On Thursday’s show, we discussed getting your body ready for baby. One checklist item discussed was the potentially harmful effects of handling cat litter. This is because cats can excrete toxoplasma gondii through their urine and feces, which causes a disease called toxoplasmosis. A baby with toxoplasmosis can be born with birth defects.
On the show, I cautioned a guest about her three cats. I would like to clarify that I do not believe pregnant women need to get rid of their cats. I love cats and understand that they are a beloved part of many people’s lives. I do, however, stress that moms-to-be should take the greatest precautions when it comes to their unborn child and not handle cat litter. Read more from this episode.
Dr. Lisa
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Thanks for clearing that up DR.Lisa.I love cats so much and would not want to believe you would want someone to give them up.
Yvonne
I agree that pregnant women should not handle cat litter. Toxoplasmosis is a serious and real disease caused by a microscopic parasite. Dr. Lisa did mention that women can be tested to check their titers, though many do not know of this option. Most people that have cats have probably already been exposed to this parasite, however, the greatest danger is to those women who are exposed while pregnant. There is a 1-5 day lag period from the time that the cat passes the parasite in the stool to the time that it becomes infective to people. Cleaning the litterbox at least once a day (wearing gloves of course) will greatly reduce anyone's risk of exposure. It is always recommended that pregnant women NOT clean the cat box. Preventing your cat from hunting, thoroughly cooking your own food (meat), washing fruit and vegetables, wearing gloves while gardening or handling sand from a sandbox are all ways to reduce one's risk of contracting this parasite. The last I checked, and confirmed on the CDC's website, Toxoplasma is passed only in the stool of cats, not the urine. Here is the link to the CDC's information: http://www.cdc.gov/toxoplasmosis/.
Please update this information on your television show to properly educate your viewers! I appreciate that you are trying to protect your patients and their children, but please provide accurate information.
I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure you said "Remove the cats", not "Get rid of them". The Lady just needs to remove them from the room or from things she will be in close contact with. Cats WALK through their feces people! It can be on their paws, tail, bottom... and so on. So, just by avoiding the litter box, isn't always enough.
I never took it that you meant for her to give the cats up. I took from it that you were concerned, and wanted her to understand the dangers of having the cats in the home during her pregnancy.
~Lisa
Thanks for clearing that up here but PLEASE, make a statement on air. MANY people who watch your show do not use the internet or visit these types of websites. It came across on air like she should give away her cats. I do not want those who do not have this toxoplasmosis knowledge to get the wrong idea and give their pets away. I've heard of many women doing this because they were uneducated about the issue.
The fact remains that you said, "get rid of the cat." I think I am quoting exactly what you was said. You never mentioned cat litter - you said CAT.
Dr Lisa
So glad you posted this ! You are FANTASTIC ! And I believe Dr Lisa said not to have the" cats around ".she never said " remove the cats." People can quote ALL they want but thanks to technaology and my DVR she said as stated above.
Someone can always take care of the litter box instead of a pregnant woman. When my neighbor was pregnant and her husband was away , I went over and did it for her. they had moved the litterbox into the basement. They did the smart thing.
Thank you dr Lisa !!
Lisa
Dr. Lisa, I was LIVID at the implication that the lady needed to get rid of her cats because of the risk of getting Toxoplasmosis! All you needed to say was she should have someone else change their LITTER BOX while she's pregnant. This is exactly what I was told by my Dr. There's no telling how many cats will now be homeless because of your comment. Please retract that and give accurate info!
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"If you don't read the newspaper, you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed."
Take from that what you will.. But, the one thing that people aren't keeping in mind, everyone makes mistakes. It's easy to be an armchair quarterback. These Doctors do not just walk into work, spew a few words in front of a camera, and have the rest of the day free. Consider the fact that these people operate under severe time constraints, and work hard at putting together an informative, fun and beneficial show, for a vast amount of viewers. So mistakes are bound to be made. But come on, I am as sure as I breathe, Dr. Masterson doesn't have some diabolical scheme up her sleeve, to rid the world of cats.
Be as outraged as you please. I myself think there is a bigger problem here. It isn't whether or not a mistake was made, or how it should be rectified. But rather the fact, that you believe people out there are getting their Medical advice SOLELY from a Television show! If the majority of people out there, not just pregnant women, are watching this show and taking verbatim the advice, without consulting with their own doctors, I'd say the problem is WAY past whether or not someone gets rid of their cat. But ease up on Dr. Lisa, she seems to be a very kind hearted person, trying to make a difference for the greater good. She's only human.
I agree but being in the medical profession myself, I realize how important it is to provide accurate information. This is one of the basics we learned in nursing school. If she was going to state facts about this disease, she should have clarified exactly what those facts are. Part of that should be how to avoid getting Toxoplasmosis OTHER THAN REMOVING THE CAT. That's a huge error in my opinion. Btw, you might be surprised just how many people DO take medical advice solely from the television or other hearsay. Unfortunately, there's a lot of ignorant people out there.
SHE NEVER SAID GET RID Of the ladies cats !!! read what she wrote above. Or better yet rewatch the show.
Leave Dr Lisa ALONE allready.
I think an OB-GYN DR. should know what she is talking about. People should leave her alone. She is the one with the DEGREE!
amen Linda
Dr Lisa we're behind you 100 %
What makes anyone think that anyone would acutally get rid of their cat cuz Dr. Lisa 'said so', even tho, she did not ? She is discussing medical issues, not dispensing prescriptions of poison for kitty kats !!!
You go my friends.
When I watched the show today, I paused it and jumped on the computer when I heard her say basically get rid of the cats, not -dont mess with the litter.
But I see that alot of my cat people have already spoken and spoken very well on the subject
One person said that it doesnt matter because the cats feet end up everywhere in your house.
Well if its not walking on your mouth, you'll be alright.
This same person probably lays her purse on the floor in the ladies bathroom and doesnt realize the dangers
Just wash your hands people, a little common sense goes a long way
Still love the show
Everyone makes mistakes
Michelle
"Unfortunately, there's a lot of ignorant people out there." I just wanted to comment on that, because I actually laughed.
We are ALL ignorant, just on different subjects!
Love, peace and all that good stuff!
~Lisa
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Good grief, cats have been around longer than we have an mid wives have been around longer
than doctors. I don't believe any animal lover is going to get rid of there pets over this. I do
believe that Dr. Lisa should have been more clarified by her statement, she is only human.
We do not live in a perfect world, common sense is the reasoning here. If you are my age
or older, you know what I am talking about. Nothing is safe if you listen to all the professionals.
They are trained, think they know everything but, we didn't have these so called professionals
around in my early years, I had a baby, he was fine an I am fine. Everyone wants us to believe
that the food we eat can kill us, the medicines we take could kill us, it's all mind blowing. Well
that's my two cents on the subject........ Hurry up Yvonne an write that blog, I for one am
worried about you! Sludge.
I hope that Dr Lisa also told the guest that she is far more likely to get toxoplasmosis from raw meat than from her cats. Was the woman told that she should not touch raw meat with her bare hands? I work in rescue and I have heard the stories about women relinquishing their cats because doctors have recommended it. Every doctor needs to be very careful to explain the situation thoroughly and emphasize that the cats should remain in the household. We already know that children raised in homes with cats and dogs are far less likely to have allergies and asthma than those children raised without cats and dogs.
Sinduhrella, I'm glad you found that amusing. You're right, we are all ignorant on some level but you'd be surprised how many people take what a doctor says as gospel.
Thank you Dr. Lisa for finally clearing up what was said on the show now maybe these people will stop harrassing you about a slip up on words which was proubley not cought when it was said.
I had a girlfriend who was pregnant and so she wasn't cleaning out the cat's litter her husband did it while she was with child. SO IF ANY ONE IS OUT THERE READING THESE BLOGS AND YOU ARE WITH CHILD, JUST HAVE SOMEONE ELSE CLEAN OUT THE LITTER BOX DAILY AND THERE WON'T BE ANY MORE PROBLEMS. AND YOU WON'T HAVE TO GET RID OF YOUR LOVING FAMILY MEMBERS.
Dncnqeen!!
Sorry Sinduhrella, I have to take issue with you on a number of fronts. First of all
toxoplasmosis is a parasite that can potentially cause problems. It is incumbent on a doctor
to know everything he or she can about anything that can affect human or animal health. "She's only
human" is not an excuse. If Dr. Lisa didn't know about toxoplasmosis 100% she should have just
said "it can be a problem in certain circumstances and you should ask your veterinarian if
you are at risk". She even had a fundamental fact wrong about it: it's in the cat's urine?! Please.
Secondly a cat gets the toxoplasmosis parasite by eating raw meat, dead birds and dead mice
infected by the parasite. If you have an indoor cat that doesn't go outside, even if it walks in its feces
as you suggest, the chances of it getting toxoplasmosis is almost nil. The most common way
that people get the parasite, by the way, is not even through cats. It's through eating undercooked
meat. The doctor never mentioned that.
Dr. Lisa,
As a responsible cat owner, I agree that you should go on air and correct your statement regarding removing the cat or cats from ones home when pregnant. Many viewers will abandon their cats out of fear from your statement. I rescued a cat that was abondonded at an apt complex by a pregnant woman. The cat could have died or been kllled. I had two healthy pregnancies while caring for cats. The key is to educate viewers on proper handling of litter and washing their hands well. I kindly request that you clarify the statement with your audience.
Sincerely,
Kristy
Please go on the air and clarify this issue about the cats. The over population of pets in this country is serious.
Dr. Lisa,
I also implore you to correct yourself on air. As a veterinarian I have to daily educate misinformed owners about the "danger" of owning a cat while pregnant. It did seem as if you inferred that cats should not be around while the owner is pregnant-which I can only interpret as getting rid of the cat, or making it an outdoor cat. Neither of these options is satisfactory.
First, the toxoplasmosis cyst is shed in the feces, NOT the urine of an infected cat. It takes 48 hours for this cyst to become infective. So if the litter box is changed daily, the chance of coming into contact with an infective cyst is miniscule.
Second, more women are infected each year with toxoplasosis by handling raw meat and gardening. Pregnant women should be made aware of this fact as well.
Lastly, I would always recommend that a pregnant woman take her cat to her veterinarian to make sure that it be tested for other types of intestinal parasites as well. These can easily be treated, but can pose just as much risk to the unborn baby and other small children in the house.
Part of being a licensed medical professional is the responsibility to give accurate information. As a DVM, I am frequently correcting the information that my clients have been given by their MD. It can be very frustrating!
Dr. Kri
Whether you love cats or not, your comments to the woman certainly sounded as though she should find somewhere for her cats. You offered no alternatives to her other than the easy way out. Without saying the words "Get rid of your cats," obviously viewers like myself were led to believe there was nothing else she could do if she wanted to provide a healthy and safe enviornment for her unborn child.
I would encourage you to make this right by devoting more time to the subject and clarifying alternatives for cat owners. Please STRESS to everyone that getting rid of your pets is not an option. They are a responibility you have for life including when you have children, move to a different state, change the color of your furniture, develop allergies etc. There are always options.
Dear Doctor Lisa......
Hello, I just had my 4th miscarraige yesterday, i have cats and i was tested for toxoplasmosis but it was Neg.
I am 35 and have had no succesful pregnancies......and im so devastated this has happened AGAIN!
I am O RH Neg blood and my husband is O RH Pos.....do you think this is why?? ive mailed the show asking for info.......ive asked Doctors here about Anti D injection but they havent ever given it to me?
Im a BritisH woman living in Cyprus, i dont know if its the language barrrier, but i find these docs so unhelpful and im upset and frustrated, please advise?
thankyou x
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