Ringworm Blues

[Laurie77]

I have been rescuing and rehoming (and sometimes adopting) cats, kittens, and dogs for years. I noticed my most recent rescue, who was a three week old kitten, had a skin issue that I assumed was mange. I kept her separate from my other cats since she hadn’t been vetted, but played with her and bottle fed her/weaned her. I eventually suspected she had ringworm, and had it confirmed by my vet (and got it myself, which was easily treated). I have been treating her with miconazole shampoo and miconazole cream, and she has improved 90% in almost 2 months. But, although I kept my other cats separated, changed clothes, washed up, changed shoes, etc., after interacting with her, three of my five have now developed ringworm! I’ve been reading that it is airborne, I can’t think of any other way it could’ve infected the others. My stress level feels almost unmanageable, and I started the cleaning regimen, but I am overwhelmed and sick about it. I remind myself that my cats will be OK, but it just seems I’ll never be able to get rid of the spores in my house now. Any encouragement is appreciated, I’ve started reading the information on the other posts and it has been helpful! I’m actually thinking about getting rid of my couches, which I hate to do, but I just don’t see any way to ever truly clean them. My cats do not appear to be very distressed by their ringworm, just their mama is! What have others found are the the most helpful ways to successfully overcome a household infection?

 

[fionasmom]

How to Deal with Ringworm in Cats [Inc. the Housecleaning Regime] - TheCatSite

Welcome to The Cat Site! The article above has a great deal of information about ringworm, with a section on cleaning. When you read the article itself, click on all brown highlighted words or phrases. All of these will lead you to additional information.

You mentioned that you have been reading threads on the subject, so you may have already found many of these.
Search Results for Query: ringworm cleaning

 

[Laurie77]

How to Deal with Ringworm in Cats [Inc. the Housecleaning Regime] - TheCatSite

Welcome to The Cat Site! The article above has a great deal of information about ringworm, with a section on cleaning. When you read the article itself, click on all brown highlighted words or phrases. All of these will lead you to additional information.

You mentioned that you have been reading threads on the subject, so you may have already found many of these.
Search Results for Query: ringworm cleaning

Thank you!

 

[georgecat8]

Sorry to hear you're going through this! When we dealt with a ringworm infection a few years ago, we found it really helpful to purchase Rescue One Step Disinfectant wipes (you can easily find them on Amazon for about $25). They're best used as the last step in the cleaning process (vacuuming and cleaning with normal detergents is first), but it definitely gave us peace of mind that we were able to disinfect surfaces, without needing to use bleach. Be sure to wear nitrile or dish gloves when handling the wipes as the solution isn't very gentle on hands, and check to make sure the solution is dry before allowing your cats back in. I can completely relate to the fact that the cleaning process is confusing and overwhelming! There's a lot of conflicting information out there (our vet said to "clean like company is coming over" but that didn't make sense on a few different levels), and some things in a home just can't be cleaned and disinfected like they would be in a shelter or vet clinic. We did our best with thorough vacuuming, swiffering wood floors, dusting walls and ceilings, double-washing clothes and curtains, and using Rescue wipes on hard surfaces. It sounds like you're doing everything right, and your kitties are lucky to have you! I hope this helps.

 

[Laurie77]

Sorry to hear you're going through this! When we dealt with a ringworm infection a few years ago, we found it really helpful to purchase Rescue One Step Disinfectant wipes (you can easily find them on Amazon for about $25). They're best used as the last step in the cleaning process (vacuuming and cleaning with normal detergents is first), but it definitely gave us peace of mind that we were able to disinfect surfaces, without needing to use bleach. Be sure to wear nitrile or dish gloves when handling the wipes as the solution isn't very gentle on hands, and check to make sure the solution is dry before allowing your cats back in. I can completely relate to the fact that the cleaning process is confusing and overwhelming! There's a lot of conflicting information out there (our vet said to "clean like company is coming over" but that didn't make sense on a few different levels), and some things in a home just can't be cleaned and disinfected like they would be in a shelter or vet clinic. We did our best with thorough vacuuming, swiffering wood floors, dusting walls and ceilings, double-washing clothes and curtains, and using Rescue wipes on hard surfaces. It sounds like you're doing everything right, and your kitties are lucky to have you! I hope this helps.

Thank you, I truly appreciate any advice. The rescue kitten who introduced ringworm into the home looks like she’s clear according to the vet, and I’m awaiting the fungal culture. Three of my five others have it, and I was able to separate the one that has the worst case until she can clear up more. The cleaning part is definitely overwhelming, and I haven’t scrubbed any ceilings yet, although I’m bleaching a lot of things, using accelerated hydrogen peroxide other cleaning products frequently. I got rid of my couches and got a futon that will be easier to keep clean. I know my cats are going to be OK, but this is definitely very stressful.

 

[silent meowlook]

If you had it, you could have transferred it to your cats before you even knew.