Mar
18
2010
Another cat chewed on my cat’s catnip toy. Is there a way I can kill the germs so I can give it back to him?
This is a favorite new toy my cat just got for Christmas, so I don’t want to throw it away, but I’m concerned about any germs or diseases the neighbor cat might have. Friends have suggested the washing machine or microwave, but I think this would ruin the catnip. Someone else said to wait a week and the germs would die, but I’ve heard some germs can live for years. If there is a vet or someone out there that knows a safe way to save the toy, I’d really appreciate it.
When you invite the neighbor’s cat over for a play date, it will play with the toys available. Whatever your cat might get from the toy, it would be passed from cat to cat easier.
March 18th, 2010 at 10:07 pm
Please, please don’t worry about it! Just give the toy to your cat! Deep puncture wounds are the cause of infection. Relax and enjoy your cat!
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Old and crafty
March 18th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
Oh pleeeeeze…. They lick their butts, for cryin out loud…
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March 18th, 2010 at 11:14 pm
just give it to him and stop worrying about it
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I’ve owned lots of cats and they all played with each other’s toys!
March 18th, 2010 at 11:32 pm
Just buy him a new one if your that concerned
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March 18th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
The microwave won’t ruin the catnip, but you have to get the toy wet and make sure you don’t cook it too long – perhaps 15 seconds. That is if it is a cloth toy with no metallic parts.
You can also use a very diluted bleach water spray. Interestingly, the smell of bleach is often just as attractive to a cat as catnip! Just make sure it’s SUPER diluted so he doesn’t ingest a dangerous amount (about a teaspoon per gallon of water).
If you throw it in the washer, you can just buy a small baggie of catnip at the pet store and store the toy in the baggie for a few minutes. It will then be "refreshed" and you can refresh it as often as you like. Eventually the catnip inside the toy will go stale anyway and lose it’s appeal. I would definitely recommend buying a baggie of the stuff!
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cat owner, cat lover
March 19th, 2010 at 12:22 am
When you invite the neighbor’s cat over for a play date, it will play with the toys available. Whatever your cat might get from the toy, it would be passed from cat to cat easier.
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March 19th, 2010 at 12:40 am
Dunk it in 10% bleach (1 part bleach to 9 parts water) for 30 minutes. That’ll kill the germs. Then rinse and/or soak it in fresh tap water until you can’t smell the bleach any more.
Edit: sorry, that would ruin the catnip too, but if there are other aspects of the toy that the cat likes (feathers, chewy bits, etc) at least it can still play with that.
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I work in a lab that handles viruses