Cat poop on bed - how to clean (toxoplasmosis)

[hannahcat]

Hi there - our 3 year old cat pooped on our bed for the first time ever a couple of months ago. She did it while I was at work, so it was on the bed at the most for about 8 hours. I immediately flushed the poop and washed the comforter twice in the washing machine. I also had it drycleaned. After 2 weeks we put it back on the bed and she pooped in the same spot. We removed it and washed it again, pre-treating it with Nature's Miracle. So far she hasn't done it again. Sorry to be gross, but the poop was hard both times and didn't leave any visible stains on the bed.

The problem I'm having is that I am newly pregnant and I'm concerned that toxoplasmosis could survive multiple washings. I keep reading how resistant it is to pretty much everything, but nothing says how to properly clean it up in the house.

She is an indoor cat (found her as a stray kitten), however she did get outside accidentally a couple times in November (caught within a couple of minutes) and our neighbor's outdoor cat sometimes uses our flower beds as a litterbox. So it's possible she stepped in an area where the neighbor's cat had pooped. I know the timing would have to be just right in order for the poop on the bed to be potentially infectious, but I would appreciate any advice.

Clearly there was something still there (trace amounts) after the first few washings because she pooped in the exact same spot.

 

[catmom2wires]

As long as you washed it in warm/hot water, I see no cause for concern. Just because the scent is still there, doesn't mean the toxin is.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

Cally

 

[blueandfrodo]

i would take your kitty to the vet. it is not normal for a cat to do something like that. if she is choosing to poop in the middle of the bed, it seems to me that she is trying really hard to tell you something! she may not be feeling too well.

my cat blue always used the litter box until we got our new kitten, frodo. that about 7 years ago. but one night she came up to me next to the bed, dug around in a pair of pants i had on the floor and peed on my pants! she was looking me in the eye the entire time. she was trying to tell me that she had an infection! i took her to the vet and we gave her antibiotics and she got better. what happened was frodo was a playful kitten and he would wait outside the litter box (we had a covered one then) and would attack her when she got out, so she started getting scared to go and then started holding it in and then got a bladder infection. we got rid of the covered boxes and we had to put the boxes in areas where she could see all around her when she was in them. we also put one in the exact spot where she peed in the bedroom. (that one was eventually, slowly moved across the room) after that she didn't have more problems with infections.

 

[hannahcat]

Thanks Catmom - I didn't wash it in hot water the first 2 times (it's red and tan and I thought the red would bleed) but I did dry it on high heat in the dryer.

BlueandFrodo - I think the reason she did it the first time was that her litter box was really dirty. We have a Scoop Free box and we had just gotten home from a Thanksgiving trip and the litter box was a mess.

 

[blueandfrodo]

yeah, that is a reason for doing that too!

i would keep an eye on her too though, just in case. if she continues to do it, i think that it would be wise to take her to the vet.

 

[catmom2wires]

I'm sure it's fine.

Is your cat named Hannah? I had a Hannah cat for 16 years...she'd poop all over any time we went on vaca! Hope you have better luck with yours in the future. LOL Hint: close all doors where you don't want her to "go."

Good luck!

C