Next thing you know, you're trying to sleep with a buzzsaw sounding off next to your ear. Ah, the joys of cat ownership. These things are a very small price to pay for the real happiness of having a great relationship with a great cat. Cat ownership is both a joy and a proven health benefit for most people, and as such is worth a little effort here and there. Toxoplasmosis is another reason you should put out a little effort.
Toxoplasmosis is probably the most misunderstood disease that a cat can give to a person.
It's the one you always hear about that should keep pregnant women away from the litterbox. This is really not necessary, however, since disease transmission can be avoided in the vast majority of cases through a few very simple measures. The disease is caused by a parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, which is commonly found in raw meats, including beef, pork and significantly, mouse. In actuality, most people who contract the disease get it not from the litterbox, but from eating raw or undercooked meats, which may contain the dormant adult organism, or from gardeing in an area where cats may be defacating in the soil, since cat feces may contain the parasite egg. The egg of the parasite is not infective until it has been out of the cat and in the presence of oxygen for 1 to 3 days.