Hygiene and the DWA Animals

If you thought owning and breeding a DWA (Dangerous Wild Animal) or raw fed cat had the same hygiene routine as a normal cat then read on!

As an insight, we thought we would give you an idea of what we do to prevent cross-contamination and protect ourselves from infectious diseases/ parasites.

Following these guidelines can seriously improve the health of all involved in a DWA cats facility.

1. ALWAYS wash hands with anti-microbial soap BEFORE handling food, litter, bowls, any animals, kittens/cubs and immediately afterwards.  We always recommend you CHECK the soap or hand sanitiser used to make sure it does not contain propylene glycol. PG is known to cause oxidative stress in cheetahs so could potentially affect your Serval, Caracal, Jungle cat, Savannah cat or Bengal cat.
2. We always place bowls in areas which can be cleaned should the animal thoroughly enjoy it and spread half of it on the floor/ ground. Day old chicks and mice are often thrown around the enclosures so care must be taken to ensure that all parts are removed if the animal decides not to eat them! Feeding larger food on the bone should also be closely monitored, and waste discarded appropriately.
3. Disinfect any touchable point of contact once per week with a strong mix of disinfectant.
4. As hard as it is to follow this rule - try not to kiss the animals (I am a big fat zero compliance with this but it does come with significant risks). The reason for this is that the animal could have faecal particles on their face, body or indeed in their mouth, alongside raw meat residue. Humans are not built to battle this kind of bacteria and it could be detrimental to your health.

We have outlined several routines that you should follow to ensure you have excellent standards of infection control and husbandry to protect all the cats, animals and people under your care. Advice also included for those who are considering breeding cats or keeping larger species.

Please remember that certain groups are more susceptible to risks of infection, for example, children under 5 years old, the elderly and those who are immunosuppressed.
If you have any questions, then please get in touch and we’d be happy to help!

FEEDING

1. ALWAYS clean and disinfect feeding bowls and bottles after each feeding.  We use a high temperature steam blast dishwasher which is for sole-use (also very important) of cat bowls and feeding utensils.
2. ALWAYS sterilise bottles and teats in a steam steriliser after washing in hot soapy water to remove residue.  Cleaning teats with salt helps to remove milk residue – rinse thoroughly prior to sterilising. 

CLEANING/ CLOTHING/ PPE

1. ALWAYS have dedicated (separate) clothes or preferably blue roll for the quarantine/ isolation and kitten area areas should be worn by all kitten/ cub handlers.  Handlers working with isolation kittens or cubs should not have any contact with kittens/ cubs in the main kitten room. 
2. ALWAYS remember if handlers are required to work with both isolation and nursery cubs they must shower (including washing hair), change clothes and use a hand-sanitiser between rooms.  Shoe covers should also be worn inside kitten/ cub enclosures (separate covers used for isolation and nursery rooms).  Alternatively dedicated kitten/ cub shoes can be worn by handlers (separate shoes for isolation and nursery rooms). 
3. A foot dip should be provided for communal areas – placed at the entrance to the house, cattery and kitten/cub facility. A disposable towel/ blue roll should be placed next to the foot dip to dry footwear and prevent slips/falls on the tiled floor. Alternatively, dedicated shoes for the communal area must be provided and everyone entering the area must change their footwear prior to entering the communal area.
4. Protective gloves (you will need plenty of them as we go through around 20 pairs per person per day) may be necessary for handling kittens/cubs with confirmed or suspected contagious diseases.  Handlers of adult cats must shower (including hair washing) and change before handling kittens/cubs, and vice versa.
5. The isolation and nursery area floors and walls must be disinfected daily and communal areas disinfected twice daily. If they are not able to be wiped down e.g. wooden, then use a spray tool pictured above and allow to dry before letting cats back into the area.
6. Separate cloths should be kept for wiping cub’s faces and bodies.  These must be cleaned and disinfected regularly between uses.

REDUCE THE SPREAD

1. After touching raw meat, change your gloves and do not touch:
   1. Door handles
   2. Steering Wheels
   3. Keys
   4. Padlocks
   5. Walls
   6. Clothing
2. Remember ‘people’ are a source of infection and can introduce bacteria into the area. Always ask visitors to wash their hands and wear PPE when near the cattery or your cats. Use Perspex to prevent touching of cats in certain cases.
3. Wash your hands properly – not just a quick rinse. A guide to handwashing can be found here: http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/
   
4. Do not use kitchen sinks to bathe cats/ kittens if necessary or to wash their cage or equipment. The risk of transmission in this case is very high – even if you use a basin to wash dishes in – bacteria climbs and grows – yuk!
5. Ensure every area you have been in contact with is thoroughly cleaned afterwards!
6. Do not eat, drink or smoke when you are near your exotic cats.

 
WASTE DISPOSAL

1. IF you are disposing of the water from cleaning litter trays then you should do this down the toilet, not in a sink/ bath or shower. Ideally you should have a dedicated drainage source for cattery cleaning.

CHILDREN

1. Children are a great source of interaction for the cats as are the cats to the children. ALWAYS supervise. Ensure they do not put their hands in their mouth or kiss the animals.
2. Thorough hand washing is advised before touching or feeding a baby or young child. The risk of health in not doing so is HIGH in these cases.

MAJOR POINT

Ensure all cleaning products are phenol-free and safe for use in cats (felids are susceptible to phenolic poisoning).
ENSURE YOU ARE USING A GOOD MOISTURISER ON YOUR HANDS AFTER YOUR WORKING DAY WITH ANIMALS IF YOU ARE REGULARLY HAND SCRUBBING TO REDUCE PROLONGED IRRITATION TO SKIN.

Suggested cleaning products: (We use both of these products)
Blankets (cleaned daily)
FIOSC or VIRKON S            
Cages (cleaned daily)
FIOSCXD or VIRKON S      
Foot Bath (changed daily) [ if used]
FIOSCXD or VIRKON S      
Face and Bottom Cloths (changed daily)
Milton                     12.5ml per litre.                 Soak for at least 30 min. 
                                    Rinse thoroughly in water before use
Floors and Other Hard Surfaces (cleaned twice daily or as necessary)
FIOSCXD or VIRKON S      
Vaccuum hoses, heads, brushes and internal (cleaned weekly)
FIOSCXD or VIRKON S      

VIRKON s:
Virkon S is the premier broad spectrum virucidal veterinary disinfectant, is recognised by industry and governments worldwide as a disinfectant of choice for livestock disease prevention and control. Virkon S is a pink powder that is added to water to make a disinfectant solution. The standard dilution is 1% (at this dilution rate this 10kg pack willl make 1000 litres of disinfectant).

Virkon S features and benefits:

1. Defra approved
2. Outstanding virucidal properties
3. Suitable for organic farming
4. Ideal foot dip disinfectant
5. Used to disinfect surfaces, equipment and water system
6. No need for disinfectant rotation
7. Not classified as hazardous for transport

Virkon S Defra approvals
    Foot & Mouth Disease: 1g in 1300ml of water
    Swine Vesicular Disease: 1g in 100ml of water
    Diseases of Poultry: 1g in 280ml of water
    General orders: 1g in 100ml of water
Surface disinfection
Routine disinfection for all surfaces, earth, wood, and concrete. Use a 1:100 dilution (10g of Virkon S for every litre of water). Apply via a pressure washer or other mechanical sprayer, apply Virkon S solution at an application rate of 300ml/m2.
Equipment disinfection
Routine cleaning and disinfection of movable farm equipment. Use a 1:100 dilution (10g of Virkon S for every litre of water). Apply using a brush or pressure washer, wash all equipment in Virkon S solution until visibly clean.
Water system disinfection.
Terminal disinfection 1:100 to 1:200. Continuous disinfection 1:1000.
Foot dips
Routine disinfection of footwear. Use a 1:100 dilution (10g of Virkon S for every litre of water). Replace solution once it has either become soiled or after 4-5 days.

SOURCES: Stylisticat UK, Emergent Disease Foundation, ABWAK