To not want to wash a filthy cat bed in our washing machine?

[PurpleCurtain]

We have a cat - or should I say, my husband has a cat as I'm not an animal person and therefore the agreement is that my husband looks after her and feeds her etc. She sleeps in our utility room, bed on top of our tumble dryer.

We also have a baby on the way imminently. I'm trying to ensure the house is suitably clean for baby's arrival - and asked DH when he last cleaned the cat bed. To be told, probably 9 months ago. I peered in to the cat's bed and it looks FILTHY.

It definitely needs washing but my instinct is I'm really reluctant to do it in our washing machine and follow it up with washing baby clothes etc - is this what others do?! Won't everything be forever covered in cat hair and potentially worse / our washing machine break?

Am I unreasonable to ask DH to take the cat bed down to the nearest launderette?!

Vac the cat hairs off the cat bed first, if you have a Dyson they have an attachment which removes cat hair very well and doesn't clog the vac.
www.amazon.co.uk/Genuine-Dyson-Tangle-Free-Turbine/dp/B00KMYB7Z6/ref=sr_1_3?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Some folks use a rubber glove to rub the hair off the cat bed. Others have found a squeegee helpful. Finish off with a lint-roller.

You don't have to put a pet bed full of pet hair straight into the washing machine.

I wouldn't. I'd just bin and buy a new one.

But a new one rather than all this stress. Then wash that one monthly

I hand wash my cats bed.... you know, the old fashioned way, in a sink! You could try that OP. I only do it that way, because of the hair tbh, not because of the dirt. Those bags look great though, will invest.

Once your baby is sitting it will be sucking on the cat anyway, and putting hands on bums etc. Don't stress, all good for immunity.

It gets done maybe twice a year, and always once on a really hot day so it can dry in the blazing sun.

that by washing it I would be getting cat poo everywhere if it hasn't been being regularly cleaned, and pregnant women and babies being told to avoid cat poo!
What on earth
Cats don’t shit in their beds you know....

I tell you who does like to inadvertently shit in their beds though, babies!
Every mother sooner or later will experience the dreaded nappy explosion 🤮
They like to vomit a lot as well, cats are far cleaner and more hygienic than a baby tbh.

If the cat goes outdoors the ‘dirt’ will be dust and soil that has fallen out of its coat, not poo for goodness sake.

Just run your hand along the bed to remove the bulk of the fur, or use a lint roller if you prefer and put the bed in the washing machine.

I have a wash bag for the dog bed covers/towels so fur doesn’t clog up the machine. Horse fleeces also fit. It keeps the machine clean.

I’ve got a long haired German Shepherd dog and I was her fleece blankets in the machine - but then run it empty on a hot wash afterwards… never had any issues at all. If I have to tumble dry the fleeces, I just wipe the dryer out, clean filter etc afterwards. Again, no issues.
It’ll be fine, op.

** wash … not was🙄autocorrect

I love cats and have one but people have been pretty mean to you on this thread. You are allowed to not like pets it’s very different to animal cruelty which is awful. I would never want a dog for instance or any kind of spider. Your DH and cat obviously came as a pair. Just get him to sort out the cat bed and it will be fine in a washing machine.

After 9 months I'd chuck the bed and replace it, and wash the new one every week or so.

Our animals sleep on piles of fleece blankets that all get washed weekly.

Why is it OP's job to be doing all this brushing, washing, handwashing, buying of new beds, etc? Why isn't her dh expected to take responsibility for his cat?

If she'd posted that her dh never changed a nappy or put on a load of washing for their baby, people would be queueing up to tell her he needed to step up.

Why is it OP's job to be doing all this brushing, washing, handwashing, buying of new beds, etc? Why isn't her dh expected to take responsibility for his cat?
She’s the one that thinks the bed requires washing? 🤷‍♀️

There’s nothing in her posts to suggest that she has to care for the cat, it suggests that she was uncomfortable with the state of the bed and asked DH when it was clean and he responded months ago.

Presumably her DH doesn’t think it requires a wash?

@cupsofcoffee

After 9 months I'd chuck the bed and replace it, and wash the new one every week or so.

Our animals sleep on piles of fleece blankets that all get washed weekly.

Yeah I would do this too, get DH to order a new one and a soft blanket for over the top which is easier to keep clean.

I wouldn't worry too much. Just pull the filters and draws out once done and give it a clean.

You'll have lots of poo in your washing machine soon. And it won't be from the cat.

I wash dog bedding in the machine but usually every week so it hasn't got a massive build up off dirt. If it's rank maybe just throw it out and buy a new one and was the new one more regularly. I know that's terribly wasteful but not washing a cat bed for 9 months must mean it's filthy.

Can't imagine not washing pet bedding for so long. My dogs bed is usually done every week or so!

Just remember your cat will do after it's bedding has been washed is one of 2 things.

1. Hate the smell of laundry detergent and find somewhere else to sleep

Or

1. Climb into the bed, have a wash and shed a whole new load of fur over it.

Pet washing bag...and a healthy glug of dettol laundry disinfectant.

Don't know why you are getting so many shitty comments, an unwashed cat bed for 9 months sounds minging. I'd bin it, get OH to buy a new one and wash it regularly.

As others have said I use a laundry bag for my dog/guinea pig/rabbit bedding because I made the mistake of washing the dog bed without one and it took me ages getting the hair out the machine. The guinea pig and rabbit ones are covered in wee and I always do an empty hot wash weekly with soda crystals/vinegar after their stuff has been washed.

Both of you are a bit gross to leave a cat bed for nearly a year. Poor cat. Please wash it regularly, surely it smells awful and wait until you are dealing with baby emissions daily …….

Sometimes I wash the dogs bedding right before I stick some washing machine cleaner in and run the machine on a hot wash. Then if there is extra hair from the bedding it has an extra chance to be rinsed away before the next load.

Tell him to buy one of these. I use it for guinea pig bedding daily and dog beds regularly and it’s brilliant.
Pet Laundry Bag, Blue Filters Pet Hair Petwear Wash Bag for Washing Machine with YKK Zip for Pet Bedding Blankets Towels (Large) www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B082SRBQ3R/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_NC310RPD1K397575Y393?psc=1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I wash far worse cat stuff in my machine. I have an incontinent cat so frequently washing stuff that has a lot of cat pee on it.

95 degree boil wash and then if really bad I will run a cycle empty after with disinfectant afterwards but I'd never take that wash to a launderette

It's wise to be wary of cat poo whilst pregnant purely by not cleaning the trays but other than that I think you're over thinking it

@MrsMoastyToasty

Just remember your cat will do after it's bedding has been washed is one of 2 things.

1. Hate the smell of laundry detergent and find somewhere else to sleep

Or

1. Climb into the bed, have a wash and shed a whole new load of fur over it.

Completely this . Although you missed out, sleeping on human beds instead, particularly if they have just been changed, and are white, that's very important. White linen is much preferred.

I think bleaching the cats bed is even worse! Poor cat. Cat's are not dirty, they clean themselves. Most of what comes off the cat is fur, not dirt. As I said upthread, if you hand wash, like me, then you see what comes out of the bed, mostly fir, and it's really not that bad, and I just use Woolite, nothing more.

I use washable bed pads in my guinea and rabbit sheds. They go in the washing machine covered in pee and poo. I also wash my dc's clothes in the same machine (though not at the same time) - why wouldn't I?

@TimeIhadaNameChange

I use washable bed pads in my guinea and rabbit sheds. They go in the washing machine covered in pee and poo. I also wash my dc's clothes in the same machine (though not at the same time) - why wouldn't I?

I just use newspaper, no washing required.