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Mommies take care

http://blogs.babycenter.com/mom_stories/11-major-dos-and-donts-for-visiting-a-new-mom/

Photo from blogs.babycenter.com

As a pet sitter sometimes I forget to share the quick updates and insights from my friends and clients.  Here’s one you probably know about, but just in case you didn’t, Mommies take care when cleaning the litter box!

As long ago as 1997, a connection was made between birth defects, still births, and miscarriages with cleaning the cat litter.  It isn’t the kitty cat that is the issue, though, it is the feces from some infected cats, especially outdoor cats. Why Shouldn’t Pregnant Women Clean the Cat Box was written in the Lansing State Journal in 1997.  The article talks about Toxoplasma gondii, a single-celled organism that invades the intestinal tracts of cats.  The parasite becomes activated and transmittable to humans from cat feces.  Most cases the parasite is harmless and our immune system can take care of it.  However, in pregnant women, the parasite can cross over into the baby. The baby’s immune system is not like mom’s system and the result can be serious health issues, sometimes still births and also miscarriages.  Many doctors and noteworthy online web sites also advise to avoid cleaning the cat box while pregnant.

So, Mommies take care and ask your family or your husband to clean the litter box when you are pregnant.

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