My Not-So-Purrfect Secret: How I Found Out I Had Toxoplasmosis from My Furry Friends

I've been a cat lover since I was a kid. There's just something about their softness, fluffiness, and adorable little meows that gets me every time. I've always been a cat person, and we've had a few furry friends at home over the years.I've even written about the joys of cat ownership. But, it seems like something changed at some point, and my love for our feline friends became a bit of a problem...

October 2025I think it's safe to say that any woman who's been pregnant has had to get a blood test for TORCH infections at some point during their pregnancy. I've been pregnant twice, and both times I had to get these tests done. The results always came back clean, and my doctor would often ask if I'd been around cats before or during my pregnancy. The answer was always yes.

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❓What's a TORCH infection blood test?

TORCH infections, or the TORCH complex, is a series of tests that pregnant women have to undergo to check for infections like toxoplasmosis, rubella, herpes, and cytomegalovirus.

The name TORCH comes from the first letter of each of these infections:

T — toxoplasmosis;O (others) — other infections (including syphilis, hepatitis B, and chickenpox) — are not part of the study;R (rubella) — German measles;C — cytomegalovirus;H — herpes I and II type.You can see that toxoplasmosis is at the top of the abbreviation list. It's been 13 years since I gave birth, and I've never had to take a test like this again, let alone a separate blood test for toxoplasmosis.

When I was seeing my previous gynecologist, she recommended I take various tests for infections (back in 2018) because I had some minor deviations, but no toxoplasmosis was found. I completed the prescribed treatment, and then I took the tests again. Everything was fine, and I forgot about infections for several years, as no one was bothering me with them.

Fast forward to that year when I had to change gynecologists, I took a blood test for toxoplasmosis. I went to the new doctor with a question about the myoma of the uterus that had become active. The doctor looked at my previous test results, the ultrasound scans, and we talked. She examined me, and we decided to take fresh tests, do another ultrasound, and check if I have toxoplasmosis. The gynecologist probably said that the test would be positive.

I got a referral to a private clinic for a blood test, but I ended up going to a different one that was closer to me. The doctor said I could get the test done right away, but it would cost more, and I had a choice. If there's toxoplasma in my blood, it would show up anyway. I decided to go with the cheaper test.

first referral for toxoplasma tests What I want to mention right off the bat is that there's both a qualitative and quantitative blood test for toxoplasmosis. If you've already started testing for toxoplasmosis in one lab, it's worth sticking with the same lab and the same initial results.I had read up on this test and talked to my gynecologist, but in the end, I went with the combo.

🩸I ended up doing the blood test for toxoplasmosis both qualitatively and quantitatively, and on avidity, and in different clinics. Amidst all this back-and-forth, I got the test done in a polyclinic using my OMS policy. As it turned out, it can be done using the policy, which I didn't know at the time, and the therapist didn't mention it when I came to get the referral for the ferritin test and asked if I could get the toxoplasma test done too. Maybe it wasn't available through OMS, I don't remember. When it was time to get fresh blood tests for my gynecologist and endocrinologist on September 2, 2025, I saw the toxoplasma graphs in the referral, and of course, I asked for the notation for that test as well.

Direction to a state clinic for blood tests under an OMS policyWhen I got the results from the budget clinic, I found out that the toxoplasma was still there. But the numbers looked a bit different from my previous paid tests. I'd had two tests for toxoplasmosis under my OMS policy, both after treatment prescribed by my gynecologist. Here's the first result, a while after treatment.

Blood test for toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma) under an OMS policy in a state clinicI'd had the treatment in the spring - antibiotics and other meds (I'll leave links to those in the review's conclusion). But then I took some herbal remedies, including crushed wormwood and sage, for a course. I'd consulted with my gynecologist and therapist first, and they told me that in my case, the toxoplasma would be with me for good, and that the wormwood wouldn't get rid of it. Oh well, I took the herbal remedies with some breaks, just to feel more at ease...

For example, one of them, on June 19, 2025And here's the second blood test result for toxoplasmosis under my OMS policy. If I'm reading this right, the result is better than the first one.

I didn't include all the photos from my blood test for toxoplasmosis, but the results didn't change much from one analysis to the next. And after treatment, my gynecologist reassured me that I could still live a normal life, especially since I'm not planning to get pregnant anytime soon.

I'll show you the first blood test results when toxoplasmosis was detected and I found out about it.

I'm taking my first tests for infections for my new gynecologist And the results are in...When I saw the positive test result, I was a bit disappointed, but not entirely surprised. I know the common ways humans get infected with toxoplasmosis. I wash my veggies, fruits, and fish, and I cook them properly, but I still interact with my cats frequently and actively. They're the main carriers of this infection.

📖 A quick fact from the depths of Yandex:

Cats are the primary carriers of toxoplasmosis. This is because only in a cat's body does the parasite complete its full life cycle and reproduce.

In a cat's intestine, the parasite goes through a cycle of sexual reproduction, producing oocysts that are excreted in the feces and released into the environment.

I've been scratching my head over how our furry little friends can get infected with this sneaky parasite, only to become sources of its spread themselves.

For one, they might be eating infected prey – a rodent or bird. Once the cysts are in their digestive system, they release their reproductive cells and multiply through sexual reproduction, producing active oocysts. They might be consuming raw meat (if they're fed that way), grass contaminated with cysts, or subpar water. They could be coming into contact with another infected animal. They might even pick it up from my shoes or clothes. And then there's the vertical transmission – the parasite can pass from an infected pregnant cat to her kittens during fetal development or through breastfeeding.

But here's the thing: cats aren't always infectious. They only spread oocysts during the acute phase of the disease (around 21 days). These are mostly released in their feces, but they don't become active right away – it takes them 1 to 3 days to mature in the right conditions.

I have to admit, this news caught me off guard, but it's also kinda predictable. I'm the one who cleans the litter box, and we've got one neutered cat named Persik living with us. Plus, we've got a garden. I've been tending to it for years, growing everything from tomatoes to carrots, beets, and even purple carrots. Our cats love to dig in the soft soil, and sometimes they're joined by our neighbors' cats. It's a real pain, to be honest. If you're a gardener, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. I've tried various ways to keep them away, but it's been a long, uphill battle with mixed results.

Here's a photo of the cats that just loved our potato patches.

April 12, 2025I guess I owe a thank you to the cats for leaving the other beds alone that year. I've been reading up on ways to keep them out of our garden, and I decided to give one method a try. I sprinkled some cayenne pepper around the plants and added some old rosemary branches to the mix. The cats took a look, seemed to appreciate my efforts, and just kept on digging. I've also heard that tobacco dust is a great deterrent, but it didn't seem to faze our feline friends - or their neighbors, for that matter.

14.04.25 г. ветки малины на грядке и красный молотый перец I'm pretty sure I must have picked up toxoplasmosis while cleaning out the litter box (although I do wear gloves) and working in the garden (and, honestly, I usually do wear gloves, but not always). It's only natural to start thinking about whether my family members might have toxoplasmosis too. My gynecologist (and my therapist, for that matter) told me it's unlikely that anyone I live with would have caught it from the same veggies I was handling. Plus, I make sure to wash everything thoroughly, and toxoplasmosis isn't transmitted from person to person. Still, when I told my husband about the results of my first test, he got a bit annoyed and started ranting about getting rid of our 'infectious' cats. But, all in all, things died down after a few days, and the cats are still here – and I wouldn't have let them go anyway. By the way, I do give our cats a parasite treatment once a year, and they're not exactly frequent visitors to the vet. I even suggested that my husband and kids take a toxoplasmosis test just for kicks, but they were all like, 'no thanks, we're good.'

🔬 One downside of this test is the cost – especially if you're getting it done at a private clinic. You'll have to pay extra for the blood draw, and the test itself isn't cheap. Prices vary from clinic to clinic, but I've attached some photos of the receipts to give you an idea.

And the result of the analysis belowSo, why did I end up getting tested at different places, despite my gynecologist's recommendation to get tested at the same place? Well, the clinic where I initially got tested was temporarily closed due to some reasons, and I needed to get tested at the place that specifically looks for quantitative toxoplasmosis.

August 8, 2025When getting tested, it's a good idea to clarify with the lab technician or cashier at the clinic how they can process the test: quantitatively or qualitatively. If I had to explain it in simple terms (like I figured out for myself), then the antibodies for IgG are shown as three-digit numbers, as you can see in the photo below.

When the result is described as qualitative, the numbers look different - it's not hundreds, but dozens - but they still indicate that Toxoplasma IgG has been detected in the blood. qualitativeEssentially, it's the same thing, but with the same query, it's easier to understand the dynamics of what's happening - the indicator is increasing or decreasing. When I finally had the blood test for avidity of antibodies to Toxoplasma, I saw that the infection was old. If Toxoplasma wasn't detected in me during pregnancy, I conclude that I must have caught it from somewhere after my second child.

Blood test for Toxoplasma (Toxoplasma) review Getting a blood test for Toxoplasma is a breeze. The blood is taken from a vein in the morning on an empty stomach (the blood draw time is approximately 12 days, just don't eat before the test, but you can drink plain water without gas).

There are rules you should follow when you're about to take a test like this. It's recommended to:

Exclude alcohol and intense physical activity for 24 hours before the test.

The night before the test, it's best to have a light, low-fat meal.

Before getting my blood tested, I try to avoid smoking, stress, and physical exertion for about an hour to two hours beforehand. That means no intense workouts or running up the stairs.

I also make sure to take it easy for 15 minutes before the test – just sit down in the lab and take a few deep breaths to calm myself.

You shouldn't get your blood drawn right after physical therapy, medical imaging, or any other invasive procedures.

It's best to get the blood test done before starting any medication or 10 to 14 days after stopping it. I always let the nurse and my doctor know about any meds I'm taking or have recently stopped taking.

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❓ How do I feel after getting a positive result? Honestly, I'm feeling pretty normal, I guess. Let me go back to the beginning of this review – my gynecologist recommended I get tested for toxoplasmosis. To be honest, I'm not even sure how it helped with my initial question. I mean, parasites can definitely make life harder, often without you even realizing it. They can even cause additional complications... I took the necessary antibiotics and antiparasitic meds after discovering I had it, and then I was on inokirol for six months. I just finished the course a few days ago. My uterine fibroid shrunk a bit, and I'm glad I didn't have endometriosis (three times, again). On one of my last appointments, my gynecologist said toxoplasmosis isn't as big of a deal now, but it's still a good idea to take antiparasitic meds in courses, and I shouldn't repeat the antibiotics just yet.

I'm no doctor, so I won't pretend to be an expert – I'm just sharing my experience with getting tested for toxoplasmosis and throwing in some of my thoughts on the topic.

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✍️ Wrapping Up this lengthy review, I'm giving the treatment for toxoplasmosis five stars and a thumbs up!

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Thanks for sticking around! Take care!

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💊 The meds my gynecologist prescribed for toxoplasmosis in my first blood test:

Spiramycin antibioticFluconazole antifungalDoramectin antibioticLevofloxacin-Vertex 500mg antibiotic👩‍⚕️ Transvaginal ultrasound with a sensor