General
Pet ownership after transplant
November 7, 2025
in General
I love my Shorty. My husband named her. She's a beautiful, long-haired calico cat. My husband has graciously taken the box cleaning from me (Not that he has a choice). Do you have pets, what kind, and what steps, if any, do you take to keep yourself healthy? Pet ownership is a blessing, and one that can be tackled safely. Please share any thoughts.
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Hi Tia, I was told to wear a M-95 rated mask and disposable gloves if cleaning a litter box, but specifically to clean it every day. I stayed at my brothers house during recovery and had to do it several times while he was out of town. I would also pet the cats, I just had to be very careful not to touch my face afterwards until I’d washed my hands thoroughly.
I am not allowed pets at my apartment, but I wouldn’t mind having a cat or smaller dog at my next place.
Oh, and I was told not to handle reptiles, amphibians, or birds.
Great question!
Hello Tia,
I love pets. In my life I have had dogs and a cat. I really miss having them around. Currently we are grandparents to a Shepard mix and a Malmute. We dog sit whenever my son is out of town. I feed them, and throw the ball around, but I am careful about washing hands. I try not to handle any waste, if I do, it's gloves and mask.
My neighbors cat has taken a liking to our garden as it's own litterbox. It makes me so upset, finding surprises when I'm in the yard. I garden, but with mask and gloves. I have taken to making it inhospitable with coffee grounds and egg shells. I heard they don't like anything on their paws? I even turned part of a flower bed into a rock garden with wire to deter the cat.
Eventually, I would love a dog of my own.
I had a dog for 15 years after my kidney transplant. I couldn’t live without her. Just keep the hand hygiene all the time.
Best wishes.
Transplant Patient
I have a dog and couldn’t imagine life without her. I also don’t do poop, but that’s about it. I second keeping up with the hand hygiene, but I think we should just do that anyway.
I love hearing about our pet love! As long as we keep it clean, pet ownership is ours!
I have a dog, too!
I have my Ursula. If you have ever been on a support group you find this beautiful kitty laying across my chest. I can’t imagine life without her. One of the worst things about living in a hospital for a year was not having Ursula. I would beg my family to smuggle her in for a visit. (Of course they didn’t) and I would FaceTime with her (well with my daughter who was taking care of her in my absence) as often as possible.
i wear gloves and a mask when I clean the litter box but my daughter cleaned for the first 8 months post to be safe.
I do have to warn people about something I had never known. Cat bites can be deadly for us transplant folk. I was bitten very accidentally but my daughter’s cat. I had no idea how dangerous a cat bite can be. Within 12 hours, I had red streaks running down my arm from a bite on my hand. 7 bags of IV antibiotics later and a 3 week oral dose, I am recovered. I literally never knew about how infectious a cat’s mouth bacteria can be.
i still live with my grand kitties and my sweet Ursula but I am a bit more cautious are the grand kitties.
Wow @TheMac! That must have been so scary! Thank you for the warning. Ouch.
Poor kitties can't help it.