March 23, 2012. Samuel Valero
Toxoplasmosis infection is something that any individual can get when the Toxoplasma gondi parasite finds its way into the individual’s body, by accident or other. This is something that not many cat owners worry about, but think about it.
We tend to stroke our cat’s tail from time to time, and ‘particles’ tend to stick there. Every now and then, we also tend to forget to wash our hands right after touching cat litter boxes. For this reason, this infection is not very rare at all. Just the same, according to the USFDA, there are things we can do to keep ourselves safe from the Toxoplasma gondi parasite:
1. Always put on a pair of disposable gloves prior to cleaning your cat’s litter box, or even when you do gardening, as some cats tend to pee or use outdoor areas also as their ‘toilet’. Spend a minute or so scrubbing your soapy hands right after handling the litter box.
2. If the litter box is not cleaned daily, the parasite can spread. It only takes a day up to a 5 for this to happen, when feces is left in the litter box.
3. To ensure that sandboxes located outdoors are not used by your cats or other cats as their toilet area, make sure that you keep it covered.
4. Raw meat is one food where the Toxoplasmosis gondi parasite can come from, so as much as possible, give your cat only commercial food that is canned or dry.
5. Domestic cats are best kept indoors, and stray cats tend to have some sickness, so also be careful about bringing them in – even kittens.
6. Babies and cats just don’t mix, so in the event that you are
pregnant, you might want to postpone getting a cat. Apart from the fact that it will be difficult to take care of both, there is the possibility of your baby getting infected from cat litter boxes.
Updated March 23, 2012. Published May 22, 2011. Samuel Valero
