Baby and the cats

Look at Chewy and Liam playing together. Aren't they cute? Chewy is not showing her claws, she is calm and resting in her bed amused (or annoyed) by Liam trying to touch her paw. Liam is getting to know his furry friends. It doesn't mean he is crawling after them every time he sees them. He's more of a shy type. He wants to pet them, but at the last minute he withdraws his hand. Too afraid, too shy, well, that behaviour suits my cats well, as they don't like agressive pulling of their fur. But they do sometimes come a little closer to him, just to smell him thinking "ah ok, you are the baby living in our house for almost a year now, I know you, please continue what you were doing". Looks like living with cats and baby is possible after all we read online.

Shelters are still full of cats being abandoned by tearful mothers-to-be , having made their decisions to leave their so loved cat with well-meaning relatives or old-school obstetricians have convinced them that keeping a cat risks the health and well-being of their unborn child. Or even abandoned by new moms who think their cats will infect their baby, or child because they are full of germs and will make their baby allergic. Please don't succumb to these old wives' tales. First of all, our skin is crawling with hundreds of kinds of bacteria. So should you be abandoned by your cat because you threatened your feline's health? Please, as ridiculous as this last sentence is, so is your old wives tales. You need to know the facts before making any decisions.

During pregnancy

When I was pregnant last year, my doctor told me I didn't developed toxoplasmosis which means that I am not immune. Toxoplasmosis can result in miscarriage, stillbirth or such birth defects as blindness, deafness, hydrocephalus or epilepsy. So my doctor told me to really be careful not to be in contact with outdoor cats. But Maui is an outdoor cat and it was impossible for me not to care for her. Cats can become infected with the parasite by eating small mammals or birds, so the best thing to do is to keep your cat indoors (impossible to do that for 9 months with Maui) or be very careful to wash your hand every time you touch your cat. Toxoplasma cysts may also be present in undercooked meat or on fruits and vegetables that have come into contact with contaminated soil. There are a lot of factors taking into account. Ok, enough with the fear. Now, after a little digging, I was surprised that only about 15 percent of women of childbearing age are immune to toxoplasmosis in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Fortunately, the number of women who contract the infection during pregnancy is still relatively small, and not all of them transmit it to their babies.In Europe, less than 1% of pregnant women are contracting toxoplasmosis per year.

Toxoplasmosis cysts are shed in the feces of infected animals. Since outdoor cats often use gardens as litter boxes, wear gloves when gardening and when you are washing raw vegetables and fruits, handling raw meat or scrubbing food prep surfaces. You should also avoid rubbing your eyes until your hands have been washed. And do not eat or feed your cat raw or undercooked meat. When your cat use the letterbox inside, scoop matter at least twice a day . Better yet, use your "delicate condition" to get your husband or any man in the house to handle the dirt detail.

Remember, cats love routines; They hate changes in their every day life. Some, more than others. These are the cats most likely to be affected by a new baby, so use the entire pregnancy to slowly prepare them. Play tapes of baby noises to familiarise your cat to the new sounds. Use the powder, or the cream you're going to use on your baby, on you, so they get used to the smell.

I am so happy that my son has the chance to live among cats. He is a very happy baby and he is impressed by the beauty of these felines every time they pass by him. He has never been sick nor is developping any allergies. According to a study at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, exposure lowered the risk of allergies for some children if they were exposed to a pet during their first year of life. And later in life, my son will benefit of plenty of other things that pets can offer : dogs and cats can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, ease loneliness, encourage exercise and playfulness, and even improve your cardiovascular health. I have two words for him (and for you too if you follow my advice of course) : you're welcome!

#Chewy #baby #allergies #toxoplasmosis #cats #pets #dogs #pregnancy