Our cat picked up ringworm a couple of weeks ago and we’ve been administering topical medication from the vet ever since and seeing some improvement. Supposedly the infection should be gone soon but we’ve heard that the fungus spores can remain in the house for a long time. We’ve been vacuuming, washing everything, and disinfecting. Has anyone had any experience dealing with this?
We’re scheduled to go away in about 6 weeks for 5 days and I’m definitely going to mention the situation to potential sitters but would like to know your thoughts on how likely it is that sitters will be ok coming here. Thanks
Sorry you are dealing with this. I have dealt with ringworm in foster kittens which required dipping them and my adult cats in sulfer baths. (We dipped my adult cats as prevention). Ringworm is a highly spreadable fungus, as you know. It isn’t gross or debilitating, but the spores do stay around for a while. Some thoughts:
Can you contain your cat to a smaller space for the duration? Preferably with very little clutter, books etc. This will make cleaning easier.
If you contain your cat, change clothes as you enter and leave that space. We wear medical coverups in shelters when we enter the ringworm ward.
Do keep cleaning everywhere and throughly. Think about out of the way places too like behind/under furniture if your cat has had access.
When you inform the prospective sitters, make sure they know what ringworm is. First that it is a bother but not scary and not worms. Ick! Second that they should be careful interacting with other animals during the sit. And they should clean their clothes and luggage when they leave the sit to eliminate spores spreading.
I imagine there are sitters like me who have dealt with this before and might be okay with the extra hassle. I think likelihood of finding a sitter will also depend on other factors (location etc.).
Please let me know if you have other questions. Good luck!!
Coincidentally, I just discovered a small ringworm patch on my leg this morning, after fostering a kitten with ringworm! Sorry that you are dealing with this.
I have a sitter at my house now, taking care of my adult cat. He knows that I had a ringworm kitten just before he arrived, but was OK doing the sit.
Hopefully your cat will no longer be contagious after 6 weeks, but like you say, the spores can linger for a long time (18 months, perhaps). As a sitter with ringworm experience, I would probably not take the sit, since I foster and volunteer at the local shelter a lot. I would hate to transfer any spores to vulnerable animals after your sit. I know that I clean and sanitize very carefully after I discover ringworm in a foster, but I’m sure that I miss some spots. I would not know how carefully a HO had cleaned.
I have done all the steps that @Shella_in_the_Forum mentions, including the lime sulphur baths (nasty, but very effective). Oral meds will help also. I contain my ringworm fosters in a guest bathroom, since the hard surfaces are easier to clean than carpet.
I hate ringworm, and try to avoid fostering animals with ringworm, but the most recent kittens had spots that were almost undetectable. I’ll probably only foster adult animals for a while now, to avoid infecting other kittens
Elijah Just ensure that the profile information is clear and that the ringworm recovery of your cat is prominent. I am immunocompromised so I would not take the sit. I’m allergic to cats anyway so I’m a dog sitter. The next person might be perfectly comfortable. Perhaps have a very clean and cat free area for the sitter to sleep in and shower in. Wishing your cat a complete recovery.
We have and you are doing all the right things. We’ve fostered a kitten that had ringworm. My husband did get it on the arm, I didn’t and none of our 6 pets got it. We isolated the cat, and did the same cleaning you are doing.
We never had a recurrence after the cat was treated. I hope the same occurs for you.
Thanks so much for your feedback on this. We’re renting a steam cleaner and cleaning all the floors and upholstery tomorrow while our bathed cats stay in a decontaminated room for the day. What fun!
