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'. Humans can't catch it any more than they can get Cat Flu. FIV has been cultivated in human cells in the laboratory - but it needed the help of scientists to do this.