One of the dangers a cat owner can face if she becomes pregnant is toxoplasmosis. Caused by a protozoan called Toxoplasma gondii that a cat can pass in its feces, this infection can affect a fetus's brain and nervous system.

The condition is more common in outdoor cats, because a cat ingests the protozoan by eating the raw meat of infected birds or rodents. If a human handles an infected cat's stool, either by cleaning the litter box or by working in soil where the cat has eliminated, and then accidentally ingests the feces or soil, the parasite may enter the person's bloodstream.

If a pregnant woman becomes infected, she may transmit the disease to her fetus. The biggest danger is during the first trimester, when the disease can cause seizures, brain inflammation, brain and liver enlargement and mild to severe retardation in the baby. It can also cause vision problems, eye diseases and, later, blindness.

If you are pregnant, be sure to tell your obstetrician that you have a cat. The doctor should run a toxoplasmosis antibody titer. This is a simple blood test that will measure the antibody levels for past and present infection. Previous exposure to the disease will cause a positive titer, which means you are immune and can no longer contract the disease or pass it to your unborn child. A negative titer means you are at risk for contracting the disease in the future and must take the proper precautions when caring for your cat.

Ideally, cleaning the litter box should be passed on to a significant other or another family member, for the duration of your pregnancy. If that isn't possible, take the proper precautions. Wear rubber gloves when cleaning the litter box and wash your hands carefully afterward. Because the parasite's eggs hatch and become infectious within three days, daily changing of the litter box and removal of feces is recommended. If you work outdoors in soil, always wear gloves, and wash your hands when you get inside.

Symptoms of toxoplasmosis include:
    Enlargement of the lymph nodes, rash, fever, muscle pain and fatigue,

If a pregnant woman is ill with these symptoms, the doctor will run a toxoplasmosis titer. Because the symptoms may be mild or resemble the flu or other infections, toxoplasmosis is sometimes difficult to diagnose.

If tests show the woman has been exposed to the parasite, she must immediately undergo antibiotic treatments.