Question related to my cat, please read [Archive]

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Lana

23-02-20, 14:19

As some of you may know through my posts, I suffer from truly severe germaphobia. It is actually getting worse, and it is seriously affecting my day to day life, but, I somehow muddle through. I also love animals, and I have had cats most of my adult life. We now have a beautiful tortie, 6 years old, who has regular vet exams, and is up to all of her needed shots. My husband and I are very loving and responsible pet people. However, since my germapobia related OCD has worsened, I rarely pet her, and when I do ( because I really want to), I wash my hands after. So, last night she was sleeping at my feet, and when I stirred, she got up, started bumping her head against my hand, and licked my fingers couple of times. I fell asleep again, thinking: first thing I wake up is to wash my hands. But I got up at dawn to pee, and I did that without washing my hands ( I forgot, was half asleep). Now I am worried that when I gently wiped myself with toilet paper, I could have somehow infected myself with something - how or what, I have no idea, and deep inside I feel it is impossible. I also understand that people infect themselves mostly with oral route, and I have trained myself NEVER to touch my face without thinking before if my hands had touched something " suspicious" before.

So, could I have infected myself by gently wiping with toilet tissue after peeing? I just want to stop thinking about this, it is ( again) ruining the another whole day for me. I am so incredibly tired of this.:weep: Thank you all in advance

BlueIris

23-02-20, 14:30

Please don't worry about this? I know how HA logic works but nothing bad will happen.

(Also, cat photo please? I grew up with a little tortie girl.)

Lana

23-02-20, 15:31

Please don't worry about this? I know how HA logic works but nothing bad will happen.

(Also, cat photo please? I grew up with a little tortie girl.)

Dear BlueIris, Thank you so much. I know there is no rime or reason for this, I do not even know how under the Sun, could any germ enter into me the way I described it. AT this point my OCD is absolutely horrendous although I am trying very hard to curb it, to fight it. My hands are raw and super dry from excessive washing, I cannot even start to tell how exhausted I am from this hyper vigilance.
Also - here is our baby, her name is Voodoo.4977

BlueIris

23-02-20, 15:44

Please try to be careful and not hurt yourself any more? Can you at least try and get a decent strength moisturising cream for your hands? You don't deserve to suffer like this (I've accidentally hurt myself in the past from OCD too.)

Also, what a beautiful lady, and what a classy name for her!

Lana

23-02-20, 15:54

BlueIris, I was in therapy few years back, but when it came to serious exposure therapy, I simply could not go through with it. I just could not. I feel like such a failure. I do not go out to eat any longer, and I burn my food when I cook it. To go to the bathroom at work is a carefully crafted ritual, and I do not use toilet paper when out of my house, I carry along my own tissues for the bathroom. I have trained myself not to touch my face randomly - but " accidents" still happen, because it is impossible to maintain such a vigilance because it is abnormal. Sigh.....

In other news - thank you for compliments for Voodoo. She is real princess, and remain kittenish. She is very cute and smart. We got her from our local shelter when she was a couple of months old.

BlueIris

23-02-20, 16:08

I'm so sorry you're having such an awful time, Lana. Please feel free to PM me any time you want to chat?

ankietyjoe

23-02-20, 20:47

So, could I have infected myself by gently wiping with toilet tissue after peeing? I just want to stop thinking about this, it is ( again) ruining the another whole day for me. I am so incredibly tired of this.:weep: Thank you all in advance

What's stopping you?

leebop

24-02-20, 12:28

Lana

24-02-20, 15:00

I have rescued and rehomed hundreds of cats. I’ve taken on the sickest of the sickest and kiss them, pet them and clean up vomit and poo without a seconds thought on what they could give me because in reality cats diseases dont transfer to people. Well ringworm does and have had that a few times but if anything I believe my immunity gets stronger being exposed to all this. Love your cat and let him love you back. You are and will always be fine. X

Leebop,

I love cats very much, and I will never stop loving them. Thank you for the voice of reason, and I believe you re totally right. The anxiety and OCD make me stupid, that is so sad.

Thank you all for responding and comforting me. I hate OCD more than anything.