Days of our Ringworm

[jenniferd]

Originally Posted by Kai Bengals

This is a touchy subject, but I'm going to disagree with some of what is being posted here.

Anyone adopting a kitten and paying an adoption fee whether from a shelter, rescue or breeder has a right to expect a healthy kitten. If the kitten is not completely healthy this needs to be disclosed prior to release of the kitten.

In the event the kitten/cat has an illness and it has been disclosed, should the client continue with the adoption, then it is understood and it should be expected that they are willing and able to pay for the Vet costs incurred.

Adopters shouldn't be blindsided like this. Reputable breeders all offer health guarantees and shelters should as well, or at a minimum disclose current problems.

With such a severe case of ringworm there is no way the humane society staff would not know, prior to handing over the kitten.

I would be very angry with the HS, if this had happened to me. Ringworm is highly contagious and also able to infect humans.
I'm quite sure I would have returned the kitten as well, and I can afford the Vet bills.

Even if you get a perfectly healthy cat, he can get sick. That's what happened to me. I got a perfectly healthy cat, it was fine for like 2 days, then he got sick and he's been sick on and off pretty much ever since. Different problems each time, not infectious, but it still costs a ton of money. Now he scratches itself for reason that is not apparent.
I guess I could have returned the cat since he got sick after a couple of days but I kept him. If I returned him he'd be dead.

 

[jenniferd]

Originally Posted by idajo

Can be a little overwhelming. This has been a truly horrible experience, and for those of you who are critical of our decision, that's your right, and I understand some of your points, to some extent. I want to say quickly that I do not blame the volunteers of the Humane Society for any of this! They were so helpful. Really, boards make policies. In this case, the agency policies did not protect us or the little guy from this situation. We were prepared for ringworm, but only because we did tons of research. We were not prepared for the multiple other health concerns.

We want to give a cat a loving home. We WILL be prepared in the future to pay for vet bills, and CERTAINLY would have made a different decision if he had been in our home for a longer time. I keep a pot of money on hand for these things, that's my duty as a cat owner. That is NOT a bottomless pot, however, I don't have that luxury.

Despite all the opinions about this matter (I am not surprised to see that the situation brought up so many issues...it did for us, too), I really have to re-post my previous question, which is--

What can we do to prevent our new cat from contracting ringworm? How long should we wait, how long can we expect our home to be contagious, and what can we do to make it less so? We're not going to take our next cat back if it DOES get ringworm, we just want to reduce the chances. Someone said to get an adult, and we are considering that...thank you.

From what I understand, ringworm can live in the environment for months.
You could disinfect surfaces with bleach in water.
Also you should vaccum all your carpets and discard the bags. Inspect your new kitten/cat for bald spots before getting him.
"Transmission may also occur from the infected environment. The fungal spores may live in bedding or carpet for several months. They may be killed with a dilution of chlorine bleach and water (1 cup of chlorine bleach in a gallon of water) where it is feasible to use it."

http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/ringworm.html