Toxoplasma gondii, shed in cat feces, poses public health risks but the connection to cat welfare involves balancing responsible cat ownership with support for cats as companions and pest controllers.
The toxoplasmosis connection to cats creates welfare considerations primarily for the cats themselves — because fear of the parasite sometimes leads to inappropriate management decisions, including abandonment of cats during pregnancy or excessive restriction of cat behavior. The actual risk of transmission from properly managed indoor cats to healthy adults is very low. Welfare-centered management includes keeping cats indoors to prevent hunting and scavenging, feeding commercial cat food rather than raw meat, and cleaning litter boxes daily. These practices protect human health and cat welfare simultaneously by preventing exposure to the parasite for the cat while ensuring cats remain in stable, loving homes.