The nurse is interviewing a gravid woman during the first prenatal visit. The woman confides to the nurse that she lives with a number of pets. The nurse should advise the woman to be especially careful to refrain from coming in contact with the stool of which of the pets?

The correct answer emphasizes the importance of not coming into contact with cat feces during pregnancy due to the risk of toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that can have serious consequences for fetal development. Toxoplasmosis can be transmitted to humans through contact with cat litter or soil that has been contaminated with the feces of infected cats.

This risk highlights the need for pregnant women to take extra precautions around cats, particularly in ensuring that someone else handles the litter box and that they practice good hygiene if they must be around it. Symptoms of toxoplasmosis can be mild in adults but can cause serious complications such as congenital defects or miscarriage if transmitted to the fetus.

While other pets like dogs and hamsters can also pose health risks, particularly in terms of zoonotic diseases, they do not carry the same specific risk for toxoplasmosis. Birds, while they can have their own unique risks (such as psittacosis), do not pose the same direct threat related to fecal contact as cats do.