Owning a cat while pregnant increases the risk of postnatal depression.
Owning a cat while expecting a baby increases the risk of postnatal depression
A new study has revealed that owning a feline while expecting a child has a number of health risks that include mental health problems.
Pregnant cat owners are also at risk of the parasite toxoplasmosis - which causes an infectious disease that can result in miscarriage, infant anomaly and brain disorder.
However, owning a dog while expecting reduces health risks and is likely to relieve problems such as anxiety and psychological distress after giving birth.
The research's lead author Kenta Matsumura, from the University of Toyama in Japan, said: "We discovered that the type of pet owned can impact a mother's mental health, both in the perinatal and postpartum periods.
"Our findings suggest special attention must be paid to cat owners, who have a higher risk of developing mental health complications as well as toxoplasmosis."
Previous studies have looked into pet ownership and mental health but few have focused on women around childbirth, when they have heightened vulnerability to mental health problems.