AIBU to reach for the dettol wipes when my cat treads in her poo?

[soggycabbage]

You'd think I'd be an expert on poo, after two children, but we've recently adopted a kitten and it feels like I'm learning from scratch again. She's house trained (phew) but a couple of times she has tread in her poo when climbing out of the litter tray and trailed it across the tiled kitchen floor.

Is a dettol wipe enough to wipe the floor, or do I need to use something stronger?

Also (please don't flame me) this morning, because we saw it happen, we instinctively wiped her paws too. That was probably the wrong thing to do, but what should we have done? Just use kitchen roll moistened with warm water instead? Or just waited for her to lick them clean in her own time?

(Sorry - first cat I've ever owned)

[ShatnersBassoon]

Don't wipe her paws with household wipes. She'll have to lick the Dettol off and it can be healthy

Mopping the entire floor each time she's trodden poo around might be more sensible. Just wiping the visible bits might not be enough. Better to be sure than guess when it comes to poo.

[ShatnersBassoon]

It CAN'T be healthy that should say.

[Twotinygirls]

That sounds fine to me.
Maybe not dettol her paws they may get sore but if it's safe to use around the house I don't think her licking a tiny bit off her paws will do any lasting damage. I'd wipe paws with wet cloth or wetwipe.
Does she need a bigger litter tray? That may help stop her treading in poo?

[OMGmetoo]

Dettol is poisonous to cats!

[TwinkleDust]

Dettol is TOXIC to cats!

[SuburbanRhonda]

Definitely don't use Dettol. It's not formulated to be safe for cats and you could poison her, especially as she's so little.

Get advice from your vet about how to manage this. People coming on here saying "I don't think it will cause her any damage" are not cat experts.

[UncleT]

Do not put disinfectant on her paws FFS. If you need any to, wipe/rinse them with warm water. Better yet - scoop the poo straight out and into the toilet, then there will be nothing for her to tread in.

[pingpongmerrilyonhigh]

DON'T use Dettol or any other disinfectant containing phenols on the cat.
They can be toxic to cats. (As can using dog flea treatment on a cat )
I'd wipe her paws with wet kitchen roll.
If Ive been cleaning the floor I keep the cat out until its dried to stop absorbtion through the paws.


You can buy pet safe disinfectants from pet suppliers or online
For example
www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/johnsons-clean-and-safe-disinfectant-for-cats-trigger-spray-500ml

[UncleT]

If you need to*

[StormyBrid]

The little cat used to do this when she was tiny. Until she did it when I was standing right next to her - grabbed her, plonked her in the sink, and rinsed the poo off. She hasn't stood in her own poo since.

[pingpongmerrilyonhigh]

//www.icatcare.org:8080/advice/keeping-your-cat-safe/cats-and-poisons

Kittens do seem prone to standing in their poo but tend to improve as they get older, maybe they improve their paw to eye co ordination.

Btw we have a problem with our cat sitting under cars and getting oil on his coat. Our vet recommended rubbing the oil stain with butter ( the spreadable butter substitutes works too). Blot with kitchen roll until engine oil is removed.

[Cadenza1818]

Yup as other person said, dunk kitten paws in sink. Put lots of newspaper around floor near tray to get worst of it.
Actually I used to bath my kittens so that they were used to it when olde. Apparently good for ppl with allergies but also good I'd ever they do get a dodgy bum or summat.

[pingpongmerrilyonhigh]

We also had a rabbit that would tend to miss his litter tray, we used dry nites bed mats in front of the tray, saved on cleaning and scrubbing.
www.boots.com/en/Huggies-DryNites®-Bed-Mats-7Pack_1014512/?cm_mmc=pla--google--PLAs-_-Boots+Shopping+-+Category+-+Baby

[Eminybob]

If you must wipe your cats paws what about using a baby wipe? One of the antibacterial sticky hands and faces ones, as opposed to a nappy change one though?
I imagine if they are mild enough for babies they will be fine for a cat.

[NameChange30]

You can get baby wipes for cats, they sell them in Pets at Home and TK Max (randomly). We use those to wipe their paws.
You can also use the wipes for the floor, or the pet safe disinfectant that PPs have recommended.

[LaLa5]

Warm water, dettol is toxic. I have a cat who seems blissfully unaware of having poo covered paws so I wish them with mild soap and water

[GobblersKnob]

My dogs sometimes do this when they come in from the garden, I use pet wet wipes on their paws, and the same wipe to clean the floor (slattern).

I only every used baby wipes to clean poo up when I was potty training, nobody died.

[Skatingfastonthinice]

Agree with all the others saying no dettol wipes, use water and soap or a cat-specific disinfectant from almost anywhere. Our local supermarket sells in in the animal products isle. Failing that, buy it online or from your vet.
New cat owner is like a new baby owner, you can't assume that things are safe. You need to check before doing/using whatever you would normally.

[Skatingfastonthinice]

' nobody died.'

Dogs don't groom themselves in the same way as cats, so some things are safe for them that would kill a small feline.

[Latara]

You can buy special cat wipes for faeces called 'Tushie Wipes' (they're American) from Pets at Home & other places.
My sister uses them for her Persian cat who can get very messy.

Cat friendly cleaning products include those made by 'Method' which are non-toxic to animals. They are sold in Tesco, Sainsbury etc. They even do a special floor cleaner.

[Latara]

I also use Petkin's Litter Box Wipes (again from Pets At Home) - for the litter box and the floor. Good for wiping up any spills.
I also find them useful for if the cat vomits on the carpet as they clean up the stain.
But although they're not toxic for cats, they're not for actually using on the cat! Use warm water & kitchen towel or the Tushie Wipes for the cat!

[GobblersKnob]

Skatingfastonthinice I was pointing out that I only used baby wipes to clean human shit off of the floor, not advocating the use of dettol on a cat.

[GobblersKnob]

Oh and my dogs very much do groom themselves like cats, though that is totally irrelevant to what I was trying to say ;)

[florascotia]

Dogs are ominvores, eveolved to eat all kinds of things; they are sometimes better able to cope with poisons than cats - though many substances are still dangerous for them, of course.
Cats are carnivores, at the top of a food chain. They've evolved to rely on prey animals - mice etc - as sort of 'filters' for toxic substances. Their systems really can't cope with poisons.

Most disinfectants, including Dettol, are very poisonous to cats. This leaflet has a list of other cat poisons/hazards www.cats.org.uk/uploads/documents/cat-care-leaflets-2013/EG05_Keeping_your_cat_safe.pdf

[Twotinygirls]

Bit dramatic here, I think the op knows that it's not a great idea to dettol the cats paws. But I assume that the cats still alive to tell the tale.