Recently I started volunteering at a cat shelter and there are so many sick cats there. Everything is thrown away or washed separately so that the diseases won't be passed from cat to cat. I'm just nervous that there's a chance I could pass these diseases on to my own cat who is an indoor cat. He's fully vaccinated but I'm a worry wart.
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Can I make my cat sick?
- Thread starter ixi
- Start Date
Keep one pair of shoes to wear there, and don't wear them into your house. Change clothes as soon as come home. Get an apron or something to wear if it helps your peace of mind. Wash your hands thoroughly as soon as you come home. And try not to handle obviously sick cats. If you do, wash your hands promptly, or wear latex gloves.
I stress about this all the time! I don't even touch my cats when I come home until I've washed my hands. Right now I am having some problems that are probably mostly asthma related, but I still worry that it could be something contagious to cats.
I change in the garage before coming indoors. I have lysol and antibacterial hand soap in the garage to use. I have special shoes that only go there and back, they are not used for anything else and stay in the back of the garage.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #5
You guys are making me so nervous. i would never forgive myself if i was the reason my cat got sick
When i got home,I changed and showered immediately but I wore the same shoes and shirts i always do. I'll have to remember to separate them
When i got home,I changed and showered immediately but I wore the same shoes and shirts i always do. I'll have to remember to separate them
I work as a vet tech assistant in a busy veterinary hospital and am constantly being exposed to both healthy and unhealthy pets. And, since I have both cats and dogs in my home and companion animals are the ones most frequently seen in my clinic, I am concerned about what I may be tracking both to the animal hospital and home. But, I've since spoken with many of the veterinarians as well as the vet techs and it seems that what I've been doing on my own is what they would recommend.
The general concensus (and I see that in this thread as well) is that there should be a pair of shoes that you only wear when working/volunteering. And, those shoes come off before stepping foot in the house. I keep a pair of slippers or Crocs on the porch and, as soon as I come in the door, I switch shoes. I also make sure to wash my hands before leaving the clinic and also use hand sanitizer once I'm in the car. As for my clothing, I change from my scrubs as soon as I come in and throw on a robe before even coming through the front door. If, for some reason, that's not possible, I go directly into the bathroom and change -- bagging up my dirty scrubs and then putting them directly into the washing machine. I then wash my hands, arms, and face again before handling any of my pets. I prefer to shower immediately, but sometimes that's not possible. Intead, I ensure that I do a thorough job of washing up before coming in contact with my pets. It's not necessarily convenient, but it is worth the time and effort if it means I am not bringing home anything that could be potentially harmful or dangerous to my loved ones.
Another thing to always be cognizant of is to always have my pets in the home treated for fleas and other parasites. And, they all receive both preventative and urgent veterinary care as needed. I know many individuals may not go to as great the lengths as I do (though I'm sure just as many would do as I do -- if not more) to ensure my loved ones' safety, but I feel it is my responsibility. I come in contact with a lot of parasites and disease at work, but I can feel confident coming home to my pets if I remain conscious of what I need to do in order to maintain the health and integrity of myself and my home -- be it when I return to work or when I set off in the morning.
Good for you for being aware and being willing to do what is necessary in order to keep your pets safe at home despite your efforts as a volunteer. And, rest assured that there are actions you can take in order to keep everyone healthy and happy -- yourself included. Good luck and please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns. Oh, and one last thing, please don't stress yourself for no reason. We all make mistakes or errors sometimes when we don't know better. And, while tracking something home is possible, it is not necessarily likely. These actions are precautions and now that you have more information you can move forward in a different manner. I know I tend to be very hard on myself and, the more I learn, the more I realize that it's okay to be human. And, as a human, I am not infallable. Trust your instincts, ask questions, learn and grow as needed and all will be okay. (And, that comes from a very anxious, over-bearing, obsessive-compulsive person!)
The general concensus (and I see that in this thread as well) is that there should be a pair of shoes that you only wear when working/volunteering. And, those shoes come off before stepping foot in the house. I keep a pair of slippers or Crocs on the porch and, as soon as I come in the door, I switch shoes. I also make sure to wash my hands before leaving the clinic and also use hand sanitizer once I'm in the car. As for my clothing, I change from my scrubs as soon as I come in and throw on a robe before even coming through the front door. If, for some reason, that's not possible, I go directly into the bathroom and change -- bagging up my dirty scrubs and then putting them directly into the washing machine. I then wash my hands, arms, and face again before handling any of my pets. I prefer to shower immediately, but sometimes that's not possible. Intead, I ensure that I do a thorough job of washing up before coming in contact with my pets. It's not necessarily convenient, but it is worth the time and effort if it means I am not bringing home anything that could be potentially harmful or dangerous to my loved ones.
Another thing to always be cognizant of is to always have my pets in the home treated for fleas and other parasites. And, they all receive both preventative and urgent veterinary care as needed. I know many individuals may not go to as great the lengths as I do (though I'm sure just as many would do as I do -- if not more) to ensure my loved ones' safety, but I feel it is my responsibility. I come in contact with a lot of parasites and disease at work, but I can feel confident coming home to my pets if I remain conscious of what I need to do in order to maintain the health and integrity of myself and my home -- be it when I return to work or when I set off in the morning.
Good for you for being aware and being willing to do what is necessary in order to keep your pets safe at home despite your efforts as a volunteer. And, rest assured that there are actions you can take in order to keep everyone healthy and happy -- yourself included. Good luck and please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns. Oh, and one last thing, please don't stress yourself for no reason. We all make mistakes or errors sometimes when we don't know better. And, while tracking something home is possible, it is not necessarily likely. These actions are precautions and now that you have more information you can move forward in a different manner. I know I tend to be very hard on myself and, the more I learn, the more I realize that it's okay to be human. And, as a human, I am not infallable. Trust your instincts, ask questions, learn and grow as needed and all will be okay. (And, that comes from a very anxious, over-bearing, obsessive-compulsive person!)
