Nowadays many people keep pets in their houses, and people see those little animals like part of their families. Also sometimes dogs and cats can bring a family more happiness and fun. But what should people do when they are pregnant? Should they just continue keeping the pets or just give those pets to other people? My cousin kept a dog five years ago, but after she was pregnant her husband insisted that she should give the pets to others for protecting the baby’s health, and she was really sad about that. Some people believe that the pregnant women cannot keep the pets because the pets carry lots of bacteria and fleas, which are not good for the baby’s health. But some people believe that pregnant women can keep pets as long as the pets are clean and they are not carrying any diseases.
Why some people decide not to keep cats in the family during pregnancy, because the pets carry lots of parasites and fleas in their bodies. For example, cat feces can contain a microscopic protozoan (a very tiny organism) called Toxoplasma gondii. Being infected by this organism causes a condition called toxoplasmosis. Because toxoplasmosis can cause birth defects in children, pregnant women sometimes assume that they must get rid of their cat.
(The picture on the right is Toxoplasma gondii).
Even though Toxoplasma gondii is pretty scary and some cats contain Toxoplasma gondii in their bodies, I think pregnant women should keep pets in their family. Also take cats as examples, Toxoplasma gondii often found existed in the bodies of wild cats, because wild cats are living in a environments which are dirty and easy to contact other wild animals like mice. Also, the outside environmental conditions are not as clean as indoor, and the food they eat may be raw and rotten. And the cats live indoor can hardly have Toxoplasma gondii because people will keep their house clean and the food the cats eat is often cooked and without bacteria. Also, cats will not have any chance to touch other wild animals and get themselves dirty. As long as the cats are under human’s control, and people keep those cats inside as much as possible, there will have no threats to the pregnant women.
Those are some points that pregnant women should look out for pet dogs.
- Don’t let your dog jump up on your belly.
- If your dog has bad habits, like biting or jumping, train him to stop doing these things before you have your baby.
- Make sure your dog is up-to-date with vaccinations. Do this before your baby is born.
- If you and your dog are especially close, ask your partner or a family member to spend more time with him. Because your baby will take much of your time and attention, having your dog develop relationships with others can help prepare him for changes to come once your baby is home.
Those are some points pregnant women should look out for pet cats:
- Ask a family member who isn’t pregnant to clean out the litter box every day.
- keep your cat inside.
- Stay away from stray cats.
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching cat poop or after gardening.
- If you have a sandbox, cover it to stop cats from using it as a litter.
- Don’t feed your cat under-cookedmeat.
Reference:
Caring for pets when you’re pregnant. (2014, April 1). Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/pets-and-other-animals-during-pregnancy.aspx
I thought your blog post was very interesting, however, I have to disagree. I think that when someone is pregnant there should be no pets in the house. Pets are a major distraction/ hazard to the soon to be mother and baby. Yes, dogs and cats can be trained but to be cautious its best to not have them around. They can make a mess and either leave the pregnant women to clean up after the mess or worse slip in fall on the mess, endangering the baby, Dogs love to drop on people and we don’t need the dog jumping on the mother when she is months pregnant. Especially with diseases in pets no one wants their baby infected before birth. Its best that people keep their pets away until the baby comes and after it has a chance to leave the hospital and interact with the world.
I found this to be a very interesting topic. I have had always had a dog in my house, and my mom had one too when she was pregnant with me. I really never thought of this as to be an issue, as I have friends who’s parents are pregnant and have dogs or cats. It is very hard to let go of a pet, as you stated many see them as family, as I do, so the thought of it seems a bit much, but nonetheless may be better for your child’s health. I also found this article on animals sense of pregnancy, http://www.babycenter.com/404_can-pets-sense-pregnancy_1379572.bc . Dogs in particular are very good at sensing human emotion, so to me they too would be good at sensing the stresses of pregnancy. Myself, I would not say to get rid of your pet, but as your article does point out, there are benefits.