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KENNEL CLEANING

Qualifications:

 

Physically able to bend, lift, and move cleaning kennels, litter pans, and bowls. Follow protocols to ensure cat safety and control infection.

 

Supplies:

Gloves

Blue surgical towels
Paper towels
Baby wipes 

Trash Can

Laundry cart with bag

Dry cat food, wet (canned) cat food

Clean litter

Cleaning supplies provided by Fresno TNR 

(do not use other cleaning products):
Rescue spray
Blue Dawn dish soap

Safety overview: 

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  1. Always ask the admin if you have questions. DO NOT assume.
     

  2. Wear gloves and wash hands and arms up to elbows with soap/water each time you change kennels or move from dirty materials (litter/food bowls) to clean materials.
     

  3. To avoid cross-contamination:

    • clean kennels one-at-a-time, kennels with sick cats last

    • Do NOT move cats from one kennel to another kennel
       

  4. Do NOT allow kittens to walk on the ground. Prior to full vetting, this is not safe.
     

  5. Do NOT give medication: Admin will give medications. 
     

  6. For any urgent medical issues you identify, please also message Admins. Use the “Kennel Volunteers & Admin” chat.  
     

  7. Fading Kitten:  See protocol/supplies in tub labeled “Fading Kitten/Panic Box”  in Med room.   Left side/ above exam table, tub with “hot pink” dots.

Cleaning Steps:                                                       

 

1.   Assess All Kennels for Cat Health:

  • Check kennel cards/med charts for sick kittens.  Health info is on the front of the kennel and on the white board. 

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2.   Start and Complete One Kennel at a Time:  

  • Kennel cleaning order: House cats, Incubator, healthy cats, sick cats, ringworm cats
     

  • Remove all litter boxes. Follow the cleaning steps below. Change dishes, towels/ bedding if dirty.
     

  • Friendly cats can be placed in a carrier/transfer while cleaning. Carriers must be sanitized with rescue after each use. For feral cats, you can turn the den around (against the kennel wall) to contain the cat while you clean around the den. You can also use the fork and the bite gloves. The “A” kennels have kennel divider panels you can use to separate cats or to get cats to the other side of the enclosure so you can clean one side.
     

  • Wipe down the enclosure with baby wipes. Remove all feces, snot, or feline residue. (DO NOT USE LYSOL OR BLEACH WIPES). Be sure to do front grates as well.
     

  • If the kennel is being reused by the same healthy inhabitants, no rescue spray is needed, unless advised by admin. 
     

  • Wash your hands with soap/water to elbows / change gloves before returning clean items/cats to the kennel. 
     

  • Return refilled litterboxes, refill dry food, refresh water (SEE SEPARATE NOTES on quantity). Shake out or replace towels/bedding. 
     

  • Record on Cleaning Checklist: date, time, initial, note changes in cat health/sickly kittens. Note if poop is not solid (loose stool, diarrhea, blood in stool)
     

  • Wash your hands thoroughly to elbows with soap not sanitizer before moving to a new kennel.  If you take off used gloves, wash hands/arms again after removing them before moving to the next kennel. 
     

  • Deep clean any now-empty kennel: wipe and spray down with Rescue.  Let rescue set a minimum of 10 minutes. Then use a paper towel to wipe off excess rescue. If done and ready, label with the “Rescued” sign 
     

  • Close and securely latch the kennel door. The white adoption kennels have push-button magnetic latches. Kennel doors are securely closed when the cabinet knob is flush with the door.
    Doors are not securely closed if the knob is sticking out. 
     

3.     End of Shift:  Cleaning materials / work area and Safety checks

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  • Litter boxes, food/water bowls must be cleaned/scrubbed with soap, rinsed, sprayed with rescue, let set for 10 minutes, then rinsed again. Do not use the same scrubbers on litter pans and food/water bowls. (see photos near cleaning sink for reference)
     

  • Allow to dry and return all items to the stock area.
     

  • Wash sink and cleaning tools with soap/water and rescue.
     

  • Rescue floor of work area (set 10 min).  If time allows, damp mop.  
     

  • Empty garbage.
     

  • Restock prep cart so ready for the next shift (see photo/list)
     

  • Refill rescue bottles.
     

  • Return all carts to storage areas and ensure walkways are clear. 
     

  • Please communicate with Admins if supplies are low. Once we are down to one full bag (of food or litter), use the “Kennel Supplies Chat” to let Admin know so that we can resupply. Please monitor your message - Admin will put a 👍 when they’ve seen your message.
     

  • All dirty linens are in the laundry basket.  
     

4.  Before leaving:

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  • Make sure the kennel checklist is completed and signed off with initials. For any urgent medical issues, please also message Admins. Use the “Kennel Cat Medical Concerns” chat.
     

  • Recheck all kennels: All have a litter box? Do they need a bit more water /dry food? Kennel doors secure.
     

  • If you’re the last one there, make a final check before locking up: All kennels securely latched, check thermostat:  A/C @ auto 80 degrees in summer;  Fall Winter 65, additional heaters and fans powered off, lights in medical room off, outside hose off at the wall, lock back door, close bathroom doors, lights off, lock front door.

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Examples of work area at the end of a cleaning shift: all items should be tucked into the alcoves, and the path clear from front door to back door

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NOTE: The low stainless steel rolling carts with the black sticky mats may only be used after Kirkland/CVFix office hours. Remove the sticky mats before using. These carts belong to Kirkland and should be clear and ready for them to use each morning. 

 

Replacing Kennels Supplies (Litter, Food, Water, Bedding)

 

Overview:

 

If the same cats are going to remain in the kennels, then you can generally keep the same food /water bowls IF they are clean. When possible, replace bowls and litter boxes with the same size.

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Cleaning Litter Boxes / Towels

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  • One litter box per kennel only.  The more cats/kittens, the larger the box.  Litter should only cover the bottom of the litter pan (approximately 2 fingers deep), a bit more if multiple cats are using the same box. Don’t overfill.  If just a small amount of firm feces and pellets are not soaked, you can scoop waste from litter boxes using a paper towel and add fresh litter as needed.
     

  • If the litter box is very dirty, then replace it with a new litter box.
     

  • Remove and replace soiled towels. Put it in the laundry basket.
     

  • When replacing soiled litter boxes use the same size box as was in the kennel if possible

Washing Food and Water Bowls and Litter Boxes

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  • Refer to signage by sink - there are tools designated for food and water and other tools for litter boxes. Follow these signs to avoid spread of bacteria.
     

  • To prevent cross-contamination, food/water bowls cannot be in the sink at the same time as litter boxes.
     

  • After the sink is used for cleaning litter boxes, it must be sanitized before being used for anything else. (It also must be sanitized at the end of the shift).

  • Food can be served in the kraft paper dishes (see photo)  but not the white circular paper boats.
     

  • To clean food and water bowls: using the proper tools, wash with dawn dish soap, rinse, spray with rescue, let sit 10 minutes, rinse, set out to dry.
     

  • To clean litter boxes:  using the proper tools, scrape any solid waste into trash, wash with dawn dish soap, rinse, spray with rescue, let sit for 10 minutes, rinse, set out to dry. When you are done using the sink to clean litter boxes (or anything poopy or gross), clean and sanitize the sink following the same process (make sure any solid waste has been removed to the trash, wash with dawn dish soap, rinse, spray with rescue, let rescue sit 10 minutes, rinse).

Food and Water

 

This is the kennel supply cart - here you will find dry food (cat and kitten), wet food (cat and kitten), litter, and other supplies.

Water

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  • Water should be cool. You may opt to fill the long-stemmed pitcher at the beginning of the shift to let it cool.
     

  • If the bowl is clean, dump the water and refill it with fresh water.
     

  • If bowls are dirty, scummy, start over with a fresh bowl

Dry Food
 

  • If food and bowl is clean, add dry food to refill the bowl to two-thirds full.
     

  • If food is dirty (damp, drooled on, etc), dump and replace with a fresh bowl and food.
     

  • Do not overfill to avoid waste or spoilage. Half full is plenty.

Wet Food: Provide wet food only as directed.

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  • Discard any uneaten wet food after a few hours if still present.
     

  • Kittens:  Ideally 1- 3oz can of kitten food per 2 kittens (in metal bowls)
     

  • Teens/ Adults:   ½ -1 can adult food per cat once a day when clean kennels 

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