Cleaning house after feline distemper?

[Ede0117]

We had a kitten that we had to have put down due to feline distemper. So now we need to completely sanitize our home before we can get another one.

From what I've read we need to use bleach on all hard surfaces...but what do I do to clean the furniture? I was thinking lysol spray, but don't know if that'll kill the virus...

Also, as for the carpets I was going to use our carpet cleaner with the Resolve carpet solution - anyone know if that is effective enough?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

The next cat we get will be getting both sets of vaccinations prior to joining our home - and it has been fostered by a vet tech for the past few weeks - so I trust that it's currently health is well. I just would hate to get another one only to have it catch distemper from the previous pet.

[Terri J]

ask your vet and see what they recommend. I know bleach on the hard surfaces will kill it.

[LillyM]

Sorry to hear about your kitten. My dog had distemper 8 years ago when I got her, but thanks to a wonderful vet, she survived.

I cleaned the house using lysol spray or water and bleach for everything that wouldn't fit in the washing machine. Wash all your sheets, any clothes that the cat was in contact with, blankets, curtains, pillows, etc. in hot water with detergent. I used a steam cleaner on my carpets (I borrowed one). You may also wait a while before bringing in another pet, but I'm not sure how long that waiting period should be. I'd also just get rid of anything that "belonged" to the previous kitten, such as toys, dishes, collars or crates.

After what happened with my dog, I realize that vaccinations are SO important for pets, I'm glad to hear that your next kitty will already be protected.

[Ede0117]

Sorry to hear about your kitten. My dog had distemper 8 years ago when I got her, but thanks to a wonderful vet, she survived.

I cleaned the house using lysol spray or water and bleach for everything that wouldn't fit in the washing machine. Wash all your sheets, any clothes that the cat was in contact with, blankets, curtains, pillows, etc. in hot water with detergent. I used a steam cleaner on my carpets (I borrowed one). You may also wait a while before bringing in another pet, but I'm not sure how long that waiting period should be. I'd also just get rid of anything that "belonged" to the previous kitten, such as toys, dishes, collars or crates.

After what happened with my dog, I realize that vaccinations are SO important for pets, I'm glad to hear that your next kitty will already be protected.


I don't know what clothes we were wearing while holding her, so all of the laundry this week is being washed in hot water with color-safe bleach. All of the hard surfaces I'm bleaching with water & bleach. I have a carpet cleaner I'm using on the carpeted areas, and will be buying all the cat stuff new (except for the crate since that was the most expensive item, but I am bleaching it out too).

The difficulty is that from everything I've read online, it says that the virus can live in the carpet or on furniture for over a year without a host!

I know I won't be able to get everything cleaned perfectly, but hope that by doing what I can it'll help to eliminate the risk for our next cat.

Thanks for the tips!

[LillyM]

The difficulty is that from everything I've read online, it says that the virus can live in the carpet or on furniture for over a year without a host!


A year is what I had heard too. I know you've already planned to bring in the new kitty, but I'd seriously consider waiting that year before bringing in another cat.

[MissMichal]

I might consider calling Sargent Steam for a really thorough cleaning of your furniture and carpets. The steam will be hot enough to kill the virus without nasty chemicals and will penetrate deep into any surface. It's kind of expensive, but worth it to protect your new kitty.