When planting pets, people rarely thinkabout the consequences. They forget that tamed pets require care and attention, they also get sick, they have mood swings. All this can bring a lot of trouble in the future. And in some cases the situation is so that the beloved animal must be given in "good hands". Often this is decided by girls during pregnancy. After all, there are many terrible stories and cases where the presence of a cat in the house played a bad role and affected the development of the fetus.
Is it worthwhile to have a cat during pregnancy?
Sometimes women sitting in the decree arebored at home. And they decide to have a new murchating friend. After all, this little lump will bring a lot of new life. And when the baby is born and grows up, will be able to play with the pet. But is it worth it? What risks a future mother? Does the cat affect pregnancy? Let's deal with everything in order. Than cats are dangerous. Cat is a carrier of toxoplasmosis. And, unfortunately, in time to notice that your pet is sick, almost impossible. The first symptoms of the owners cheating on the fatigue of the pet, poor food, lack of vitamins. As a result, all members of your family are at serious risk. Even worse is the case with pregnant women. If a woman who is in a position gets infected, then this disease will complicate the fetus. Cases of involvement of the central nervous system, brain, cardiovascular system, vision are not uncommon. However, already ill with toxoplasmosis to ladies such consequences do not threaten. Her body has managed to develop antibodies, so pregnancy in most cases is normal. Please note: if you are infected in the first trimester, the risk of contracting the fetus is no more than 20 percent, and in the second - slightly more than 30. At the end of the term, ie in the third trimester, this figure increases to 60. That is why it is very important Before conception, conduct tests and take tests. You should also check your animals. Choose a really good veterinary clinic, in which specialists will conduct all necessary tests. If it turns out that the pet is a patient, they will have to be treated by the whole family. By the way, even for a fully healthy cat you need to follow all nine months. The situation is more complicated if it goes into the yard. Then the risk of infection increases several times. But do not be afraid! A representative of the fair sex, who fell ill in the last trimester, takes less risk than the one who will take up toxoplasmosis earlier. What is toxoplasmosis Toxoplasmosis is a serious disease that belongs to the class of parasites. It is passed from mother to child, through food and on contact with animals. If a prospective mother gets infected in the early stages of pregnancy, this can lead to miscarriage (spontaneous abortion). The body seems to be trying to purify itself from unhealthy offspring. If the child still survives, he has various health problems. Blindness, anomaly of the internal organs may develop. Cases of mental retardation are frequent. How could an animal get infected Some families believe that a house cat simply can not hurt, because he does not walk on the street. There is an opinion that animals that live in the courtyards are most susceptible to toxoplasmosis. However, those who consume a lot of raw meat can get infected. It can contain bacteria that do not die without heat treatment. And even the fact that you freeze his favorite delicacy will not help. Also you could bring a "gift" along with the shoes. It's unlikely that you shoot everything before entering the apartment, immediately put on your slippers and run wash the sole of sandals or sneakers. A curious pet starts sniffing everything around, learning new smells. So he takes up the infection. Symptoms of toxoplasmosis in an animal How to understand that your beloved cat is sick? Look at it carefully. He is infected, if he has an increase in lymph nodes, outflows from the nose and eyes, the proteins turn red, plus, all this is accompanied by diarrhea. There may also be a temporary loss of appetite. Any of the listed symptoms is an option to take your pet to a veterinarian, even if you do not plan to have children yet. We go to take tests Before deciding what to do with the cat, you will have to pass tests. The first is PCR of blood. Thanks to him you can find out if a pregnant woman is infected with toxoplasmosis or not. If an infection is detected, an ELISA blood test is administered. This will help determine when a woman is infected. It is worth starting to worry if the tests showed a high concentration of LgM and a complete lack of LgG. Such results indicate that the girl recently picked up the disease. In this case, doctors can offer to conduct a survey of amniotic fluid. Let's be honest, this procedure is not the most pleasant and safe. A special needle is inserted through the abdominal cavity, then pierce the fetal bladder itself. However, only this way it will be possible to determine whether the embryo itself is infected or not. If the tests showed only the presence of LgG, then you have already been ill with toxoplasmosis. And at the moment there is no danger. Therefore, to give the cat is not necessary. You can safely even let the animal out into the street. Just do not forget to give the pills from the worms and do all the vaccinations on time. When neither one nor the other immunoglobulin is detected, one should be more cautious. You can get infected at any time. Therefore, it is recommended either to keep the cat in sterile conditions, or to give it to another family for a while. When you give birth, you can pick up the fluff back. How to treat toxoplasmosis An infected cat and pregnancy are two completely incompatible things. Therefore, if you find this disease before conception, you will first have to cure the purr, and then start the baby. It's bad if infection occurs during pregnancy. Do not delay the visit to the doctor! At home, getting rid of this disease is impossible. In this case, the future mother is put in the hospital, where she is prescribed a special course of treatment. Doctors can recommend you get rid of a cat, even if you are completely healthy. But do not be reckless enough to decide on such actions. First, let someone from your family take the pet to the veterinary clinic, where the animal will have a sample for infection. Perhaps you took up toxoplasmosis when you stroked someone else's cat, ate not cooked meat, and so on. In this case, try to contact the animal less so as not to infect it. In the event that the pet was still diagnosed and you are completely healthy, you will have to remove the animal from the house. In the next nine months, the new owners will have time to cure the pet. The main thing is not to let things go by themselves, hoping that it will pass by itself. Note: even if the animals are completely healthy, try to keep as little contact with them as possible. During pregnancy, both cats, dogs, and parrots should be kept away from you. Every time you feed or pat your pet, wash your hands. And do not let them come to your bedroom. This place should be clean! Prophylaxis of toxoplasmosis: how to avoid infection As you understand, any disease is easier to prevent than after a long, boring and cure. But, unfortunately, not all women know how to do it right. As a result - toxoplasmosis. Therefore, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with several tips on how to avoid this unpleasant disease during pregnancy.
- Give Meat Heat Treatment
Stew well, fry, cook, bakemeat dishes. And it does not matter if you cook it for yourself, for guests, for pets. Otherwise, during pregnancy and a cat, both you and members of your family will become infected with toxoplasmosis. And if for an animal this is not so dangerous, then in your case it is fraught with sad consequences.
- Feed your pet with gloves
If you wash the cat tray, pour the food inA plate, do it all with gloves. Or ask someone in the household to do this business. The fact is that the infection can penetrate into your body through microcracks on your hands. After toxoplasma are more in the feces, and not the saliva of animals. Plus, as was mentioned above, try to pet your pet as little as possible, play with it.
Reasons to have a cat
Although, as mentioned above, pregnancy andthe cat in the house is a combination of not the best, in some cases it is nevertheless recommended to have a pet in the house. But, first of all, such a decision must be fully considered. Plus, choosing a pet, future parents should take all precautions to not catch themselves and not infect the cat.
- The cat soothes
During pregnancy, girls constantlynervous, worry about trifles. Cats are very sensitive to the mood of the owners. When necessary, she lies quietly close to share her warmth. It soothes and relaxes. A quiet purring of the fluff is simply disarming.
- Cat heals
As was noted long ago, cats are excellenthealers. If you have something hurts, your pet will go to this place. And after a couple of minutes there is a headache, migraine, osteochondrosis, etc. Plus, people who have pets live 10-15 years longer.
- Cats pacify
Couples who decide to have a cat are easierovercome all difficulties and vicissitudes of fate. You can always talk to the pet if there is any trouble. And he will listen to you as if he understands your speech. By speaking, it will become easier for you.
What you should remember if you start a cat
Before you bring the purr into the house, weigh everythingpros and cons. Think, what reasons can force you to abandon this venture? And only after discussing all this with your half and the attending physician (therapist or gynecologist), you can safely bring the animal into the house. So, what can influence your decision:
- Allergy
The first thing you should pay attention to -lack of allergy in all family members, including the expectant mother. During pregnancy, both cats, birds, and dogs can cause rashes, choking, coughing, runny nose, and tearing. You can chat with a neighbor's cat for a while to make sure everything is fine. Just do not forget to ask if the pet was sick with toxoplasmosis.
- Time for a Vet
The next thing you need to do is to visitveterinarian. They will do all the vaccinations, help pick up the pills from the worms, and tell you how to take care of the pet properly. And to do all this should be her husband, not a pregnant woman. You can take the cat in your hands only after you make sure that everything is in order. Think, does your second half have this time?
- The financial side of the issue
An important role in this case is played by the fact,how much do you plan to spend on a cat. Believe me, keeping a pet at home is not a cheap pleasure. You will have to spend money on food, filler for the tray, toys, visit the vet, etc. And ahead - the birth of a child. And it will also take the lion's share of your family budget.
- What to do then
Here you give birth to a baby, all the time you will spend onhim. Think about who will take care of the cat? Plus, sometimes animals behave aggressively towards young children. The freedom-loving python is unlikely to tolerate being dragged by the tail, beaten or offended. He can also lie on the baby and strangle him. All this you must consider. After all, the behavior of a cat, which until then was the only favorite in the family, is difficult to predict.
How to behave if the cat lives a long time
If the pet is many years old, and you must soon give birth,take all possible precautions. If you do it right, the cat will not only normally perceive the appearance of a new member of the family, but will also help you to raise the baby, making sure that he does not get to where he should not go. First of all (even during pregnancy) accustom the cat to the fact that it is impossible to enter the nursery. Do not wait for you to give birth, and forbid it when the baby is already at home. Otherwise, the pet will feel rejected. A bad cat, as you remember, is very dangerous. Such things as a stroller, crib, toys will cause the interest of the animal. Allow him to satisfy his curiosity. In the future, the cat simply will not notice these items. If you start immediately to drive away, the pet will later try to drop in, or, even worse, mark them. Reduce communication with the animal gradually, and not at the same time. Play with the cat at the same time. You can ignore fuzzy the whole day, but at six in the evening, be sure to pay attention to it. And then he will get used to the fact that you can not be bothered all day. Feed the animal 2-3 times a day, while pouring such portions so that the cat eats them at a time. All that was not used for 20 minutes, should be cleaned. The fact is that the remnants of food can attract different animals, ranging from flies and ants, ending with cockroaches and rats. And such carriers of infection can harm both the pregnant woman of the fair sex, and the born baby, whose body did not have time to get stronger. But this does not apply to water, so drinking should be available 24 per day. Buy a special drinking bowl and put it in a place where only the animal would get. And, as you remember, the expectant mother should not touch the plate of the cat, so as not to become infected. So, now you know what can be dangerous cat in the house, as well as what precautions should be taken during pregnancy and before the very birth. But if you still have any doubts, be sure to consult a doctor and veterinarian.