hand over your mouth or something without washing. And at 34 weeks, the risks are definitely minimal; it would have been dangerous mostly at the beginning of the pregnancy, so don't worry!

And forgot to say that your cats could be exposed by eating raw meat or by being bitten by another cat. If this hasn't occured, then you shouldn't be concerned.

Your doctor can check to see if you have the antibodies for it anyway. I don't, so I don't change the litter box (3 cats). My vet said that indoor cats in the US don't usually get it. He said I probably would not have a problem even with the litter box, but we decided not to tell my husband that :)