My indoor cat escaped into the backyard and into the woods last night. I finally found her tonight. She was frolicking in poison ivy! I picked her up and brought her into the house, then promptly washed with dish detergent and cold water. Do I need to now bathe my cat? That just seems like a complete nightmare. She is fully clawed. I'm afraid my daughter will get a rash from patting her and coming into contact with the oils. What do you think?
My cats are only front declawed, I bathe them using elbow length heavy duty kitchen gloves, just be careful and have a towel ready for when you get her out.
Yeah, I would bathe her. Better yet, haul her off to the groomer and make THEM groom her! Yikes. Good luck...
ooooooo How fun for you!!! NOT!!!!!
Bathe her. She'll be furious you might get scratched, but hopefully you can keep the poison ivy off your daughter.
My cats are only front declawed, I bathe them using elbow length heavy duty kitchen gloves, just be careful and have a towel ready for when you get her out.
Hi,
Pets can definitely spread poison ivy from their fur. I don't know if the dish detergent is the most effective. You might want to call your vet or you might be able to take her to a groomer (we did that when our dog was sprayed by a skunk!). For more info, just Google 'poison ivy on pets fur'.
Good luck!
Yes you should at least wipe her down. You could use waterless shampoo. She will not catch it but she can give it to everyone in your household.
What a nightmare!! I would wash her again but clip her nails first! They sell a special poison ivy soap to get rid of the oil. The suggestion of taking her to the groomer ASAP is also a good one. You could have a serious problem otherwise. Good luck!
There's a product called Tecnu Cleanser that helps with poison ivy.
Use after you have been outdoors to remove the rash causing oil before the rash begins. It also helps remove any free oil on skin allowing the natural healing process to begin without possible recontamination. My husband uses it all the time. Call your vet and see if it's ok to use on pets.
