Is it safe to change the cat's litter box when I'm pregnant?

Old wives' tales about pregnancy abound, but the rumor you've heard about cat litter is actually true. While it's unnecessary to toss the kitty out with the litter, pregnant women should avoid contact with cat boxes. Cat feces can contain a parasite called toxoplasma gondii, which causes an infection known as toxoplasmosis. Although it sounds formidable, toxoplasmosis isn't a big problem for healthy adults. It usually causes mild flu symptoms, if any at all. But its impact on a fetus is another story. Toxoplasmosis infection can lead to serious illness, pre-term birth, miscarriage, or fetal death.

Toxoplasma gondii is also found in raw meat and soil, so there are a few precautionary measures you need to take to prevent contracting toxoplasmosis during your pregnancy:

• Ask someone else to empty the litter box. If you really cannot avoid doing it yourself, wear rubber gloves and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards with plenty of soap.
• Wear gloves for gardening and wash well after touching soil.
• Never eat raw or undercooked meat and always wash your hands and all kitchen surfaces and utensils after contact with raw meat.
• Thoroughly wash fruit and vegetables to avoid the possibility that you will ingest soil.

Toxoplasmosis is like chicken pox: Once you get it, you're immune for life. If you're a long-time cat owner, you may have already been exposed. A simple screening test can indicate whether you're immune—just ask your doctor whether you're a candidate for screening.