My husband is so bad about cleaning the kitty litter (and I'm pregnant). Heeeeeelp?

You can safely do it if either:

a) You get the doc to check for toxoplasmosis antibodies in your blood and find them. Which means you have been exposed and there is no danger of getting it again (btw you can also catch it from undercooked meats in particular lamb).

b) Use a dust mask, gloves, and try to do it as often as possible. Fresh (wet) stool is not as contagious. Also keeping your cat indoors will help prevent your cat from contracting it (but an outdoor cat you've had for years probably already has it)

http://www.bchealthguide.org/kbase/topic/major/tn7...

After you have had toxoplasmosis, you cannot get it again.

[...]

If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, it is important to either:

*Know that you are immune to toxoplasmosis, or

*Take special care to avoid toxoplasmosis infection.

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/women...

# If you must handle the chore of changing the litter box, wear rubber gloves to avoid contact with the litter and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

# Use work gloves when gardening and wash your hands afterwards. Cover children's sandboxes when not in use (cats like to use them as litter boxes).

Purchase a Littermaid litterbox. It is self cleaning. You use clumping litter and after the cat has used the box then a mechanical arm comes out and picks up the poop or pee and deposits it in a container (it has a sensor to know when the cat has used the box) after every use. You remove the container from the front and replace with an empty one. It helps keep the box clean and will prevent your cat from having to use the outside of the box because the litterbox is dirty.

Cats are very clean animals and won't use a dirty box.

Good luck

I have the same problem. I used to clean it but now I'm pregnant and can't. Our cat is indoors/outdoors (only on the screened in porch), and the litter box is out on the porch. My husband only cleans it about every other week, so it is really nasty when he does. I tell him it serves him right when he gags over it, because its his fault the poor kitty had to go on top of the other poop. I've cleaned it a few times. My doctor said if I had to, to wear latex gloves and a face mask, (the ammonia in the pee can make you sick to your stomach), and wash my hands thouroughly afterwards. Really, though, if you've been around cats a lot, you've probably already contracted toxoplasmosis and are immune to it at this point anyway.

NO do not take the chance just hire a kid 10 12 what ever to clean it 2 times and then your sweetie does it 2 times or just have the kid do it every other day @ 2dollars 50 a clean whats that 'bout 20 bucks money is hard time is precious and your baby is the world. If nothing else ask a friend or family It is not that big a favor make sure you do something nice for them. God Bless your family including the kitty.

I would have to do it myself, since it's a real disservice to the kitty to have him poop or pee in a filthy litter box. Just wear a surgical mask, and wash your hands thoroughly when you're done. No great shakes! But your husband MUST be trained! LOL. Seriously, I have a roommate like that, and I just gave up! I clean all 8 litter boxes twice a day. Oh well, no cat crap on the floor. Good luck, Missy!

It's fine for you to do it but wear rubber gloves and wash your hands afterwards. After all, if your cat has resorted to pooping on the floor becasue the tray is dirty, that's posing a much greater risk to you than cleaning the box. It's actually quite hard to contract toxoplasmosis from your cats though. Because you're pregnant it's best not to take any risk unless you have to, but you can clean the box safely.

But I would still nag your husband to do it more often so that you don't have to.

This is a good link re toxoplasmosis and pregnancy.

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/pregnancy_and_to...

Yes... you should just do it.

The chances of you getting toxioplasmosis are almost nil.

First of all... you cat would have to be a carrier, which it likey is not.

Second of all if by some slim chance your cat was a carrier, it would have to be actively shedding the virus. Again... slim chance. Cats with Toxio are only active sometimes. And to even test positive for the disease, is rare because they shed it so rarely.

Lastly, as long as you practice safe hygene you will be fine. Just throughaly clean your hands after scooping the box.

Really... it's fine. Just use a little more care when cleaning than usual. But again... your cat would have to be a carrier actively shedding the disease. And you would have to ingest the virus from the feces for you to get it.

Don't stress. :o)

Because you're pregnant you really should avoid changing the kitty litter so you aren't at risk of toxoplasmosis but if you have to change it yourself you can wear gloves, making sure your skin doesn't touch any litter and afterwards wash your hands very, very thoroughly. And a good tip is to clean the kitty letter every day because the bacteria creating toxoplasmosis takes just over a day to become infectious.

that is not the muddle it somewhat is undesirable for you. that is the urine and feces that contains the toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis is a ailment led to with the help of a parasite that ought to infect your cat if she eats prey already harboring the parasite or comes into contact with contaminated soil. Toxoplasmosis is uncommon between indoor-purely cats. it may reason beginning defects on your unborn toddler. it truly is sturdy that you're wearing a mask because you ought to breathe interior the airborne dirt and mud that comes up once you're replacing the muddle field. i ought to also positioned on some disposable gloves(possibly you ought to get some from the wellbeing care service). for sure wash your fingers, at the same time at the same time with your wrists and section way up your palms, once you're executed. My mom lives with my relatives and he or she has 2 cats. for sure she is to blame for her personal muddle packing packing containers, yet she has those computerized ones and what they do is scoop away each and each and every of the little clumps right into a touch plastic bin (for sure you ought to purchase the muddle that clumps up sturdy). at the same time as it truly is finished all she had to do is take the tray out and positioned it interior the garbage. i trust she does do an finished replace often times even with the reality that, yet i don't recognize how needed it somewhat is (my mom appears coming up a comfortable case of OCD in her old age). it type of appears like a incredibly user-friendly procedure even with the reality that. in case you purchased easily one of those, i ought to nonetheless use the gloves and mask and wash your fingers even with the reality that purely to be on the possibility-free part.

The solution to your problem is quite simple: get an automatic cat litter box. There are several available at www.westcoatspetsupply.com that automatically filter the waste for easy and clean disposal. There's no reason you should be getting your hands dirty. If your husband won't clean it up, have him get an automatic litter box for you.