Disinfecting Carpet

I have had several cats/kittens get ill with upper respitory et. in the past year and I want to disinfect my carpet to keep germs at bay. What would you suggest I use to disinfect my carpet. My carpet is basically shot and discolored so I do not have to worry so much about discoloration, but as for bleach, it does tend to make huge yellow spot--maybe use diluted bleach? Lysol? Or is there some economical product for sale at well known stores such as Wal-Mart, Petsmart or Petco I could buy that would do the job?
Any input into this matter would be most appreciated!
TYVM!

[Mrs_Savas]

I don't know for sure.  I usually use enzyme cleaners like Nature's Miracle in places where the cats hang out.  These types of cleaners break down natural enzymes that create odors, etc.

One thing though... whatever you use make sure it is non-toxic and preferably natural and organic.  You can do far more harm than good if you use a cleaning product that is toxic to your cat and the reaction to it could be far worse than the reaction to an un-disinfected floor.  I use organic cleaning products that are completely safe for pets (and children if you have those!).  I don't think bleach or lysol would be safe enough to use often on a floor where you have pets.

The most important thing is just to make sure the floors are clean.  I wouldn't worry too much about using a "disinfectant".  Natural soap and water will do nicely.

Oh, and avoid cleaning products made with orange oil.  Cats don't like the smell of citrus and those are strong smelling!

[Thomas Dock, CVJ, Vet. Technician]

Good morning...I really can't add much to what Ms Savas said other than routine cleaning is generally sufficient to remove most upper respiratory viruses from the carpet.   The viruses don't survive in the environment very long.   You could even conceivably use a steam cleaner.

Are there still cats in the household?   Consider setting up a room for the cats to spend a day in while you clean the rest of the house.   Try to keep them confined to that room until you are finished cleaning and the carpets have completely dried (~24 hours).

Also, keep in mind that many cats and kittens will harbor upper respiratory pathogens like herpesviruses that may not be apparent until the pet is stressed (like moving to a new environment).  These cats may appear perfectly fine on the day you bring them home and then start sneezing and develop upper respiratory infections within about 48 hours because of the latent virus, not your environment.

For food bowls, litterboxes, etc, I use a 1:30 dilution of bleach and water.

Take care...I hope this helps!!