Austin Pets Alive! is putting the FUN in Fungus with a special adoption event: only $15 to adopt any of our kitties with ringworm on Saturday, July 16!
Meet ALL of our adoptable kittens with this mild skin condition. Ringworm is just like athlete's foot - easily treatable, but it sometimes takes awhile. We don"t want these cute cats to wait any longer for homes. We want them to go home now, and finish up treatment with their forever families!
Treatment typically takes 3-4 weeks and is super easy: oral meds once a day and special baths twice a week. We will send you home with the medications and supplies you'll need to treat your new family members.
When: Saturday, July 16, 12pm to 6pm
Where: Austin Pets Alive! Resource and Adoption Center, 2807 Manchaca Road
Ringworm FAQs
What is Ringworm? It is a fungus that lives everywhere, including on animals, people, and in the soil. You probably have come in contact with it in your day to day life multiple times and not ever known it. It is very hardy and lives a long time in the environment, and is contagious.
Am I going to get ringworm from my new kitty? Maybe, but its doubtful. Typically healthy people don't catch ringworm, and if you are good about washing your hands and changing clothes after handling ringworm kitties then you should be fine.
What if I get ringworm!? I promise you it is no big deal if you do manage to catch it. It’s a red crusty little spot. If you've ever had athlete's foot or jock itch, then you've already had a skin fungus like ringworm :) It is super easy to treat on humans because we aren’t furry, just a little miconazole spray (over the counter) works perfectly for it.
We have lots of ringworm fosters, volunteers, and adopters that deal with ringworm kitties every day and they usually don’t catch it. If they do, a bandaid, some anti-fungal spray or cream a few times a day, keep the area clean and dry, and it clears up pretty quickly. http://ringworminhumans.com
What about my other animals? Unless your animal is immunocompromised (young, old or sick) it is VERY unlikely they will catch it. Again, washing your hands and changing clothes in between handling the RW kittens and your personal animals will definitely help.
What treatment do they need? Once daily oral medicine and twice weekly bathing with a stinky medicated dip. Pretty easy. You will be provided with the oral medicine, the medicated dip, gloves, a scrub top to wear when handling/dipping kittens, instructions for treating the kitties – everything you need to treat them for free!
What about it getting in my house? if you put them in a bathroom or other confined tile space clean up is super easy. Ringworm is killed by dilute bleach, so when they leave just spray down the tile where they were and litterbox and stuff, wash their laundry in bleach, vacuum your carpets, and you should be good to go! You’ll also be given more detailed decontamination instructions to make sure your house is ringworm free when you’re done with treatment.
