Toxoplasmosis in Cats: Symptoms, Treatment and Human Risk

By Dr Duncan Houston

Toxoplasmosis is one of the most misunderstood diseases associated with cats.

A cat that hunts or tests positive for Toxoplasma gondii antibodies is not automatically sick, infectious or dangerous to a pregnant person. Most exposed cats remain completely healthy, shed the parasite for only a short period and are unlikely to shed it again.

Clinical toxoplasmosis is much less common, but it can become serious when the parasite spreads through the lungs, eyes, muscles, liver or nervous system. The real challenge is distinguishing ordinary exposure from active disease that needs treatment.

Quick Answer

Toxoplasmosis is caused by the microscopic parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Cats usually become infected by eating infected prey or raw meat, while clinical disease is uncommon and is more likely in kittens, immunocompromised cats or cats with reactivation of a previous infection.

Seek urgent veterinary care if your cat develops breathing difficulty, seizures, severe weakness, loss of coordination, eye pain or a rapid decline. A positive antibody test alone does not diagnose clinical toxoplasmosis. (ABCD cats and vets)

Toxoplasmosis at a Glance

Question	Practical answer
What causes toxoplasmosis?	The single-celled parasite Toxoplasma gondii
How do cats become infected?	Mainly by eating infected prey or raw meat, and less commonly by swallowing mature oocysts from contaminated soil, water or food
Do most infected cats become ill?	No. Exposure is common, but clinical disease is rare
When do cats shed oocysts?	Usually for approximately 10 to 14 days after primary infection, occasionally up to about three weeks
Are freshly passed faeces infectious?	No. Oocysts generally require one to five days in the environment to become infectious
Can touching a cat transmit toxoplasmosis?	Ordinary contact is considered very low risk
What organs can be affected?	Eyes, lungs, brain, spinal cord, muscles, liver and lymph nodes
How is active disease diagnosed?	By combining clinical findings, serology and, where possible, detection of the organism in tissue or body fluid
What is the usual treatment?	Veterinary-prescribed clindamycin, generally for four weeks
Is there a vaccine?	No commercial feline toxoplasmosis vaccine is currently available

(ABCD cats and vets)

What Is Toxoplasmosis?

Toxoplasmosis is the disease caused by infection with Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular coccidian parasite capable of infecting almost every warm-blooded animal.

Domestic cats and wild felids are the parasite’s definitive hosts. This means that cats are the only animals in which the sexual phase of the parasite’s life cycle occurs and oocysts are produced in the intestine.

Other mammals and birds act as intermediate hosts. In these animals, including people, the parasite persists within tissue cysts rather than producing oocysts. (ABCD cats and vets)

Infection Is Not the Same as Disease

This distinction matters enormously.

A cat may be:

1. Exposed and antibody-positive, but completely healthy.

2. Briefly shedding oocysts, usually without clinical illness.

3. Carrying dormant tissue cysts, with no symptoms.

4. Clinically affected, because rapidly multiplying tachyzoites are damaging organs.

Antibody studies suggest that a substantial proportion of cats are exposed during their lifetime, yet only a small minority develop clinical toxoplasmosis. (ABCD cats and vets)

How Does the Toxoplasma Life Cycle Work?

Toxoplasma gondii has three clinically important stages.

Oocysts

Oocysts are produced only in the intestines of felids and passed in faeces.

They are not immediately infectious when passed. After exposure to oxygen and moisture, they sporulate over approximately one to five days and then become capable of infecting another animal or person.

Once sporulated, oocysts are highly resistant and can survive in soil or water for months to years. (ABCD cats and vets)

Tachyzoites

Tachyzoites are the rapidly multiplying tissue stage.

They spread through the body during active infection, enter cells and cause inflammation, tissue death and organ dysfunction. Clinical toxoplasmosis is largely caused by tachyzoite proliferation rather than by the intestinal phase that produces oocysts. (Companion Animal Parasite Council)

Bradyzoites

Bradyzoites are slowly dividing organisms contained within tissue cysts.

These cysts can remain for the life of the infected animal, particularly within muscle and nervous tissue. They are normally controlled by the immune system but may reactivate if immune control becomes impaired. (Companion Animal Parasite Council)

How Do Cats Get Toxoplasmosis?

Eating Infected Prey

The most common natural route is eating an infected rodent, bird or other intermediate host.

Tissue cysts within the prey release bradyzoites into the cat’s digestive tract. This route is particularly efficient at stimulating intestinal reproduction and oocyst shedding. (ABCD cats and vets)

Eating Raw or Undercooked Meat

Raw meat and organs may contain viable tissue cysts.

Pork, lamb, goat meat, game and other animal tissues can transmit infection when fed raw or inadequately cooked. Commercial cooked diets greatly reduce this risk. (Companion Animal Parasite Council)

Swallowing Sporulated Oocysts

Cats may ingest mature oocysts from:

• Contaminated soil

• Puddles or untreated water

• Vegetation

• Dirty paws

• Contaminated food

• Litter or surfaces contaminated by another shedding cat

This route is considered less common than eating infected animal tissue but remains possible. (ABCD cats and vets)

Infection During Pregnancy or Nursing

A queen experiencing active parasitaemia during pregnancy may transmit tachyzoites across the placenta.

Transmission through milk has also been reported or strongly suspected. Congenitally infected kittens frequently develop more severe disease than adult cats and may die from pulmonary or hepatic involvement. (ABCD cats and vets)

When Does an Infected Cat Shed Toxoplasma?

After a naïve cat eats infected tissue, intestinal reproduction can begin quickly and oocyst shedding may start within several days.

Most cats shed for approximately 10 to 14 days. Broader public-health guidance describes shedding as lasting up to about three weeks in some cats. Millions of microscopic oocysts may be passed during this relatively short window. (ABCD cats and vets)

Do Cats Shed for Life?

No.

The parasite may remain within tissue cysts for life, but this does not mean the cat continually sheds oocysts.

Most cats develop immunity after their first infection and are highly unlikely to begin significant oocyst shedding again. Reactivation can cause clinical disease within the cat without creating another major shedding episode. (ABCD cats and vets)

Are Cats Sick While They Are Shedding?

Usually not.

The intestinal phase and oocyst shedding commonly occur without noticeable illness. Clinical systemic toxoplasmosis is associated with tachyzoites multiplying outside the intestine and is usually not occurring at the same time as substantial oocyst shedding. (Companion Animal Parasite Council)

Are Fresh Cat Faeces Infectious?

Freshly passed faeces are not immediately infectious for toxoplasmosis.

Oocysts generally require one to five days to sporulate. Cleaning the litter tray every day removes faeces before most oocysts have time to mature. (CDC)

This does not mean fresh faeces are hygienically harmless. Other parasites and bacteria may be immediately infectious, so litter should still be handled carefully.

Can People Catch Toxoplasmosis From Touching a Cat?

Ordinary contact with a cat is considered a very low-risk route.

People do not usually become infected through:

• Stroking a cat

• Living with a healthy indoor cat

• Cat bites

• Cat scratches

• Contact with clean fur

Epidemiological studies have found that cat ownership or frequent cat contact is not, by itself, a major risk factor for human infection. (ABCD cats and vets)

The more important human routes are:

• Eating undercooked meat containing tissue cysts

• Handling raw meat and then touching the mouth

• Eating unwashed fruit or vegetables

• Swallowing contaminated soil

• Drinking contaminated water

• Consuming some raw shellfish

• Drinking unpasteurised goat milk

(ABCD cats and vets)

Can Cat Bites or Scratches Transmit Toxoplasmosis?

Toxoplasmosis is not considered to be transmitted through ordinary bites or scratches.

A bite still requires medical attention because of the much more immediate risk of bacterial infection, but toxoplasmosis is not the usual concern. (ABCD cats and vets)

Which Cats Are Most Likely To Become Sick?

Clinical toxoplasmosis is uncommon, but concern is higher in:

• Congenitally infected kittens

• Cats receiving immunosuppressive medication

• Cats with cancer or severe systemic disease

• Cats undergoing chemotherapy

• Some cats with FeLV or FIV

• Cats with profound malnutrition

• Cats with concurrent infections

• Cats experiencing reactivation of latent tissue cysts

Around one-third of reported clinical cases have had a concurrent immunosuppressive condition, but severe toxoplasmosis can still occur in cats without an identified immune disorder. (ABCD cats and vets)

Are Kittens at Higher Risk?

Congenitally or lactogenically infected kittens may develop:

• Pneumonia

• Hepatitis

• Neurological disease

• Eye abnormalities

• Failure to thrive

• Sudden death

The timing of infection during pregnancy influences the severity and type of fetal damage. (ABCD cats and vets)

Are Particular Cat Breeds More Susceptible?

Breed should not be used to diagnose clinical toxoplasmosis.

One Finnish study found that Birmans, Ocicats, Norwegian Forest Cats and Persians had higher odds of being antibody-positive than Burmese cats after accounting for age and raw-meat exposure. However, that study measured seroprevalence, meaning evidence of previous exposure. It did not demonstrate that these breeds are more likely to develop severe clinical disease. (PubMed Central (PMC))

A Persian or Norwegian Forest Cat is therefore not presumed sick simply because of breed, and a Burmese cat is not protected from infection.

What Are the Signs of Toxoplasmosis in Cats?

The clinical picture depends on which organs contain multiplying tachyzoites.

General Signs

Common nonspecific signs include:

• Fever

• Lethargy

• Depression

• Reduced appetite

• Weight loss

• Dehydration

• Enlarged lymph nodes

• Poor body condition

These signs overlap with many infectious, inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. (ABCD cats and vets)

Respiratory Signs

Pulmonary toxoplasmosis may cause:

• Rapid breathing

• Laboured breathing

• Coughing

• Reduced exercise tolerance

• Fever

• Cyanosis

• Respiratory collapse

Lung lesions can occasionally appear mass-like on imaging, making cytology or another form of organism detection important where sampling is safe. (ABCD cats and vets)

Neurological Signs

Neurological toxoplasmosis may cause:

• Ataxia

• Weakness

• Circling

• Tremors

• Seizures

• Behavioural change

• Head pressing

• Abnormal reflexes

• Paralysis

• Altered awareness

The presentation depends on the location and extent of brain or spinal-cord inflammation. (ABCD cats and vets)

Eye Signs

Ocular toxoplasmosis may cause anterior or posterior uveitis and retinochoroiditis.

Owners may notice:

• Squinting

• Eye redness

• Cloudiness

• Unequal pupils

• Light sensitivity

• Reduced vision

• A prominent third eyelid

• Changes in iris colour

Untreated or severe uveitis may lead to glaucoma, retinal damage, lens luxation and permanent visual loss. (ABCD cats and vets)

Muscle Signs

Myositis may cause:

• Marked muscle pain

• Reluctance to move

• Stiffness

• Lameness

• Weakness

• Difficulty standing

• Increased creatine kinase

Severe muscle hyperaesthesia can make affected cats appear profoundly painful or unable to rise. (ABCD cats and vets)

Liver and Abdominal Signs

Hepatic or abdominal involvement may produce:

• Jaundice

• Abdominal discomfort

• Increased liver enzymes

• Reduced appetite

• Vomiting

• Weight loss

• Abdominal effusion

• Enlarged abdominal lymph nodes

Hepatic disease is associated with a more guarded prognosis, particularly in immunocompromised cats. (ABCD cats and vets)

Does Toxoplasmosis Cause Diarrhoea?

It can, but toxoplasmosis is not considered a major common cause of feline diarrhoea.

Experimental infection may produce self-limiting small-bowel diarrhoea for one to two weeks in a minority of cats. Persistent diarrhoea should prompt investigation for parasites, diet-responsive disease, infection, pancreatitis or chronic enteropathy rather than being attributed automatically to toxoplasmosis. (ABCD cats and vets)

How Worried Should You Be?

Risk level	What it looks like	What it may mean	What to do
Low risk	Healthy cat that hunts, eats normally and has no clinical signs	Exposure is possible, but clinical disease is not evident	Stop raw feeding and hunting where possible; discuss routine prevention at the next veterinary visit
Moderate	Fever, reduced appetite, lethargy, weight loss, mild eye redness or intermittent lameness	Active infection or another systemic disease is possible	Arrange veterinary examination within 24 hours
High	Squinting, cloudy eye, marked muscle pain, significant weakness, ataxia, jaundice or rapid breathing	Ocular, neurological, muscular, hepatic or pulmonary disease may be present	Seek same-day veterinary care
Critical	Open-mouth breathing, severe respiratory effort, repeated seizures, collapse, inability to stand or minimal responsiveness	Life-threatening pulmonary or neurological disease may be occurring	Attend an emergency hospital immediately

The severity of the cat’s breathing, neurological status and ability to eat matters more than whether the cat has previously hunted or tested antibody-positive. (ABCD cats and vets)

When Is This an Emergency?

Seek immediate veterinary care if your cat develops:

• Open-mouth breathing

• Pronounced abdominal breathing effort

• Blue, grey or very pale gums

• Collapse

• A seizure lasting five minutes or repeated seizures

• Sudden inability to walk

• Severe weakness

• Head pressing or markedly altered awareness

• Severe eye pain or sudden loss of vision

• Inability to eat or swallow

• Profound lethargy with jaundice

• Rapid deterioration over several hours

Keep the cat calm and transport them in a well-ventilated carrier. Do not force food, water or oral medication into a cat that is struggling to breathe, seizuring or unable to swallow safely.

What Else Can Look Like Toxoplasmosis?

Toxoplasmosis can resemble many other feline diseases.

Presentation	Important alternatives
Fever and weight loss	FIP, FeLV, FIV, bacterial infection, lymphoma, fungal disease
Uveitis	FIP, FeLV, FIV, lymphoma, hypertension, fungal infection, trauma
Seizures or ataxia	FIP, cryptococcosis, brain tumour, stroke, toxin exposure, metabolic encephalopathy
Rapid or laboured breathing	Pneumonia, heart failure, asthma, pyothorax, pulmonary tumour, FIP
Jaundice	Cholangitis, hepatic lipidosis, haemolysis, bile-duct obstruction, liver tumour
Muscle pain or weakness	Trauma, hypokalaemia, inflammatory myopathy, spinal disease, thromboembolism
Chronic diarrhoea	Tritrichomonas, Giardia, food-responsive enteropathy, chronic inflammatory enteropathy

The diagnosis should not be based on one positive antibody result when another disease provides a better explanation for the clinical findings. (ABCD cats and vets)

What To Do Right Now

1. Keep the Cat Indoors

Prevent hunting and further exposure to prey, soil and contaminated water.

Indoor confinement also makes appetite, urination, stool and neurological changes easier to monitor.

2. Stop Feeding Raw Meat

Feed a complete commercial cooked diet or properly cooked food recommended by your veterinarian.

Do not rely solely on freezing as a safety step. Cooking remains the more dependable method for inactivating tissue cysts. (ABCD cats and vets)

3. Monitor Breathing

Count your cat’s resting respiratory rate while asleep.

Any persistent increase accompanied by abdominal effort, open-mouth breathing or reduced responsiveness requires urgent care.

4. Record Neurological or Eye Signs

Take a video of:

• Walking

• Tremors

• Circling

• Unusual eye movements

• Seizure-like episodes

Photograph visible eye changes without repeatedly shining bright light into a painful eye.

5. Record Appetite and Weight

Cats with systemic toxoplasmosis may stop eating and lose weight quickly.

A cat eating little or nothing for approximately 24 hours needs veterinary advice, and a kitten or medically fragile cat should be assessed sooner.

6. Do Not Give Leftover Medication

Do not begin:

• Human antibiotics

• Another pet’s clindamycin

• Corticosteroids

• Leftover eye drops

• Antiseizure medication

• Herbal parasite products

Steroid eye drops can worsen some corneal infections and should only be used after the eye has been examined.

7. Protect High-Risk Household Members

If someone is pregnant or immunocompromised:

• Have another person clean the litter tray where possible.

• Clean it every day.

• Wear disposable gloves if direct handling is unavoidable.

• Wash hands thoroughly afterwards.

• Prevent the cat from hunting.

• Do not feed raw meat.

• Avoid adopting or handling stray kittens during the high-risk period.

There is usually no need to rehome an established healthy cat. (CDC)

How Do Veterinarians Diagnose Clinical Toxoplasmosis?

There is no single routine blood test that proves every case.

The diagnosis combines:

• Clinical signs

• Physical and neurological examination

• Eye examination

• Blood and urine results

• Imaging

• Antibody testing

• Detection of the organism where possible

• Exclusion of other diseases

• Response to appropriate treatment

(ABCD cats and vets)

Routine Blood Tests

Possible abnormalities include:

• Increased liver enzymes

• Hypoalbuminaemia

• Changes in white-cell numbers

• Increased creatine kinase with myositis

• Bilirubin elevation

• Nonspecific inflammatory findings

None of these changes is diagnostic by itself. (ABCD cats and vets)

IgG and IgM Antibody Testing

Antibody testing helps determine whether the cat has been exposed.

Positive IgG

A positive IgG result usually means previous exposure.

It does not prove:

• Active clinical disease

• Current oocyst shedding

• That toxoplasmosis explains the cat’s symptoms

Most antibody-positive cats have completed their brief shedding period. (ABCD cats and vets)

Positive IgM or Rising IgG

A high IgM titre or rising antibody titre increases suspicion of recent or active infection, particularly when the clinical signs fit.

This supports treatment but does not provide the same certainty as directly detecting the organism. (ABCD cats and vets)

Negative Antibody Test

A negative antibody result makes clinical toxoplasmosis less likely.

Very early infection before antibody formation remains possible, so the result must still be interpreted alongside timing and clinical findings. (ABCD cats and vets)

Detecting the Organism

Definitive confirmation requires detecting tachyzoites or parasite DNA within appropriate tissue or body fluid.

Potential samples include:

• Cerebrospinal fluid

• Aqueous humour from the eye

• Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid

• Transtracheal wash

• Lymph-node aspirate

• Muscle biopsy

• Lung aspirate

• Pleural or abdominal fluid

• Other affected tissue

Detection may use cytology, histopathology, immunohistochemistry or PCR. (ABCD cats and vets)

Is Blood PCR Reliable?

Tachyzoites are rarely present in peripheral blood, so a negative blood PCR does not reliably exclude clinical disease.

PCR is often more useful when performed on fluid or tissue from the affected organ, such as CSF, aqueous humour or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. (ABCD cats and vets)

Can Faecal Testing Diagnose Clinical Toxoplasmosis?

Not usually.

A routine faecal flotation has limited usefulness because:

• Shedding lasts only one to three weeks.

• Most clinically ill cats are no longer shedding.

• Oocysts are very small.

• T. gondii oocysts resemble those of several non-zoonotic coccidia.

• The presence of oocysts does not prove systemic disease.

Faecal PCR is more useful when the question is whether the cat is currently shedding, rather than whether toxoplasmosis is causing neurological, ocular or respiratory signs. (Companion Animal Parasite Council)

Should a Healthy Cat Be Tested To Protect a Pregnant Owner?

Routine testing of a healthy pet cat is not usually the most useful protective strategy.

A positive antibody result generally means the cat was infected previously and is unlikely to be shedding. A negative result means the cat remains susceptible and could begin shedding after a new infection.

Daily litter cleaning, preventing hunting and avoiding raw meat are therefore more reliable protective measures than repeatedly testing a healthy cat. (ABCD cats and vets)

How Is Toxoplasmosis Treated in Cats?

Clindamycin

Clindamycin is the treatment of choice for clinical feline toxoplasmosis.

A commonly recommended veterinary protocol is:

Clindamycin 10 to 12.5 mg/kg by mouth every 12 hours for 28 days.

This is prescription treatment and must be selected and monitored by the veterinarian. Dose, formulation and supportive treatment may need adjustment for the individual patient. (ABCD cats and vets)

How Quickly Should Treatment Work?

Fever, muscle pain and other non-ocular, non-neurological signs often begin improving within two to three days.

Eye and central nervous system disease may respond more slowly. Lung abnormalities on radiographs can take several weeks to resolve. (ABCD cats and vets)

Failure to show meaningful improvement within the expected period should prompt reassessment for:

• An incorrect diagnosis

• Irreversible tissue damage

• Poor medication administration

• Severe immunosuppression

• Another concurrent disease

Ocular Treatment

Cats with toxoplasma-associated uveitis generally require systemic clindamycin plus carefully selected topical anti-inflammatory treatment.

Topical corticosteroids may be used to reduce damaging intraocular inflammation and the risk of secondary glaucoma or lens complications. These medications must only be prescribed after an appropriate ophthalmic examination. (ABCD cats and vets)

Neurological Treatment

Cats with seizures or severe neurological disease may also require:

• Antiseizure medication

• Fluid and nutritional support

• Management of intracranial complications

• Nursing care

• Physiotherapy during recovery

• Investigation of concurrent immunosuppressive disease

Respiratory Treatment

Pulmonary toxoplasmosis may require:

• Oxygen

• Minimal-stress handling

• Hospitalisation

• Antiparasitic treatment

• Fluid support used cautiously

• Nutritional support

• Monitoring of oxygenation

• Thoracic imaging

Pulmonary disease carries a more guarded prognosis, particularly in immunocompromised cats. (ABCD cats and vets)

Other Medications

Pyrimethamine-sulfonamide combinations, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and azithromycin have been used in selected cases. However, clindamycin remains the usual first choice in feline clinical practice. (Companion Animal Parasite Council)

Pyrimethamine can suppress bone-marrow function and requires particularly careful veterinary supervision.

Does Treatment Eliminate the Parasite?

No.

Treatment controls tachyzoite multiplication and clinical inflammation, but dormant bradyzoite tissue cysts may remain within the body.

Because the organism is not completely eliminated, clinical recurrence is possible, particularly if immune control later becomes impaired. (ABCD cats and vets)

This does not mean that every recovered cat will relapse. Many cats recover and remain clinically normal for the rest of their lives.

Should an Asymptomatic Positive Cat Be Treated?

Usually not.

A healthy cat with a positive IgG antibody result generally has evidence of previous infection rather than active disease.

Treatment is normally reserved for cats with compatible clinical signs, supportive diagnostic findings and a reasonable suspicion that toxoplasmosis is causing those signs. (ABCD cats and vets)

The same principle applies to a healthy hunter. Exposure prevention is sensible, but preventive clindamycin is not routinely indicated simply because the cat catches rodents.

What Is the Prognosis?

The prognosis depends heavily on which organs are affected.

More Favourable Prognosis

The outlook is generally better when:

• Treatment starts early.

• Disease is limited rather than multisystemic.

• The cat remains able to eat and breathe normally.

• There is no major immunosuppressive condition.

• Clinical improvement begins within several days.

• Eye disease is treated before irreversible damage develops.

More Guarded Prognosis

The outlook becomes more guarded with:

• Severe pneumonia

• Hepatic failure

• Congenital infection

• Profound neurological dysfunction

• Repeated seizures

• Severe immunosuppression

• Delayed treatment

• Permanent ocular damage

• Failure to respond to clindamycin

Pulmonary and hepatic disease are particularly associated with poor outcomes in immunocompromised cats. (ABCD cats and vets)

Toxoplasmosis and Pregnancy

The major human pregnancy risk occurs when a person becomes newly infected during or shortly before pregnancy. The parasite can cross the placenta and may cause fetal eye disease, neurological damage, miscarriage or stillbirth. The pregnant person may have no obvious symptoms. (CDC)

Do You Need To Rehome Your Cat?

Usually, no.

An established indoor cat eating commercial cooked food and not hunting presents a very low risk when sensible hygiene is followed.

Practical precautions include:

• Have someone else clean the litter tray.

• If this is impossible, wear disposable gloves.

• Clean the tray every day.

• Wash hands thoroughly afterwards.

• Feed no raw meat.

• Keep the cat indoors.

• Avoid handling stray cats, particularly kittens.

• Wear gloves while gardening.

• Wash fruit and vegetables.

• Cook meat thoroughly.

(CDC)

The cheeseboard and gardening gloves deserve at least as much attention as the cat. The cat has merely had better public relations from the parasite’s point of view.

Toxoplasmosis and Immunocompromised People

People with HIV, chemotherapy, organ transplants or other significant immune suppression are at greater risk of severe primary disease or reactivation of a previous infection.

They should discuss their personal risk with their physician and follow enhanced food, soil and litter hygiene. (CDC)

Veterinarians advise about the cat and environmental management. Human testing, preventive medication and treatment decisions must be made by a medical doctor.

How Should the Litter Tray Be Cleaned?

Daily Cleaning Is the Priority

Remove faeces every day, before oocysts have time to sporulate.

This is far more important than attempting to sterilise a dirty tray after infectious oocysts have already developed. (CDC)

Wash the Tray Properly

A practical process is:

1. Remove all litter and visible faecal material.

2. Wash with detergent and water.

3. Rinse thoroughly.

4. Use scalding water or steam where safe and appropriate.

5. Allow the tray to dry.

6. Avoid burns to the person cleaning it.

7. Dispose of litter in a sealed bag.

Sporulated oocysts resist most ordinary household disinfectants, so spraying disinfectant over organic material is not a dependable control method. (Companion Animal Parasite Council)

Can Toxoplasmosis Be Prevented?

Keep Cats Indoors

Indoor living reduces access to rodents, birds, contaminated soil and untreated water.

A secure catio can provide outdoor enrichment without unrestricted hunting.

Do Not Feed Raw Meat

Feed a complete commercial cooked diet or properly cooked meat.

Raw-meat feeding is a recognised and avoidable risk factor for feline exposure. (ABCD cats and vets)

Prevent Hunting

Use:

• Indoor housing

• Secure outdoor enclosures

• Enrichment

• Puzzle feeding

• Interactive hunting-style play

• Rodent control that does not expose the cat to poisoned prey

Clean Litter Daily

Prompt removal prevents unsporulated oocysts from becoming infectious.

Protect Food and Water

Keep cats away from:

• Livestock housing

• Animal-feed storage

• Raw-meat preparation areas

• Contaminated soil

• Untreated outdoor water

Plan Before Breeding

Breeding queens should be kept indoors, fed cooked food and prevented from hunting throughout pregnancy and nursing.

No Vaccine Is Available

There is currently no commercially available feline toxoplasmosis vaccine. Experimental vaccines have reduced oocyst shedding in research settings but have not produced routine protection against systemic infection. (ABCD cats and vets)

Common Toxoplasmosis Mistakes

Assuming Every Positive Antibody Test Means Active Disease

Antibodies commonly indicate previous exposure. They do not prove that the cat is currently unwell or shedding oocysts.

Assuming a Sick Cat Is Currently Infectious to People

Cats with systemic clinical toxoplasmosis are usually not in the brief intestinal shedding phase.

Treating Every Case of Diarrhoea as Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is not a major common cause of feline diarrhoea.

Feeding Raw Meat to “Build Natural Immunity”

Raw meat is one of the most effective ways to expose a cat to viable tissue cysts.

Cleaning the Litter Tray Only Once a Week

Daily cleaning prevents oocysts from becoming infectious. Weekly cleaning gives them plenty of time to sporulate and settle in for a long lease.

Using Household Disinfectant as the Main Control Method

Mature oocysts resist many disinfectants. Physical cleaning, daily faeces removal and heat are more useful.

Rehoming a Cat During Pregnancy

Most people can safely keep their cat with appropriate food, soil and litter precautions.

Starting Clindamycin From a Previous Prescription

Clinical toxoplasmosis resembles many other diseases, and inappropriate treatment may delay the correct diagnosis.

Using Steroid Eye Drops Without an Eye Examination

Ocular steroids may be appropriate for confirmed uveitis but can be harmful in other eye diseases.

Assuming Every Neurological Sign in a Hunter Is Toxoplasmosis

FIP, cryptococcosis, toxins, tumours, stroke and metabolic disease remain important alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an indoor cat get toxoplasmosis?

Yes, but the risk is lower. Possible routes include infection acquired before adoption, eating a rodent that enters the home, raw-meat feeding or contact with contaminated soil or water.

How long is a cat contagious after infection?

Most cats shed oocysts for approximately 10 to 14 days, occasionally up to about three weeks. The oocysts are not immediately infectious and generally require one to five days in the environment to sporulate. (ABCD cats and vets)

Can I catch toxoplasmosis by petting my cat?

Ordinary petting is considered very low risk. Human infection is more commonly acquired through undercooked meat, contaminated soil, unwashed produce or water. (ABCD cats and vets)

Should a pregnant person get rid of their cat?

No, not in most circumstances. Daily litter cleaning by another household member, gloves, handwashing, indoor housing and avoiding raw meat greatly reduce risk. (CDC)

Can toxoplasmosis return after treatment?

Yes. Treatment controls active tachyzoites but does not eliminate dormant tissue cysts, so recurrence is possible if the infection later reactivates. (ABCD cats and vets)

Final Thoughts

Toxoplasmosis is common as an infection but uncommon as a clinical disease in cats.

The most important points are:

1. Cats are the definitive hosts of Toxoplasma gondii.

2. Most cats become infected by eating prey or raw meat.

3. Many exposed cats remain completely healthy.

4. Cats generally shed oocysts only briefly after their first infection.

5. Fresh faeces are not immediately infectious.

6. Daily litter cleaning removes oocysts before they mature.

7. Antibody-positive cats are generally past the shedding stage.

8. A positive antibody result does not diagnose active disease.

9. Clinical toxoplasmosis may affect the eyes, lungs, nervous system, muscles, liver and lymph nodes.

10. Congenitally infected kittens can develop severe or fatal disease.

11. Clindamycin is the usual treatment for clinical feline toxoplasmosis.

12. Non-ocular and non-neurological signs should often begin improving within two to three days.

13. Treatment does not eliminate dormant tissue cysts, so recurrence is possible.

14. Human infection is more often foodborne or environmentally acquired than contracted from touching a cat.

15. Pregnant and immunocompromised people usually do not need to give up their cats.

16. Raw-meat avoidance, preventing hunting and daily litter hygiene provide the strongest practical protection.

17. There is no commercially available feline vaccine.

18. Breathing difficulty, seizures, collapse, severe eye pain or inability to stand requires urgent care.

The mistake that causes the greatest harm is treating every exposed cat as though they are currently infectious, while missing the small number of cats that are genuinely developing serious disease.

Most cats with antibodies are healthy and no longer shedding. The cat that needs urgent attention is the one who cannot breathe, cannot see, cannot walk or is rapidly becoming unwell.

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ASK A VET™ can help you organise antibody results, exposure history, eye photographs, breathing changes and neurological videos while you work directly with your cat’s veterinary team. A cat with open-mouth breathing, seizures, collapse, severe eye pain or rapidly progressive weakness still requires immediate hands-on veterinary care.