Lord of the Ringworm!

"No good deed goes unpunished" - Those were the words my dear sweet hubby said to me when we found out that our latest addition (Heinie) had a raging case of ringworm.
Ringworm is NOT a worm! it is a fungal infection similar to athlete's foot or jock itch. It is an infection that can be spread "inter-specially" (if that is a word).

Here's how it started for us. Me, being the crazy cat lady of the family, was contacted by my older sister about 4 kittens that she had (she didn't get mama spayed soon enough) and whether I could find a no-kill shelter that would take them. Since we are at the height of kitten season, this was a difficult task! After talking to about 3 rescue groups I was finally able to get them in on a Monday morning. My sister lives about 1 & 1/2 hours from me, so this meant that I had to pick up the kittens on Saturday and keep them in my guest bathroom until Monday morning. I did know enough to keep them away from my 3 cats. Unfortunately for us, ringworm can spread even after the "host" has left the building!

On Wednesday I got an email from the Rescue lady telling me that ALL of the kittens had ringworm, so I should keep an eye on myself for any round lesions. No problem. About 2 weeks later I am looking at my 3 month old kitten, Heinie, and I see a round bald patch on his left ear.... hmmmm. that looks like ringworm. He was scheduled to get his rabies shot that week so I waited to get the vet's opinion... yes and there is also now another spot that is even bigger! She gives me an anti-fungal that I have to apply 2x a day. Then, last week I discovered my first patch of it and discover that Heinie also has 2 more spots and Pirate (his big brother) has it on his chin from giving baths to the youngster.

I am in full freak out mode now and get appointments to take all 3 kitties in to be checked and to get a more aggressive treatment plan. This plan includes bathing all the cats twice a week for 3-4 weeks, mopping with bleach, vacuuming carpeted areas every day and washing everything possible with bleach... I have been a cleaning machine!

It is a good idea to take the cat to the vet but if money is tight and you are willing to try to go it alone, Here are some tips for you:

1. Don't panic - get an over the counter cream for athlete's foot that contains miconazle or some monostat (there's a joke here, but I will pass!) apply it liberally around the spot. It also helps if you can trim the hair as close to the skin as possible. This makes it easier to find the patch & treat it.

2. Wipe everything down with bleach. This includes the litter box. The bleach needs to stay on for 10 minutes if possible.

3. If you have multiple cats - keep them separated if possible. I chose not to do this because I need to be able to sleep with out the sound of imprisoned cats trying to break down a door to get to their buddy. You can bathe them in a medicated shampoo like Neutrogena T-gel. Bathe even the unaffected cat, it will kill any spores that are trying to latch on.

4. Change your linens (i.e., towels, sheets, blankets) often.

5. Realize that it will take at least a month to feel like you are starting to win... persistence pays off!

6. Don't ever try something on a cat that you wouldn't try on a baby. There are some freaky home-remedies out there that could seriously hurt your kitty or even kill it! Keep in mind with any treatment, that your cat is going to lick itself...

Here's a photo of "Typhoid Heinie"...