Precautions are simple - wear rubber gloves when handling soiled cat litter or when gardening, cook meat well, wash vegetables thoroughly and keep cats off of kitchen worksurfaces. Cases of babies affected by Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy get media coverage because, like serial murderers, they are rare. If you've had a cat most of your life, you've probably already had Toxoplasmosis without knowing it and should be immune. Despite tales of cats smothering babies, cats dislike the smell of human breath and will generally stay away from a baby's face. In spite of all the myths, there is only one verified case of a cat smothering a baby - far fewer than the number of babies murdered by their parents.
Cats see cots as cosy beds and babies as warm things to snuggle against.
It's vicious - it scratched the toddler'. Most children get the message. Punishing the cat teaches children that it's okay for them to annoy it. When my niece complained that the cat scratched her, she was sent to her room 'for annoying the cat'. You can get AIDS from cats'.