Why pregnant women shouldn’t pet cats: “grandmother’s” signs and real threats

There is folk wisdom that says pregnant women should not pet cats. We will look into how true this statement is below, but now here are some tips. If you are expecting a baby, and your doctor is very biased towards superstitions, omens, etc. - change specialist. Believe me, if you collect all the “rules of bearing and giving birth to a child” in one Talmud, you will find out that the expectant mother is not allowed to leave the house, do anything, or even think.

Superstitions about cats and pregnant women

The most widespread superstitions are:

• If a pregnant woman strokes a cat, the baby will be born hairy.
• A pregnant woman should not play with cats or pick them up, otherwise she will make enemies of the child.
• Women should not touch cats with their feet (kick, pet or hit). It is believed that after this she may have a difficult birth.

At the same time, there are signs that a stray cat must be sheltered if there is a pregnant woman in the house. Also, some believe that tri-colored tortoiseshell pets protect the child and promote an easy birth. Superstitions contradict each other, so it’s up to you to decide whether to believe them or not.

It was believed that the departure of a calico cat from the house foreshadowed the death of a mother or child.

Useful signs for expectant mothers

Cats and pregnant women

Many signs where cats appear have a serious logical basis related to medical factors related to pregnancy. There are 4 such signs, they are listed below:

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1. Pregnant women are prohibited from having close contact with these pets. Such restrictions are explained by the danger of infectious diseases for the developing fetus. As you know, cats can be carriers of serious diseases, including toxoplasmosis. Outwardly, the animal may look healthy, and a woman, having become infected, will not immediately feel anything. But the fetus will suffer irreparable damage, which can even result in death. Therefore, if there is a cat at home, it should be immediately examined for toxoplasmosis if it becomes clear that one of the women in the house is expecting a child. Other people's cats, whose health status is not certain, should not be touched at all.
2. You should not pet cats during pregnancy, otherwise the newborn baby will have subcutaneous hair growing on its back, which will prevent the baby from sleeping peacefully. Because of this, the child will cry a lot and be capricious. It is, of course, stupid to be afraid of subcutaneous hair, but it is imperative to maintain hygiene and be careful. When people observed restlessness in the babies of women who petted cats during pregnancy, they attributed the condition to the proximity of the pregnant women's pussies, rather than to illnesses that could be a source of anxiety in the newborns. And the infection occurred precisely from close contact with pussies, which were carriers of infections.
3. Do not go near the cat's litter box. This is also quite understandable. It is dangerous to touch feces in the tray, as this is where the infection is concentrated. You can’t even stand nearby and breathe air saturated with harmful substances. Other family members need to clean the litter box. If this is not possible, wear gloves and a gauze bandage.
4. If women are drawn to playing with a cat during pregnancy, the newborn baby will have many enemies. This belief is associated with a general wary attitude towards this animal in superstitions. For example, a cat seen in a dream always portends enemies.

Why a cat can be dangerous for a pregnant woman

First of all, a cat can pose a threat due to aggression. During pregnancy, even minor stress can sometimes lead to the death of the child. Cats, having noticed potential danger, most often prefer to retreat, but this does not always happen. For example, a pet protecting kittens can even attack its owners. If you know your own pet and its habits, then you cannot be sure about a stranger or a street cat. When attacked, the predator can cause serious injuries and even cause bleeding.

Cats may curl their ears and twitch their tail before attacking.

Another possible threat is the risk of infection. Some diseases can be transmitted from cats to humans. During pregnancy, any infection poses a greater threat, since in this case the list of available drugs is reduced. Due to the toxic effect, women cannot take the most effective antibiotics and anthelmintics.

Vaccinations are an urgent need

As soon as you find out that you are pregnant, pick up a special dog passport, in which the veterinarian records the vaccinations given to the dog, and carefully review it. The last vaccination in the passport must be dated no later than one year ago.

Vaccinations will protect your friend from diseases that he can contract at the dog park, in the forest, or on the street. Some of these diseases are transmitted to humans.

Since there is nothing wrong with the fact that the next vaccination will be given a month ahead of schedule, maybe it’s better not to delay and take care of it in advance? And if you have never vaccinated a dog before, now this is task number one for you, since thanks to these vaccinations you will save yourself from serious danger.

Before vaccinating a dog, it is necessary to give it medicine against helminths, even if it never had worms - if there are at least a couple of eggs in the dog’s body, the vaccination will not work.

If, two or three days after taking the antihelminthic drug, you find worms in your dog’s stool - they are usually visible to the naked eye - you should give the dog a second dose of the medicine after a week.

Since your dog will most likely refuse to swallow unpalatable tablets, you can try crushing them and mixing them with dog food or slipping the crushed medicine into your dog's mouth with a treat your dog loves.

If after re-taking the medicine you find worms again, repeat the cycle until the stool is clean.

Attention: a pregnant woman should not examine her dog's feces herself!

In the future, repeat the deworming cycle every four months. This is necessary so that your dog remains “clean” and cannot infect you with worms, which would lead to a serious drop in your immunity, and, consequently, to defenselessness against diseases.

What diseases can a cat transmit to humans?

Most often, cats transmit the following diseases:

• ringworm;
• helminthiases;
• toxoplasmosis;
• cat scratch disease.

In cats, ringworm is usually detected at the stage when bald patches have already appeared. At this point, the expectant mother may already be infected. The disease is often transmitted to children after childbirth. This is not the most dangerous form, however, in some cases, in the presence of background pathologies, due to increased load on internal organs, there is a risk of developmental abnormalities in the fetus.

Helminthiasis is an infection with worms. Even domestic cats can have parasites. Animals often become infected after eating raw meat. Sometimes the owners themselves bring worm larvae from the street on their soles. In most cases, helminthiasis does not threaten the health of the mother and child, but the drugs used to treat the disease are toxic. In addition, with severe infection, many decay products enter the bloodstream and poisoning occurs.

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease. It can either occur in the form of a mild respiratory infection or cause developmental abnormalities in the child. Infection of the fetus in the first trimester often leads to miscarriage. In later stages, premature birth is often observed. It is difficult to distinguish toxoplasmosis from ARVI on your own, so if the temperature rises to +37.2 °C or higher, enlarged lymph nodes and headaches and muscle pain appear, you should consult a doctor.

In the case of cat scratch disease, infection occurs through scratches and bites. Pathology appears in the form of a red spot 3–10 days after injury. After 2–3 weeks, the lymph nodes enlarge. Mild malaise and muscle pain may occur. Sometimes the disease leads to fetal hypoxia, and even less often - to the threat of premature birth. Fortunately, in most cases the pathology is mild.

The spots may be raised, but usually do not cause discomfort

During pregnancy, you should not have contact with a cat due to the likelihood of allergies in the child.

The second no less serious danger is the possibility of an allergic reaction in the baby to animal fur or secretions. Many mothers have a question about whether an allergy can develop in utero through contact with a cat during pregnancy. To do this, you need to understand the mechanism of formation of an allergic reaction.

What is an allergy: the mechanism of an allergic reaction

An allergy is a hypersensitive reaction of the immune system to a protein that acts as an allergen. When specific proteins enter the body, antibodies begin to be produced - immunoglobulins E. IgE activates mast cells and basophils, which leads to the development of an inflammatory response to the stimulus. An allergic reaction can be expressed in unpleasant, but fairly safe symptoms - runny nose, itching, redness, but life-threatening conditions can also occur - Quincke's edema and anaphylactic shock.

Allergies occur when there is repeated exposure to an allergen after sensitization has already occurred. When the immune system first contacts the protein, antibodies are produced; this process can take several days or several years, and only with subsequent contacts does a reaction occur. This is why an adult may suddenly develop an allergy to familiar foods that he has always consumed.

Can an allergy to cats develop in the prenatal period?

Can sensitization occur in the fetus in the womb? There are no reliable studies on this topic. Parents with allergies have a higher chance of having an allergic child, but it is not 100%; the baby can be born completely healthy.

If the expectant mother notices that when she comes into contact with the pet, she experiences watery eyes, itching, sneezing or coughing, then the cat should be placed in another room for several days and not touched. If the symptoms go away, this indicates an allergy. In such a situation, it would be best to give the animal to another family.

Precautionary measures

To avoid infection, follow these rules:

• Pet only domestic cats. It is strongly recommended to avoid contact with other animals.
• Keep your cat dewormed and vaccinated on time to reduce the risk of your cat becoming infected.
• Do not feed your pet raw meat, eggs or milk.
• Don't let your cat go outside.
• Ask other family members to clean out litter trays.

A cat is not only a cute pet, but also a dangerous predator and a potential carrier of diseases. A pregnant woman is responsible for two lives at once: her own and her child. For this reason, it is better to refrain from contact with street animals, and to carefully treat your pets for parasites and regularly vaccinate them.

When and how to properly punish a pet?

In the most common situations, you should act as follows:

• If an animal sharpens its claws on wallpaper or upholstered furniture, you should scold it and take it to the scratching post, pointing your finger at it.
• If a cat drops or hits household objects, the animal must first be scolded, and then the things must be put away out of reach of the pet.
• If a cat jumps on the kitchen table or appliances, then it needs to be picked up and placed on the floor, gesturing with the index finger and pronouncing the name in a threatening intonation.
• If your pet defecates in shoes, on the floor or on the sofa, then you should show him the tray so that he gets used to fulfilling his physiological needs in one place.

Conclusions, generalizations

Many people believe omens to this day, because they were compiled over the years, through observation and collection of information. Some of the popular beliefs are current, while others are on the verge of insanity. Quite a large number of signs are associated with pregnancy and childbirth. The basis of any popular belief was fear of the unknown, and the process of pregnancy and childbirth has not been fully studied to this day.

Scientists and doctors support many signs associated with contacts between cats and pregnant women. There is no clear certainty about what our ancestors were thinking when they said that a pregnant woman should not play with cats, have less contact with them and not clean up their waste products. But it is better to observe all these provisions, because cats are carriers of such a serious disease as toxoplasmosis. This disease in an adult is asymptomatic and does not threaten him in any way, but it poses a very strong threat to the body of a pregnant woman. Its ability to penetrate the placenta can provoke the appearance of various pathologies in the development of organ systems in the unborn child.

Other signs that say that you should not stroke cats with your feet, because this is fraught with nervous disorders, frankly, look like nonsense. In defense of cats, I would still like to note that a woman develops immunity to toxoplasmosis if she has an animal living in her house for several years. And then, not every individual survives the disease. If this is a domestic cat that has been provided with the necessary care, does not walk outside, has received all the necessary vaccinations and is regularly prevented from helminthic infestations, then there is nothing to worry about, such an animal does not pose any danger at all and there is no need to throw it out into the street.

Allergies are a completely different matter. For example, if you consider the sign that you cannot kick a calico cat out of the house if the woman is pregnant, otherwise the baby will not survive. Very often, pregnant women become allergic to the fur and epidermis of their own pet, who has lived with her in the apartment for a long time. This is due to hormonal changes, many years of sensitization of the body to allergens and a decrease in the body’s protective functions. In this case, no matter what the cat is, it must be given away as soon as possible, otherwise the risk that the child will be born with an allergy increases.

There is only one conclusion: if you want to be able to believe in omens, no one forbids you from doing so. But first of all, you need to think about whether this really shouldn’t be done or whether someone came up with such a belief so that a person would not try to find out what he is not supposed to. For example, in order to intimidate expectant mothers, they said that they should not determine the gender of children in advance and buy things for children. But, if you think about it, what will a woman dress her baby in after giving birth if she doesn’t buy him clothes? Every person believes in what it is convenient for him to believe.

Beliefs associated with pets

If a cat lived in your house long before pregnancy, you should not immediately fall into hysterics and think about where to give it. The animal has been your friend for years, loved you, and with the onset of pregnancy, nothing will change in the pet’s behavior. Folk signs regarding domestic cats say the following:

• if a cat lies on its stomach or sits next to it, it means something will happen to the fetus;
• You shouldn’t let a cat on your breast, because the milk will spoil.

Some signs are almost ridiculous. These two are just in that category. For example, if an animal has always laid down on your stomach or chest before, it will not stop doing this, even when you are in a position, it is clear that this should not be allowed. Another cat feature is that when it’s cold, they will try in any way to get under the owner’s blanket and settle down where it’s warmer. When an animal just lies down near the stomach or in the chest area, it simply wants to show its owner its attitude, demanding affection and attention.

There are a lot of good signs associated with cats and pregnancy. So, for example, if we take a tricolor cat into the house, we attract luck; a tabby or spotted kitten can bring money into your home; a black cat can be an excellent protector from negativity; take a cat home - attract prosperity; cat - find a protector. A cat poses absolutely no danger if a person takes it to the veterinarian on time and carries out worm prevention, and also gets all the necessary vaccinations. This applies to any animal that lives at home.

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