Cat feces can carry a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, an infection that isn't serious for you but can pose a danger to your developing baby. Some birds and other animals, as well as some raw meats, can also carry the parasite. Toxoplasmosis causes most severe damage to the fetus if a woman comes down with it in her first trimester.
Studies also indicate that about one-third of American women are immune to toxoplasmosis altogether.
And if you live with cats the likelihood is even higher that you've already contracted the disease and developed an immunity to it. Swollen lymph glands in the neck, fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue. They usually appear about two to three weeks after you've been exposed. But some infected adults show no symptoms at all. For a fetus, the effects of toxoplasmosis are more dire.