Rant about Halloween "safetly"

[Traci]

So true, Karen. And part of the problem is physicians are STILL commonly telling pet owners they are allergic to their pets (without testing), and STILL telling them to get rid of them. Same applies to women and toxo, how many posts have you seen on the net "I'm pregnant, should I get rid of my cat?" GRRRRRRRRR.

I'm not undermining severe allergies, whether to pets or things in the environment, it just ticks me off royally that people and their physicians don't bother to investigate further and consider treatment options.

[k9Karen]

Isn't it easy to test a cat for toxo? I thought the cysts were pretty obvious in the feces. Is there a blood test for them? If the cat is indoor-outdoor (I know, not good, but too many people do it), can't they just get someone else to clean the litter box or wear gloves. Is a mask necessary? I wouldn't think it would be, but it might make people feel safer.

Re: the undocumented allergy. It's more likely to be pollen, mold or dust mites than their pets.

[Tina B and crew]

Both of my daughters are/were pregnant. One has 3 cats, the other has 7. Neither one of them ever even gave a thought to giving away their cats because of pregnancy. They took it as the perfect opportunity to get hubbies to do the dirty work of cleaning out the litter boxes

[Traci]

Yes, they can be tested. And yes, it is always suggested for another person in the home to deal with litterboxes, or the mom-to-be can simply wear kitchen gloves when changing litter - no mask necessary.