Why you should not clean the litter box while pregnant

One of the biggest rules with being pregnant is that you are no longer supposed to to scoop your cat’s litter box. This is because of the risk of Toxoplasmosis. According to the CDC, Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. The Toxoplasma parasite can persist for long periods of time in the bodies of humans (and other animals), possibly even for a lifetime. Of those who are infected however, very few have symptoms because a healthy person’s immune system usually keeps the parasite from causing illness. However, pregnant women and individuals who have compromised immune systems should be cautious; for them, a Toxoplasma infection could cause serious health problems.

If you are newly infected with Toxoplasma while you are pregnant, or just before pregnancy, then you can pass the infection on to your baby. You may not have any symptoms from the infection. Most infected infants do not have symptoms at birth but can develop serious symptoms later in life, such as blindness or mental disability. Occasionally, infected newborns have serious eye or brain damage at birth.

I don’t know about you, but the terrifying list of potential things that could happen to my sweet unborn baby is more than enough motivation for me to find a better litter box solution.

This post contains affiliate links. See affiliate disclosure here.

Should I just give up my cat?

You absolutely do not need to give up your cat just because you are pregnant. There are a few steps that we pregnant women can take to help limit our risk. The CDC recommends, that we avoid changing cat litter box and that we also ensure that it is cleaned daily. This is because the Toxoplasma parasite does not become infectious until 1 to 5 days after it is shed in a cat’s feces. Keeping your cat indoors and avoiding a raw diet for your cat can also reduce your risk.

But who is going to scoop this poop?

Not scooping the litter box can become a real problem for a lot of us pregnant ladies. Bugging our significant other or older children on a daily basis can become a burden. Or maybe your significant other travels and it is impossible for them to change it daily. Whatever your reason, it can be very frustrating. My frustration caused me to look for a better solution to my kitty litter problem.

I was drawn to the idea of a self cleaning litter box that didn’t require scooping. I searched and searched for self cleaning litter boxes, but I kept finding that all of the self cleaning litter boxes still required you to empty a tray of some sort at least once a week. Given that the Toxoplasma parasite does not become infectious until 1 to 5 days after it is shed in a cat’s feces, I did not want old cat poop hanging around in my house.

Meet the CatGenie Self Washing Self Flushing Cat Box

The CatGenie litter box hooks up to your toilet or washing machine plumbing. During an automatic cycle, the poop will be scooped and liquefied and then water will clean the washable granule litter. The CatGenie uses a cat-safe, veterinarian-approved SaniSolution to wash, scrub, scours and purifies the washable granules. The litter box will then empty the dirty water (containing cat urine and feces) into either your toilet bowl or your washing machine drain pipe. We have ours connected to a toilet, so once the cycle is finished, we just simply flush the toilet. The CatGenie then follows the washing cycle with a drying cycle so that all the washable granules will be dry and ready for your cat’s next trip to the litter box. The entire process takes about 30 minutes.

The CatGenie litter box can be programmed to run automatically up to 4 times a day or to run after it has sensed that your cat has visited the litter box. We have 1 cat, so we run the box once a day.

Can I afford the CatGenie Litter Box?

I would be lying if I said that I didn’t have some cost hesitations the first time I found the CatGenie Litter Box. At around $300 it is definitely more than most ever plan on spending on a litter box. But then I did a little more of a cost comparison and realized that over time it would actually save me a lot money!

• Regular Litter Box Cost
  • Monthly Litter Cost- I was spending $20 a month on cat litter x 12 =$240/year
  • Litter box liners- I was spending around $20 each year on liners.
  • I was spending $260 every year on his litter box needs.
• CatGenie Litter Box Costs
  • The box itself cost around $300. Its an additional $30ish dollars if you also want a cat dome cover for your cat’s privacy. Its important to remember that this is a one time cost.
  • For every 120 cleaning cycles, I have to replace the SaniSolution SmartCartridge. I purchase it in a 3 pack and pay $23 for each cartridge.
  • I also must purchase 1 Maintenance Cartridge per year at $30. It is recommended that this is used once after every 120 cleaning cycles to help descale and maintain your CatGenie Litter Box.
  • My annual cost for the SaniSolution and Maintenance Cartridges is $123.

My cat was 5 years old when I purchased the CatGenie. I know that the average indoor cat can easily live to be 15 or more years old. The break even point of this purchase comes right after year 2. By the end of year 3, I am now saving money each year on my cat’s litter box needs.

After 10 years, I save how much?

Here is the quick breakdown I did to compare what I was spending on cat litter vs. what I would be spending with the CatGenie Litter Box and how it would compare over time.

• Year 1:
  • CatGenie Cost: $399
  • Regular Litter Cost: $260
• Year 2:
  • CatGenie Cost: $123 (+ $399= $522)
  • Regular Litter Cost: $260 (+ $260= $520)
• Year 3:
  • CatGenie Cost: $123 (+ $522= $645)
  • Regular Litter Cost: $260 (+ $520= $780)
  • Cost Savings after year 3: $135
• Cost Savings after year 4: $272
• Cost Savings after year 5: $520
• Cost Savings after year 6: $657
• Cost Savings after year 7: $794
• Cost Savings after year 8: $931
• Cost Savings after year 9: $1068
• Cost Savings after year 10: $1205

Once I did the math, I was SOLD! Not only would the CatGenie make my life easier on a daily basis but I would be saving a lot of money over time.

Added Benefits of the CatGenie Litter Box

After having the CatGenie for just shy of 3 years I am happy to report that I am still SO HAPPY with my purchase. As terrible as it sounds, I love my cat SO much more since buying this. I get all the benefits of having a cat- the snuggles, the head butts and biscuit making massages without the hassle of cleaning his litter box. My house never smells like ammonia or cat feces anymore. My clean litter box demanding cat has not urinated or defecated outside of his box in protest of me missing a day of scooping.

I really would recommend this litter box for anyone that owns a cat, but for pregnant women that don’t have the option of scooping their own cat litter anymore, this litter box is THE best solution.

Check out my other blog: What’s In My Hospital Bag- The Second Time Around