Should i wash my hands every time i stroke or touch my kitten before picking or touching my 1 year old toddler. Or do i just need to wash my hands after cleaning the kitten's litter tray. Koz currently i am washing my hands every time i touch the kitten. Koz i dont want my baby to get the germs. I don't know wot to do koz this excessive washing (hands) is making me sick. And 2ndl i have seen some black things crawling on my kitten . what are they and how can i get rid of them?
2007-12-26 01:33:30 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
You should wash your hands befor u touch your child
Isolate the kittens in a place out side your house
2007-12-26 01:37:28 · answer #1 · answered by Deepak 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
A kitten has no germs that are of any consequence. Wash your hands if you feel it is necessary or to satisfy your own mind, just before you handle the baby.
Decide if you want your kitten to grow up 'organically' into a healthy cat or prone to all kinds of vermin because the natural immune system is being treated by chemicals.
Your kitten obviously has fleas and you need to treat her. You have the choice to do this yourself with the many natural products available or by a vet. Depending on the age of the kitten, because even a vet is not allowed to use chemicals if the kitten is too young.
Garlic is a natural flea repellent. Sunflower Seeds a natural wormer. You crush these in the kitten's diet and make sure the kitten eats these. Start with small dosage and increase as you tend to go along. You can even rub the skin of the kitten with garlic (crushed) wearing dental surgical gloves.
2007-12-26 02:52:17 · answer #2 · answered by Mercia Holistic Whisperer 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your kitten seems to have fleas wash kitten with flea shampoo, then go to your vet and get either advantage or revolution, which are drops you put behind the kittens head.
Once this is done, if the fleas have gone anywhere else in your home when the kitten goes near the area the fleas will die. Also you can obtain a antibacterial hand gel from either chemist or supermarket. Put this on your hand after touching kitten, it dries rapidly and will not harm your hands. Plus don't let baby touch kitten for at least 4 days after puting drops on it.
2007-12-26 01:58:24 · answer #3 · answered by Ann 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
dont be too scared of germs! its normal and some exposure can actually "train" your babies immune system. yet you might want to be careful if its a very young child and a new kitten. i would give the kitty a bath (against the fleas) and worm her (get it from a pet store or walmart). if you still worry take it to a vet. later you should spay or neuter it and get the most important shots.
as to the fleas, flea collars won't work and you gotta make sure not to get anything before the kitty is older than 6 or 8 weeks. you gotta be careful about that.
the only thing that worked with my cat was frontline plus. anything else from walmart or those collars never worked.
so like i said, get the kitty checked out. get something against the fleas and then, if your baby is at least crawling or on the floor a lot, i wouldn't worry about washing my hands that often.
good luck!
2007-12-26 01:56:33 · answer #4 · answered by scarekat 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should take you kitten to a Vet. This kitten needs shots, and a flea treatment. Where I live cat's as well as dogs must have their shots. Regular Vet visits for your pet is what is needed. Don't forget to get the kitten spayed if a girl or neutered if a boy. You can do this at 3-4 months!!!
As for washing your hands you should always wash your hands before touching the baby kitten or no kitten.
2007-12-26 01:42:15 · answer #5 · answered by Pamela V 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
1) if you're seeing black things crawling o your kitten, take it to a vet.
2) always wash your hands after cleaning the litter box.
3) the baby's more important than the kitten, so keep them both clean, and cut back on playing with/petting the kitten. You don't need to give the kitten attention every time she asks for it; as long as you pay her some attention, the kitten will be fine. Get your kitten some toys to play with, like the toy mouse on a string with the plastic stick - she'll enjoy chasing it, and you get to keep your hands clean.
2007-12-26 01:41:48 · answer #6 · answered by Spartacus! 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ALL animals (AND people too) carry around their own personal bacterial colony with them- which they are immune to getting sick from. In time a family will mingle bacteria and develope immunity from each others bacteria (in fact this happens to a slightly lesser extent with the entire community). Exposure to strange bacteria say when traveling can make you sick but the natives will be fine (Ever wonder why the mexicans can drink the water in Mexico?) This is why the bord of health recomends hand washing on leaving a petting zoo but the animals handlers are fine.
SO wash your hads the first few weeks you have the kitten so your toddler doen't get hammered by a ton of strange kitten bacteria at once but by then he will have immunity & he'll be fine. Scientific studies prove kids raised with pets are healthier in fact. Meanwhile take kitten to the vet for his standard shots, get some flea treatment stuff from him and get the kitten checked for worms (its VERY hard for a kid to get cat worms -you have to practacally eat cat poo but thinly possible)
PS you have a more urgent need to wash your hands after shaking hands with Aunt Milly ya know...
2007-12-26 02:46:15 · answer #7 · answered by ragapple 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not a bad practise. But honestly I don't, only after I clean her litterbox I wash my hands religiously. With a new baby yes, but with a toddler not really. Toddlers touch a variety of nasty stuff anyway, it's good for their immune system to have some exposure. This is the case with cats that don't have black things crawling on her. However in reading your post further...
The black things might be fleas. Get her to a vet and get treatment. You might need to get your house treated too. They are hard to get rid of. You'll need to clean everything.
2007-12-26 02:19:26 · answer #8 · answered by Little Miss Sunshine 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should wash your hands after petting your kitten (simply use a mild soap and some lotion after to keep your hands from drying out). Your kitten probably has fleas, so you'll need to give her a flea bath and get a little flea collar. You've probably got fleas in your carpets, etc. as well so you may have to 'fog' the whole house before you get rid of them. If the fleas are repelled from the cat, they will bit you or your baby to get the blood they like.
2007-12-26 01:39:47 · answer #9 · answered by Beach Girl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the black things are probably fleas, check the kids for little bites. chances are the toddler touches the kitten so I wouldn't be to worryied about washing my hands everytime I touched it. Yes after cleaning the litter box I would wash them.
get a flea collar, one that is non toxic to kids, or a flea shampoo (cats are fun to bathe) or take the kitten to the vet for a flea bath.
2007-12-26 01:39:47 · answer #10 · answered by . 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the black things are fleas, just go to the local pet store, and sometimes even the grocery store and pick up a flea bath and a flea collar, and some frontline. she will be all right
as for the hand washing, dont do it EVERY time. it is unnecesary, but it is still good to do it every couple of times.
i hope i helped, now... what are u doing still reading this?!?!?
you should already be in the car
2007-12-26 01:45:37 · answer #11 · answered by Animal Helper 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋