Rumor: Nicole Richie has dad watch her cat during pregnancy
Reality star Nicole Richie, 25, is apparently taking a small break from her cat, a source tells Star Magazine. Nicole is letting father Lionel Richie, 58, look over the cat until she gives birth. A source explains:
She loves her cat but says she can’t stand to be around it right now. She wants it back after she gives birth.
Nicole is expecting her first child with Good Charlotte rocker Joel Madden, 28, in early January.
Source: Star Magazine
Have you ever had a problem being around your pet during pregnancy? What did you do?
Tags: Expecting, Joel Madden, Nicole Richie, Pets
Post a comment
Comments are moderated, and will not appear until the site staff has approved them.
The following types of comments will not be posted:
- namecalling.
- any type of discrimination.
- explicit sexual references.
- advertising and spam.
- off-topic and completely unrelated to the post.
We are cautious about discussions on volatile topics such as abortion, religion, politics and race.
If you have questions, concerns, or breaking news to share, please contact us at CBBTips@gmail.com rather than posting a comment.
Feel free to agree or disagree with each other as long as you do it respectfully, remembering that we all have our own experiences and perspectives. Keep in mind that there are people on the other end reading what you write.
Comments are moderated, and will not appear on this weblog until the author has approved them.
September 14th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
This may or may not be part of her reason, but pregnant woman are not supposed to clean cat litterboxes because of the risk of getting toxoplasmosis.
September 14th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
I had a cat before I was pregnant with my first child. We used the pregnancy as an excuse to send it to my mom’s. Pregnant women aren’t to be around the cat litter. I didn’t mind our dog, but worried what he would do when the baby came home. He has been a great companion to both of my kids so far. He loves to play with them and is protective.
September 14th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
I agree with the other two comments. I think that it was a health concern rather than her not wanting to be around the cat. Which obviously shows good judgment on her part for not wanting to put herself and her child at risk.
September 14th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
She could always have someone else clean the litterbox – duh! That’s what I do – my fiance is in charge of that now.
September 14th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
toxoplamosis is only a threat if you have an outdoor cat and have not spent time around cats. if you have had outdoor cats before, you were probably already exposed to it and are now immune. btw..you can also get toxoplaxsmosis from soil while gardening..not just cats and litter.
Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Chances are fairly high that you have already been exposed to the parasite and your immune system has produced antibodies against it. (Most people do not experience any problems from this parasite and consequently do not know they have been exposed.) If the mother has been infected before becoming pregnant, her baby will be protected through her immune system.
There are several ways the parasite can be transferred from a cat’s feces to humans. The two most common routes of infection are eating raw or undercooked meat and gardening or handling soil that has been contaminated. It is possible, though not likely, to be transferred directly by contact with feces while cleaning the litter box of an infected cat. Fruits and vegetables grown in contaminated soil can spread toxoplasma if they are not washed before consumption.
http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/petcolumns/index.cfm?function=showarticle&id=402
September 14th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
When I had my first children I didn’t have a cat so there was no worry but now we have 5.
My husband and I have spoken about the risks of me doing the litter tray when/if I get pregnant and he has agreed that he will do it. I don’t think there is any need to get rid of the cat for the period of pregnancy, just be careful around the litter tray.
September 14th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
I agree with the other comments. When I became pregnant, the cat went to my mom’s house.
Unfortunately, the cat was hit by a car before we could get him back….
But it was the same reasoning as the first commentors… Pregnant women aren’t supposed to take care of litter boxes… And for the other woman who said her fiance now takes care of it, it doesn’t matter. You need to stay completely away from kitty litter or anywhere it might get tracked on kitty’s paws…
Good luck.
September 14th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Well said, stupidsexyflanders! (Great username, by the way….these pants feel like I’m wearing nothing at all! nothing at all!)
This is just another issue about which I feel that people need to be educated. Pets aren’t disposable, and getting rid of a cat just cos you’re pregnant for a few months is irresponsible and doesn’t bode well for a person’s parenting skills. There are a LOT of things that pregnant women have to be aware of–what medications they take, what food they eat, what exercise they do–cats aren’t the only potential hazard out there.
Long story short…if you are cavalier about chucking the cat, RETHINK BECOMING A PARENT.
September 14th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
I know this story is about Nicole having her dad take the cat only while she’s pregnant. But the topic of pets and pregnancy really gets me – and I’m not even a big animal activist. Check out the pets listing of craigslist and you’ll see all the people every day giving away their pets before the baby is even born. I just don’t get it. Pets are a commitment just as children are. Of course if a pet just can’t adjust to a new baby then sure, people come first. But many people just use a pregnancy or new baby as an excuse to get rid of a pet. Very sad.
September 14th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
We don’t know the whole story, obviously. Maybe the cat is nuts and honestly just bugs her and she can’t deal with the extra stress right now, maybe she’s developing allergies that didn’t bother her before, maybe she’s just overly worried about the litterbox and has enough stress to deal with, maybe the cat is “creating” smells that are making her feel sick (pregnant women often have a heightened sense of smell) or maybe the story isn’t even true. She’s pregnant and seems to be doing well and making a huge effort to stay healthy, so I think we should give her a break as far as her cat goes.
September 14th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
It may also be that her pregnancy induced reactions (i.e., Smells or allergies) is causing a reaction. If she was allergic before and was taking medication for it, and now can’t because of the pregnancy, then it might be for another reason, other than toxoplasmosis. Just a thought
September 14th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
I agree 100% with stupidsexyflanders! Some people just get plain old freeky and anal during pregnancy. They act as if they are so fragile and go through the whole pregnancy paranoid. Educating yourself is the best thing to do. I *gasp* cleaned the litter box numerous times while I was pregnant. My husband had business trips and was on call. The box had to get cleaned. I just washed my hands immediately after. My Dr. said it was fine and to relax and not worry about it. He just asked me not to lick my hands or handle food without washing my hands first. Something anybody prego or not would do anyways.
As far as having pet problems during a pregnancy I did. My cat was fine, but a puppy we had wasn’t. He was 30 weeks old when we found out I was pregnant. At first things were great, but then the sickness and smell sensitivity set in. I was constantly taking him to be bathed. He wasn’t dirty. The only time he went outside was to potty, walks or play a little. Nobody else noticed the smell but me. I could have my back to the door and would know instantly if he entered the room by smell. They all thought I was crazy, but it honestly would make me throw up smelling him. We battled it for a month and then ended up finding him a wonderful home with a close friend. I tried my hardest to stick it out, but couldn’t which was unfair to him. We would have to keep him away from any room I was in which in the evenings caused him to be alone in another room. We felt we did the most responsible action to solve the problem.
September 14th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
I 100% completely agree with Stef & Madison.
Some people get so over-the-top about what to avoid when pregnant it almost stops them living a normal exsistance. Seriously who would not wash their hands immediately after using kitty litter anyway? Pregnant or not?
I find it very irresponsible to just offload an animal like that. Secondly its a HUGE responsibilty for the parents they are offloading them too (one they may not want, but feel too bad to say so!) As one poster has said above, their cat got hit and killed under the parents care (how horrible would they have felt?)
September 14th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Stef – hear, hear! I couldn’t have said it better myself.
September 14th, 2007 at 8:37 pm
Well this may not be popular…but IMO Jilliansmommy- of anyone to criticize, it would be you here. It is well known that handling kitty litter, however carefully, is not reccommended while pg. However you want to justify it…It wouldn’t be a Dr.’s RECCOMMENDATION if it were meant to be ignored. People go ahead and do what they want on all kinds of md reccommendations, but to see you comment on someone else why you had questionable judgement is really going too far IMHO.
September 14th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
My cat drove me nuts when I was pregnant. She was extremely clingy. Every time I was sitting down she had to be right on my lap, nudging me to pet her. I read somewhere that hormones created during pregnancy can be very attractive to cats. Once the baby was born, the cat was back to her usual standoffish self.
As for the litterbox, my husband did that while I was pregnant. It’s really not a big deal though, especially if your cat doesn’t go outdoors.
September 14th, 2007 at 9:38 pm
I agree about our pets being like children, my dog will always be my unoffical firsborn. When I was 9 months pregnant, with an almost 2 year old at home, our dog tore her ACL and had surgery. I had to hoist her up and down the stairs of our deck (in the snow) to get to the lawn to be able to potty. It was the biggest pain, figuratively and literally for me! But what other choice did I have, there’s not a chance I would have abandonded her or put her in someone else’s home, pregnant or not.
That said, we don’t live in Nicole’s house, so I guess we’ll never really know her reason for ousting her kitty. So long as she doesn’t do that to the baby
September 14th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
It’s one thing if your pet becomes really agressive or dangerous, but they shouldn’t be treated as if they’re disposable. They’re living things that you can’t just get rid of when you feel like it. If someone is that paranoid about cleaning kitty litter when they’re pregnant and they’re planning on having kids, they shouldn’t buy a cat- period. Animals aren’t disposable.
September 14th, 2007 at 10:36 pm
I agree with the posters who mentioned the toxomplasmosis issue. IMO, it’s better to be safe than sorry. I also don’t think it’s fair to judge what kind of parent Nicole will be by what she has supposably done with her cat.
All of that said, keep in mind that this information came from Star, which is one of the most unreliable magazines out there! Therefore, there is a very good chance that it may not even be true.
September 14th, 2007 at 11:19 pm
Mommyneedswine- I would do the same for my dog no matter what. She is a member of the family too! I just had to say your username made me laugh out lough..haha! too funny.
As for Nicole…it’s probably a fake story. Even if it is true who cares, im sure there was a reason. Doesnt she also have a few dogs? Im sure she isnt just pawning her cat off for no good reason!
September 14th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
I hope she isn’t just giving up the cat, because now she has a baby and doesn’t think the cat is important no more. Nicole always seemed like an animal lover, so I’m a bit surprised at this.
Sarah’s note: Sounds like she wants it back though, so hopefully that’s the case (if this is even true!).
September 14th, 2007 at 11:38 pm
I don’t understand why some of you are equating having someone else temporarily care for the cat with abandoning it. It’s still being properly cared for (presumably).
It’s no different from what I do when I go on vacation and have a friend care for my cat – it’s just for a slightly longer amount of time. What’s the big deal?
September 15th, 2007 at 2:48 am
I agree with all the posters that said people should educate themselves more and not use a pregnancy as a reason to give an animal away. As we don’t know what is behind Christina’s action I will not criticize her personally.
I do hope though that she takes her cat back when she’s had her baby as it is proven that kids who grow up with pets have much less allergies themselves.
September 15th, 2007 at 3:48 am
i tested my two cats of toxoplasmosis, they are healty, so i will keep them!!!!! i love them so much…
greetings from germany..
antoni (9. weeks pregnant)
September 15th, 2007 at 4:00 am
LOL Sara my experience was much the same as yours. I have a siamese and he drove me up the wall during my pregnancy, very very clingy. He would insist on lying on my tummy.
My midwife told me it is very very common for new mums to suddenly develop a dislike for their cats.
I admit to having very confused feelings about both my dog and cat after the birth of my third child.
The dog began to mess in the kitchen, due to the attention being shifted onto the new baby. The cats hunting really upset me, and I could not bear him near me.
I’m sure it was purely hormones and I am happy to report a happy balance has been restored in our home
However I do confess to mad moments when I thought it would be much easier without them, but I’m convinced it was hormones.
September 15th, 2007 at 11:25 am
i guess i dont understand what the big deal is.. sounds to me like the cat is going to be taken care of for the near future……. maybe she knows someone who lost a child due to the disease you can get from the cats.. guess maybe we should not judge until we walk in her shoes…
September 15th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Kel,
My cat was tested for toxoplasmosis by recommendation by my Dr. Instead of being rude and criticizing somebody, you should find out their exact situation. I didn’t realize that every post we had to find somebody to “criticize” to make our post interesting! I was actually under the impression that wasn’t allowed. I was simply posting what I did in regards to my cat. It in no way was meant to be the only way. I just stated that people need to be more educated before attacking other people’s decisions. My cat had never been outside. His parents and grandparents had also not been outside EVER! They are show siamese (we don’t show him) and actually had to sign contracts stating we would never let him out. My husband did most of the litter cleaning and some family also did it when over. When there is nobody home to assist I am not going to let it and get full which would be abuse to the cat.
As far as the puppy goes, I still feel horrible about giving him away. He is in a perfect home and we are lucky he lives two houses down, so we get to see him daily! I will never adopt another dog in fear of having one more child, and going through the same feelings again. I learned the hard way and am taking full responsibilty from it.
September 15th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Jillian-Anyways, my post was in defense of criticism if you would take a step back. And in your situation that seems really extreme & you were making it seem as though the advice to stay away from kitty litter was silly & trivial-which it isn’t. IMO nothing would make me clean a litter box while PG- not testing, pedigree, knowledge of cats whereabouts. Thats only MY opinion…thats what this site does-lets people give their opinions. I think there are so many unknown dangers for pg, I would never take a chance but hey, thats why everyone can make their own pregnancy choices.
September 15th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
My advice was simply to educate yourself based off your personal situation. I did exactly that and learned where I stood in the sense of being safe. I never said it was something every pregnant woman should do. My exact quote was “Educating yourself is the best thing to do.” If that quote is followed each person will do exactly as the quote is meant to recommend. Some will find that they are in the same situation as me, and others will find that it is in their best interest to find another person to clean the box. I didn’t jump for joy each time I cleaned the box. I even used gloves now and then or used a head band to hold a paper towel over my nose to avoid the dust and smell of the sand. IMO a dirty box full of feces and urine is very unsanitary for everybody in the home. I didn’t want my cat going in there and then walking around the house or laying on furniture! Yuck!
September 15th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
I think the meaning of the posts of myself, jilliansmommy and a few others was simply to actually learn about something before you decide to give away an animal..if you have an indoor only cat, or if you have had outdoor cats before, your chances of getting toxoplasmosis and slim. I volunteer at a cat rescue and it’s heartbeaking to see so many wonderful animals who have just been given up by their owners ( and I am not talking about people who have had realatives(etc) take care of them, some people do have legitimate reasons when they are preggers) I am talking about people who use this disease as an excuse to get rid of their pet. BTW.. I have 3 kids, and cleaned my cats litter boxes with no gloves each and every time because I had a well informed Ob/Gyn who knew the facts about toxoplasmosis.
September 15th, 2007 at 11:39 pm
Give me a break. You don’t know the reasons why Nicole is having her father take care of her cat. Making judgements about her as a parent when you don’t know the circumstances is ridiculous. I think I’ve heard it all now.
September 16th, 2007 at 7:03 am
Hasn’t Nicole been away a lot with her bf while he is on tour?- maybe that is why the cat is with her father (if it is). Maybe she prefers to do that rather than put it into a cattery.
September 16th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Who cares what Nicole’s reasons are. Unless the cat was agressive, there was no reason to give it up. If she knew she was going to have children, then she shouldn’t have gotten a cat then in the first place. Some of us are grown-ups and make responsible decisions. I know I want to have kids in the future so, until then, I don’t think I’m going to buy a cat. It’s called personal responsibility. I’m not going to buy a cat, get pregnant, and then say “oops, I have to get rid of you now because you might make me sick.” ridiculous!
September 17th, 2007 at 10:48 am
Most of you are already exposed to toxo anyway. Just walking barefoot on the ground can do it. I went to vet school and there is really very little to worry about as long as you wear gloves to clean the litter or have someone else do it. Certainly no reason to panic and give up the cat. Millions of cats are given up for reasons attributed to their owners, not themselves, and because of this, 3-5 million are euthanized every year. This is a very sad statistic. Think carefully about this the next time you get pregnant and want to dump the cat because you don’t know the facts or choose not to believe them.