PSP Cat Room Safe Handling & Cleanup
In short: Be gentle, clean your hands, use gloves when they make sense, follow the posted cleaning directions, and write down concerns. Routine cat room shifts do not require hazmat gear.
1. Before and during your shift
- Read the cat’s current instructions and any room notices before starting. Follow any cat-specific isolation, feeding, medication, or cleaning directions. Ask a coordinator if something is unclear.
- Wash hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer as appropriate before and after cat care, after litter or waste, after removing gloves, and between cats or areas when contamination is possible. Wash with soap and water when hands are visibly dirty.
- Keep food and water clean and available as directed. Observe whether cats eat and drink; report and record changes.
- Keep room doors secured and watch for escape risks. Keep visitors supervised according to store and RTPA rules.
2. Gentle handling and cat behavior
- Approach calmly and let the cat choose contact when possible. Watch for hiding, stiff posture, flattened ears, hissing, growling, swatting, or attempts to escape. Give a stressed cat space.
- Use the least handling necessary. Never chase, force interaction, punish, or handle a cat in anger. If handling feels unsafe, stop and ask a coordinator or trained handler for help.
- Offer appropriate play and positive attention as the cat permits. Report sustained hiding, withdrawal, unusual aggression, or other behavior changes.
3. Gloves and everyday protective care
- Disposable gloves are available whenever you feel they are useful. Use them for direct contact with feces, vomit, blood, urine, soiled bedding, wounds, or cleaning chemicals when the product label calls for gloves. Use any additional protection specified in a cat-specific or outbreak instruction.
- Change gloves between dirty and clean tasks and between cats or areas when needed. Remove them carefully, dispose of them, and clean your hands. Gloves never replace hand cleaning.
- Cover cuts on your hands. Do not eat or drink while doing litter or cleanup tasks. If you are pregnant, immunocompromised, or otherwise concerned about a task, ask a coordinator to arrange a different task without needing to share medical details.
4. Cleaning and infection prevention
- Remove visible waste and soil first. Follow the posted product instructions for dilution, contact time, rinsing, drying, and any required protective equipment. Never mix cleaning products.
- Keep cats away from sprays and wet cleaning products. Use the designated tools for each cat room or separate care area; do not carry dirty tools or litter items between areas.
- Our PSP cat rooms are shared, free-roaming spaces: cats normally use the same room, bowls, and litter areas, so a change from one cat to another does not trigger a full room turnover. Clean litter and food areas during each shift as directed, remove soiled bedding, and follow the room's routine cleaning and disinfection schedule. If a cat is housed separately in a condo, acclimation room, or isolation space, clean and disinfect that enclosure and its reusable items before a different cat uses them, or replace the items with clean ones. Follow coordinator instructions for heavy soiling or any special isolation cleaning.
- Separate sick or possibly contagious cats only as directed by the coordinator or veterinary team. Do not move a cat between rooms or change an isolation instruction on your own.
5. What to report, and when
- Promptly report sneezing, eye or nose discharge, diarrhea, vomiting, poor appetite, wounds, lethargy, or any new concern. Some infections can spread between cats, and some conditions, such as ringworm, can spread to people. You do not need to diagnose the cat.
- For a bite or scratch: stop handling, wash the wound promptly with soap and running water, tell the coordinator, and seek medical advice as appropriate. Record the incident through RTPA’s reporting process. For urgent medical help, call 911.
- Report suspected cruelty, rough handling, neglect, or an unsafe condition to the coordinator promptly and factually. Do not confront someone or make a public accusation; record what you directly observed.
- For an urgent cat or room emergency, use the emergency phone button at the top of RTCats to call Scott at 585-210-9372. Call 911 for an immediate threat to a person.
6. Document the shift
- Complete the Daily Form and any required Additional Notes. Record actual observations, food intake concerns, cleaning issues, incidents, and what action you took. Use the correct cat and store; do not write a guess as a diagnosis.
- Tell the next volunteer or coordinator about urgent concerns directly. A form entry alone may not be seen soon enough.
- Give medications or treatments only when assigned and in accordance with the cat’s written instructions; document them in the required place. Do not change a treatment yourself.
This is the short cat-room SOP. The current Training Checklist, posted room directions, and cat-specific instructions still apply. Coordinators handle veterinary decisions, isolation changes, and any special outbreak procedures.