do you wash your hands after petting or playing with your cat?

yes, i do wash my hands after playing or handling my cat even though he's just usually indoor because my hands get fur.

My mum was always a really clean person and when I left home it was like a big release to not have to be so clean and tidy all the time! Although I grew up in that kind of environment and my mum used to make me wash my hands after petting any animal its not something I do anymore. I think its difficult to be constantly washing your hands after touching your cat. My cat is definitly part of the family and is always on my lap and looking for affection so I'd probably wash my hands raw if I washed my hands all the time after touching him. I only wash my hands after touching my cat if he's paticularly dirty after being outside and of course I always wash my hands before preparing food. The only thing I have when it comes to germs and my cat is when he walks on the kitchen surfaces. I make sure I spray them with antibacterial stuff before I make food.

Very good question. I see that there has been quite a big response as well. I have a house full of cats and more outdoors. Most times I wash my hands after petting or playing with my babies. There are a few times where I forget but I don't ever remember having any health issues as a result. Here's a twist; whenever I come home from wherever I've been, like the store or any other place, I always wash my hands before touching any of my cats. I'm always trying to protect them from germs that I pick up like handling money, or shaking hands with someone. I don't need my sweet hearts to get sick from any of that.

I don't always wash my hands after touching the cat, but I do wash them before eating if I've touched the cat.

Hi mario! You know, I don't always wash my hands immediately after playing with my cats! I wash my hands hundreds of times a day because I am a clean freak, but my cat, Star is always on and off my lap, especially when I'm on the computer and sometimes I don't jump up and run to the sink every time he is near me! I do always wash my hands before touching food, or going to the bathroom (and of course after) but not always after touching him! I do know that I am very careful of what I am doing if I have touched him or his brother Luna! But, they do say that cats are cleaner than humans! And I have met some humans that I wouldn't touch at all!

Mario, i have dogs. And they can get into any freaking place and space you can think off. I love playing with them. But i do wash my hands every time i touched them. TATA.

Hi mario_stevens, No, I actually don't wash my hand after playing with my cat, but only because it's MY cat and I know perfectly where she's been. I live in an appartment and she never ever goes out, so I don't need to worry about her being clean or not.

Hi Mario, I have a number of pets including cats and have a hand gel that I use after petting which my son used to and will always wash hands before eating anyway. Huggles. Ellie :D

I do not wash my hands after petting or playing with my cats. They are strictly inside cats. They do not ever go out side. I see them groom themselves and each other all the time. Sometime, especially Miss Kitty, will lick herself clean where ive touched her if she dont feel like being touched. Shes just that way. I do wash my hands after cleaning their box. As well as after feeding them. I also wash my hands before i eat.

Yes, I do, mainly because I am allergic to the darling beastie. I adore my cat, Smokey Bones, but after petting him, if I don't wash my hands, I begin itching insanely. If I wait until the itching starts, it does no good to wash, because I scratch whatever kitty left into the skin and it won't wash out. At that point, it's Benadryl to the rescue, which is bad because I have a bleeding ulcer and shouldnt' take anything that can thin the blood, which Benadryl, Aspirin, Ibuprofen and other things can do.

No I don't do this at all. Maybe I should but they look really clean and always feel clean. Both of our cats are indoor cats as we do not like the idea of cats roaming the neighbourhood and killing native animals. As they are indoors all of the time they keep pretty clean. I always wash my hands after touching our dog though as she is a filthy beast of a thing.

We don't have cats. My daughter has eczema and is also allergic to cats (well, the fur and dander anyway). I used to be allergic to cats. But if we go to someone's house and any of us pet the cats (my daughter can't help herself), we definitely wash hands - even if it's an indoor cat. I remember I used to have a kids pet book and I specifically remember the potato test . . . pet an animal and then rub a potato - you'll see how dirty a pet can be no matter how clean it is kept . . . so it's always good to always wash hands after touching a pet!

of course, mario... you don't want to be moving around smelling cats and dogs... besides, there's no need to be a carrier of whatever from your pet...

Yes, I always wash my hand after petting or touching pets or animals, you don't know where they've been and also the bacteria they naturally produce, some of it is foreign to us humans and could harm us. Plus, it's not just animals, I think people just generally wash their hands after touching a lot of other things such as door handles, doing general tasks, especially just before eating... :)

I do it everytime, my past time is playing with my pets. That includes in the morning. I always remember to wash my hand. I don’t know where my pets been, they are prone to germs, even if you take them in a bath they don’t wear slippers during walking and during walking they used their hands too. germs are all over their body. I still hug them no matter what and I don’t forget to wash my hand.

When I used to have cats, I would have to wash my hands after playing with them because each cat's hair is contaminated by each cat's self-bathing. I would not be able to touch my food after touching the coating of a cat.

I do that with my dog and every other thing I touch in the house specially when I decide to enter the kitchen. It is said that hands are the most unhygienic as whatever they touch is contaminated.

I never really noticed...I know for sure I always wash my hands before eating regardless as if I was home or not especially if I just finished petting my cat. She's a good girl really clean but she sheds alot and I can;t stand not washing my hands before I eat so that's the only time I can think of. Other then that I don't really notice if I wash my hads right after I pet her or not

Yes I do. Like what you said, we never know what our cat does and where the cat goes while we're not looking. I love playing with them but it doesn't hurt to wash my hands after doing that.

Hi Mario , I do clean my hands after I play with my pets (dogs / cats) . Its always better to maintain hygiene . I love animals a lot , but we need to be strict about hygiene and cleanliness.