Right, this is a subject that I feel quite strongly about. I have two cats that are very much thought of and treated as part of the family. They are 100% litter trained house cats and, lets face it, all cats do is sleep, eat and make you feel like you should be fanning them at all times. Generally speaking they are very independent creatures. As far as ‘maintenance’ goes, you just need to feed, water and scoop poop. Happy. Done. Basics covered.

However, when I found out I was pregnant, they were suddenly though of by everyone as a huge problem; “NO! You can’t have CATS when you’re PREGNANT! They’ll give you diseases and harm the development of the baby!” or “GASP! They’ll sleep on the baby’s face mind, the baby will be warm and smell of milk – they like that.” Ladies, I’m sure you all understand where I’m, going with this and would bet a pound to a penny that at least some of you that own a cat have heard these crackers before. The first few times I heard things like this is frightened the life out of me (not to mention upset me) as I really didn’t want to have to re-home the whiskered ones. So, I decided to ask my midwife’s advice and do a little research of my own.

Basically, yes, there are some risks during pregnancy of catching something called Toxoplasmosis. This is passed on through the cats ‘parcels’ The important bit (and usually the bit that’s forgotten) is that in housecats, toxoplasmosis just goes after about six months anyway and you probably caught and got rid of it without even noticing ages ago. I recommend buying some disposable plastic gloves to wear when you clean out the litter tray anyway (trust me – its instant peace of mind- there’s enough brain drain during pregnancy as it is!) and give you hands a good wash afterwards. Alternatively – and my personal favourite – get your other half to do the mucky stuff…nice. As for outdoor cats, just don’t play with or eat their poo. If you are, seek medical attention anyway.

Then we come to the suffocation of the baby after it’s born. Only you know your pets best, and as far as mine go, they tend to keep away from the “loud, smelly thing that thinks I’m walking teddy”. Cats are stand-offish at the best of times and to be honest, I like that in them – it’s part of their character. If, however, your cat is a little more ‘hands on’ then you can buy nets that fit over the moses basket/cot that are designed specifically for keeping cats out. I can vouch for my two never even attempting this anyway.

When your baby starts to crawl. Another apparent obstacle. If you’re worried about suddenly finding your little one sat in the litter tray inspecting ‘kitty chocs’ then do what I did – cordon off the tray and the food bowls and make it so that only you and the cats can get to them.

I think that as long as you’re willing to make the effort, then you really don’t need to worry about getting rid of your cats. The only time I would consider it would be if they ever turned on the baby, which has never, and I am confident will never, happen. If you think that your cat would then a good think about re homing your cat is in order, but fingers crossed that isn’t on the cards for any of you.

At the end of the day, I believe that a family pet can be a good companion to a child and an almost sure way of teaching respect and responsibility towards animals. You and only you know your animal best, so I wish you the very best throughout your pregnancy and beyond with your kitty to cuddle with (or pamper profusely to their every need – I forget).