If you're thinking about starting a family, your cat might actually be doing you a bigger favor than you think. But timing is everything.
Dr. Katharina von Rohr is an endocrinologist and nutritionist working at a hospital in Berlin. For DUO, she brings medical context to questions around hormones, nutrition, pregnancy and everyday health.
Have you heard of toxoplasmosis? The infection caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii? Cats can carry and shed it through their feces. Pregnant women are often warned about it, and for good reason, because a first-time infection during pregnancy can in rare cases affect the baby.
But here's the plot twist: if you've been cuddling cats before getting pregnant, chances are you've already been exposed to the parasite and built up immunity. Your body has done the work for you without you even noticing.
Consider those pre-pregnancy cat cuddles a health strategy.
Regular contact with cats over time means many people develop antibodies to the parasite without ever knowing it. No symptoms, no drama, just quiet immunity.
Not all cats carry the same risk
A strictly indoor cat that eats commercial food has virtually no chance of shedding the parasite. It enters a cat's system through hunting and eating raw prey, so a sofa-dwelling kibble-eater is essentially no risk at all.
Free-roaming outdoor cats are a different story. They hunt, they encounter infected soil, and they can shed the parasite through their feces. With an outdoor cat, basic hygiene genuinely matters. Once pregnant, hand litter duty to your partner entirely.
Your cat is not the only consideration
It's also worth knowing that cats aren't actually the main source of human toxoplasmosis. Most infections come from undercooked meat and unwashed produce. Your rare steak may pose more of a real risk than your cat ever will.
Of course, this isn't a green light to carelessness. Basic hygiene still applies: wash hands after handling the litter box. But there's no need to give away your beloved furry family member, because that's a myth that has caused far too many heartbreaking and unnecessary goodbyes.
Love your cats now, cuddle a lot, and talk to your doctor about a simple blood test to check your immunity status before trying to conceive. Your future self and your cat will thank you.