Pets and your health: the good and the bad

Source: http://www.latimes.com
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Cat litter: Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease that can be transmitted through the feces of infected cats. Cats can only get infected if they hunt and eat rodents or if their owners feed them raw meat. And as a rule, even an infected cat can only transmit the disease for two weeks in its entire life. 

It's rare for people to get toxoplasmosis from their cats, but the disease is very dangerous for pregnant women because it can lead to birth defects or miscarriages. Have someone else clean your cat's litter box, or wear rubber gloves while you do it, and wash your hands very well after you're done. Change the litter every day (the protozoa in cat feces can't infect anyone until the feces are at least a day old). 

Still, remember: The most common way for people to get toxoplasmosis is by eating undercooked meat.