2 Cats Died 2 Months Apart From Chemical Inhalation

[CATastrophe]

I have 6 cats, and 3 are geriatric. We've been vaping for over 2 years. No problems here with our clowder. I'm sorry to hear about your two felines.

I think the radon testing is a good idea. Our house was tested before we bought it and levels were such that it required a mitigation system.

Also, did they run any blood tests? Those might have revealed something.

Cornell had a very good write up about lung issues in cats. Maybe something there will help or ring a bell.

One other thought. They may have died from different causes, but their symptoms were similar.

I hope you get some answers.

 

[krysti]

Thank you all for your responses and helpful suggestions. After doing considerable research, I might know what happened. Ammonia inhalation can cause damage to a cat's lungs, both acute and chronic. When my husband and I quit smoking, we were going to get our house re-painted, but we initially didn't think we were going to re-paint the white doors so we decided to wash them. We read Windex with ammonia works great so that's what we used. I was an ignorant cat owner and paid the ultimate price if that is what did it. I feel horrible so please don't anyone lecture me on being so stupid. Rest assured, I will never make a mistake like that again. Sorry to have freaked anyone out possibly about vaping. I have been extremely distraught over this and had to explore all possibilities and this seemed the logical place to start. By the way, to answer a couple of questions... The first cat's blood work was fine when we had it taken a month before he died. The second cat's blood work was done the day before he died and his showed a low white blood cell count and inflammation. Someone else asked if I would have felt better if it was due to vaping vs. smoking or something to that effect. No, I wouldn't feel better no matter what. The vet was as perplexed as us and knew we smoked previously. He had never seen two cats from the same household come in so close together with this exact lung problem. He even did the autopsy for free (we just had to pay for the pathologist). This was not about trying to make myself feel better or to place blame. This was to try to figure out what happened so it wouldn't happen again. I cannot say it was the ammonia for sure, but it's the best guess I've got and it seems to be a pretty good one. We are still going to get the chemical test done on Monday. I will update everyone on the results. Thank you again for all the responses, I really appreciate it.

 

[StarsAndBars]

Sorry to hear about your kitties. I've got two pups, and it would break my heart not to have them. That being said, I have doubts that your vaping has anything whatsoever to do with their condition. My wife and I have been vaping on the couch with our two dogs (in our company, they themselves don't vape) for years with no incident.

I highly recommend you look into this. There may be some leak, or hazardous condition in your home, and I'd hate to see you guys meet a similar end.

 

[BlueSnake]

Very sorry for your loss. It's got to be very hard losing 2 so quickly.

We lost a dog of 13 years, last week, due to congestive heart failure, cancer, and diabetes. Plus he was blind. He had been happy and fairly healthy, with all conditions managed, until last Wednesday night when he started coughing and gasping for breath. I called our Vet the next morning and made arrangements to take him in for his "final transition". Well we didn't make it. I was getting ready to go and started looking for him. Just as I saw him, in a room where he usually didn't go, he stood up, yelped, and fell over. His poor heart just gave out. I know how hard it is to lose a pet. They are family members.

We have 4 other dogs in ages from 6 to 15 years and all are healthy and happy. No adverse effects to our vaping whatsoever.

 

[krysti]

I have 6 cats, and 3 are geriatric. We've been vaping for over 2 years. No problems here with our clowder. I'm sorry to hear about your two felines.

I think the radon testing is a good idea. Our house was tested before we bought it and levels were such that it required a mitigation system.

Also, did they run any blood tests? Those might have revealed something.

Cornell had a very good write up about lung issues in cats. Maybe something there will help or ring a bell.

One other thought. They may have died from different causes, but their symptoms were similar.

I hope you get some answers.

Thank you for the link. He didn't mention ammonia inhalation and I only found one article on it. Between my 2 cats, they went to 4 different vets during this crisis and none knew what was going on. One of the vets is even referred to as the "mayo clinic" of cardiology for the cat who had a slightly enlarged heart. I did find a person who posted on Yahoo Answers that was wondering if her excessive use of Windex could be what caused her dog's lung condition because the vet was perplexed.

 

[krysti]

Very sorry for your loss. It's got to be very hard losing 2 so quickly.

We lost a dog of 13 years, last week, due to congestive heart failure, cancer, and diabetes. Plus he was blind. He had been happy and fairly healthy, with all conditions managed, until last Wednesday night when he started coughing and gasping for breath. I called our Vet the next morning and made arrangements to take him in for his "final transition". Well we didn't make it. I was getting ready to go and started looking for him. Just as I saw him, in a room where he usually didn't go, he stood up, yelped, and fell over. His poor heart just gave out. I know how hard it is to lose a pet. They are family members.

We have 4 other dogs in ages from 6 to 15 years and all are healthy and happy. No adverse effects to our vaping whatsoever.

I am so sorry for your loss too. I can't imagine what is worse, watching your beloved animal meet his end or having to put them to sleep during an acute crisis which is what we ended up having to do with both of ours. After the first one, it all happened so quickly, we kept second-guessing ourselves if we did the right thing. After keeping our second one in an oxygen cage overnight, I feel so guilty we didn't do it sooner. We have no kids so they really were our babies.

 

[Jay-dub]

Thank you all for your responses and helpful suggestions. After doing considerable research, I might know what happened. Ammonia inhalation can cause damage to a cat's lungs, both acute and chronic. When my husband and I quit smoking, we were going to get our house re-painted, but we initially didn't think we were going to re-paint the white doors so we decided to wash them. We read Windex with ammonia works great so that's what we used. I was an ignorant cat owner and paid the ultimate price if that is what did it. I feel horrible so please don't anyone lecture me on being so stupid. Rest assured, I will never make a mistake like that again. Sorry to have freaked anyone out possibly about vaping. I have been extremely distraught over this and had to explore all possibilities and this seemed the logical place to start. By the way, to answer a couple of questions... The first cat's blood work was fine when we had it taken a month before he died. The second cat's blood work was done the day before he died and his showed a low white blood cell count and inflammation. Someone else asked if I would have felt better if it was due to vaping vs. smoking or something to that effect. No, I wouldn't feel better no matter what. The vet was as perplexed as us and knew we smoked previously. He had never seen two cats from the same household come in so close together with this exact lung problem. He even did the autopsy for free (we just had to pay for the pathologist). This was not about trying to make myself feel better or to place blame. This was to try to figure out what happened so it wouldn't happen again. I cannot say it was the ammonia for sure, but it's the best guess I've got and it seems to be a pretty good one. We are still going to get the chemical test done on Monday. I will update everyone on the results. Thank you again for all the responses, I really appreciate it.

That was me. I wasn't accusing so much as trying to put myself in your shoes. I was confused about why smoking wasn't mentioned in your OP. I didn't believe it was an intentional omission so I took a stab at why such a factor would have been left out. My guess was to diminish the impact of this awful tragedy that's befallen your fur-children. Sorry for being so arrogant as to assign you your intent.

In the case I mentioned before - about my dog Nicki, I think I should go ahead and give you some further details.

I thought Nicki was fine up to the day we lost her. We had one Vet that we used and trusted and never went anywhere else for our pets needs. We took her in to get a fatty corpuscle removed. We picked her up about a half-hour before this Vet's office closed and knew right away something was wrong. The vet assured us she was just a little sick from the anesthesia so we left. We returned within fifteen minutes because of how acute her conditioned seemed. She had very labored breath and a lot of fluid coming from her nose. The mf'r told us he's about to close so we'd have to go to the emergency animal hospital. When we went, that Vet did x-rays and looked genuinely ....... He just kept saying "I'm not making accusations but this is in now way a sudden health event". We already told him we had her checked up at least once a year, and because of the fatty corpuscle we had them do a complete blood profile which came back clear. This emergency vet said "There's now way, considering the extensive scarring of the lungs, the liver being three times it's size, and the heart being so swollen, that the blood work didn't show major cause for concern". Since he couldn't prove anything and didn't want to be sued, he was trying to keep his cool and not outright accuse the primary vet of misdeeds. He couldn't hide his anger though. He kept shaking his head and muttering "this just isn't right". But he added that it's his personal opinion that no veterinary professional could have not seen this coming. If this had happened to him "I'd think someone charged me for a lot of testing that never really got done."
SOB

 

[skoony]

hi all'
i had replied earlyer to this post,but i am still stumped to what could have happened to your pets.
seeing how the cockatiel is healthy i think you can rule out air born contanaments.
i dont think general cleaning would be the culprit as cleaning products used following
the directions on the label's should not pose a risk exept in cases where there is an acute
sensitivity.every one cleans,and a lot of people own pets.
painting might be a source,but after it dries should not be a problem.
this sounds like a long term exposure.
the only angle i can figure is the cats spend most of there time on the floor.
like i said though general cleaning products and carpeting should be relitivly safe.
does your home have a work area or an attached garage where perhaps woodworking
or hobby work is done.ie,car hobbiest,modling,arts and craft?
that only leaves a few thing left.food source,kitty litter,or water source.
feline grooming habits would make them more suseptable to things i suppose.

just brain storming.
regards
mike

 

[krysti]

That was me. I wasn't accusing so much as trying to put myself in your shoes. I was confused about why smoking wasn't mentioned in your OP. I didn't believe it was an intentional omission so I took a stab at why such a factor would have been left out. My guess was to diminish the impact of this awful tragedy that's befallen your fur-children. Sorry for being so arrogant as to assign you your intent.

In the case I mentioned before - about my dog Nicki, I think I should go ahead and give you some further details.

I thought Nicki was fine up to the day we lost her. We had one Vet that we used and trusted and never went anywhere else for our pets needs. We took her in to get a fatty corpuscle removed. We picked her up about a half-hour before this Vet's office closed and knew right away something was wrong. The vet assured us she was just a little sick from the anesthesia so we left. We returned within fifteen minutes because of how acute her conditioned seemed. She had very labored breath and a lot of fluid coming from her nose. The mf'r told us he's about to close so we'd have to go to the emergency animal hospital. When we went, that Vet did x-rays and looked genuinely ....... He just kept saying "I'm not making accusations but this is in now way a sudden health event". We already told him we had her checked up at least once a year, and because of the fatty corpuscle we had them do a complete blood profile which came back clear. This emergency vet said "There's now way, considering the extensive scarring of the lungs, the liver being three times it's size, and the heart being so swollen, that the blood work didn't show major cause for concern". Since he couldn't prove anything and didn't want to be sued, he was trying to keep his cool and not outright accuse the primary vet of misdeeds. He couldn't hide his anger though. He kept shaking his head and muttering "this just isn't right". But he added that it's his personal opinion that no veterinary professional could have not seen this coming. If this had happened to him "I'd think someone charged me for a lot of testing that never really got done."
SOB

I can definitely empathize with you on incompetent vets. Every single one of the vets we've taken our cats to with the exception of the "mayo clinic" one, we have complaints about. The "mayo clinic" is over an hour away so during a crisis, not an option to go there. On our first cat's last day, our regular vet gave our cat a steroid shot thinking his asthma was the issue and didn't explain to us he may not be able to breathe after that. If they would have, we never would have left right away. Everything they had us do after that exacerbated the situation instead of helping it. The day before that, the emergency vet thought it was stomach issues and gave us a bunch of medicine to try to force into him. Definitely a dumb move, especially with a cat who is having breathing issues. With our second cat, the vet we took him to took an x-ray and said he had gas or possibly a foreign object and gave us antibiotics. He told us his lungs were fine in the x-ray. We found out later, you couldn't even see his lungs in that x-ray because the machine burned right through them so it only showed black where they should have been. The second day, he gave him a shot of an antibiotic that lasts in their system for 65 days which means if the cat has a reaction to it, he's pretty much dead. Our cat had a reaction to it. He was throwing up and had very rapid breathing and couldn't walk straight. We called the vet and he told us he must be obstructed by a foreign object and to bring him in so he could open him up. WHAT? I still haven't dealt with that vet, but I will. I have never seen such incompetence, unbelievable. Lastly, the emergency vet where our second cat was in an oxygen cage - I told him I did not want him to suffer. I can't even describe the condition he was in the next day, truly heartbreaking they left him like that overnight and kept telling us over the phone he wasn't suffering.

 

[krysti]

hi all'
i had replied earlyer to this post,but i am still stumped to what could have happened to your pets.
seeing how the cockatiel is healthy i think you can rule out air born contanaments.
i dont think general cleaning would be the culprit as cleaning products used following
the directions on the label's should not pose a risk exept in cases where there is an acute
sensitivity.every one cleans,and a lot of people own pets.
painting might be a source,but after it dries should not be a problem.
this sounds like a long term exposure.
the only angle i can figure is the cats spend most of there time on the floor.
like i said though general cleaning products and carpeting should be relitivly safe.
does your home have a work area or an attached garage where perhaps woodworking
or hobby work is done.ie,car hobbiest,modling,arts and craft?
that only leaves a few thing left.food source,kitty litter,or water source.
feline grooming habits would make them more suseptable to things i suppose.

just brain storming.
regards
mike

I understand what you mean about the bird. It doesn't really make sense. The pathologist said it was chemical inhalation and the bird has inhaled everything the cats would have. I know different things are toxic to different animals, but ammonia is toxic to birds as well so that does make my theory make less sense. Although I did read something about birds can clear their airways 30 times faster than a mammal. Since it was inhalation, I don't think it could have been food or water and the vet who did the autopsy said his stomach was fine. That leaves kitty litter. The weird thing about that is the last few days before he died, he was avoiding the litter. That's the first thing that happened, in fact. Since the litter is in the laundry room with the furnace and it's been so cold, we thought the furnace was scaring him. I brought it out and set it down in the living room and he went right away like he'd been holding it all day. So we moved it to the bathroom. He used it, but then started avoiding it again. Although by that time he wasn't really eating or drinking anything. So maybe it could have to do with the litter. Or the furnace. We did just have our house tested for carbon monoxide so I know it wasn't that. I really hope the chemical testing comes up with something. If we don't figure this out I am going to be too paranoid to bring another animal in here.

 

[alisa1970]

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss...I would be at my wit's end, honestly. By now it sounds like you're pretty sure it wasn't the vaping but if it helps at all, as far as I know the only thing in vapor that might pose a risk for cats is the PG.

I've been vaping for almost a year now and in November took my indoor-only, 8 year old boy to the vet for his first senior check up. I told the vet about my vaping and that I wanted to be sure that it wasn't affecting him. The vet agreed that it wouldn't hurt to take a look at his blood for Heinz bodies to make sure all was well. Thankfully, the vet called with the results that everything was perfect and no irregularities in his cells were found.

It eased my mind somewhat, as I never smoked in the house but do vape indoors all the time, and because we live in a cold, wet place, I don't keep the windows open or get much fresh air.

Cleaning agents that contain hexane (spot removers like Spot Shot) as well as air fresheners with essential oils can cause problems for kitties too. Their livers don't break down the toxins (or do so VERY slowly) and they can build up in their systems. I went to chemical-free cleaners (vinegar/water and no Windex or Formula 409 or bleach) several years ago once I found out how badly they can react.

I do hope the testing you're doing will help shed some light into what happened, and that it will hopefully rid you of whatever guilt I know you must be feeling over this.

 

[Rosenec]

OP,
Im sorry you lost your pets, I know how that is. It's even harder when they are still young. The ordeal you had to go through when they were sick is terrible. I hope you can get to the bottom of this mystery, and someday get some new 4 legged friends.

 

[krysti]

hi all'
i had replied earlyer to this post,but i am still stumped to what could have happened to your pets.
seeing how the cockatiel is healthy i think you can rule out air born contanaments.
i dont think general cleaning would be the culprit as cleaning products used following
the directions on the label's should not pose a risk exept in cases where there is an acute
sensitivity.every one cleans,and a lot of people own pets.
painting might be a source,but after it dries should not be a problem.
this sounds like a long term exposure.
the only angle i can figure is the cats spend most of there time on the floor.
like i said though general cleaning products and carpeting should be relitivly safe.
does your home have a work area or an attached garage where perhaps woodworking
or hobby work is done.ie,car hobbiest,modling,arts and craft?
that only leaves a few thing left.food source,kitty litter,or water source.
feline grooming habits would make them more suseptable to things i suppose.

just brain storming.
regards
mike

Thank you so much for the brain storming. You're right, the ammonia theory didn't totally make sense. I started reading about kitty litter and came across silica in litter causing respiratory problems. There is something called silicosis that coal miners get from breathing in silica dust. Normally, a cat would not go as far as getting silicosis from litter. However, we also have a litter robot which both cats used most of their lives. After a cat uses it, the robot rotates, dumps the waste, and rotates back which creates a lot more dust than just using a regular box. Plus, it was in a laundry room which is not well ventilated. In fact, we just had to have our furnace worked on because the ignitor sensor had to be cleaned. The repair man asked us if we had just done construction in the room because there was so much dust in the furnace. That would explain why the cat was avoiding the laundry room and the litter. I can't believe this. There are so many things over the years this would explain. It would also explain why the vets were so perplexed as to what they were seeing on the x-rays, not to mention during the autopsy. It wouldn't be something they typically see. The litter robot is expensive and you can only get them online; I am sure not a lot of people use them or even have heard of them. Thank you again for helping me to brain storm this. I really think this is what happened and I am going to talk to the vet and see what they say. Maybe if he researches silicosis and compares it to what he saw, he'll be able to tell me if that could be it. Unfortunately, this does not help my kitties and I feel awful I didn't even know certain litters could cause problems, but I at least kept digging to find answers and know now. At this point, that's all I could do.

 

[rothenbj]

It wouldn't hurt to check for radon. Scar tissue like you speak of had to build up over time. Minor abrasions healing and re-healing time and time again. You have good reason to be worked up but there's no reason to box at shadows. Eliminate radon as a factor first. That's the easiest since you can find testers at hardware stores.

There are many things in a household that can cause damage so try not to start worrying about the most innocuous things yet. Carpets vent chemicals and concentrations are always highest at the source. Animals and small children can have problems from carpet venting. Carpet cleaning chemicals couldn't be healthy either....

You mentioned that the cats were 9 and that you've vaped for 2 1/2 years. Am I right in assuming that you smoked for the other 6 1/2 years of their lives? If so, do you think it's possible that you'd blame yourself more if it was from the cigarette's? I know I would. Vaping is new so I could see it being easier to accept that the loss was from this new "unknown" product rather than the product that we all should have known better about.

15 or so years ago I found out my dog Nicki had the exact same abnormalities. Plus, an enlarged liver. She survived 8 years with me as a smoker. All of the sudden she was having trouble breathing and the x-rays showed the damage was extensive and the cause was long term. She was fighting for life but could only breath past the fluids in her lungs enough to maintain her consciousness. Dogs are keen to picking up on emotions so I tried my best to feel happy while I consoled her. The doctor got the shot ready and I gave the nod. I put my face right square in front of Nicki's and told her how great she was. I smiled as big as I could so she wouldn't worry. I held her until the warmth was gone then promptly bawled my eyes out. I've thought about Nicki but I try not about that day much. The puppy I got to distract me from Nicki is now 13 and having problems. I've only vaped for the last year and a half so I'm sure to blame for some of her issues. On top of that, some damn Vietnamese virus got into American deer ticks and one of those little .......s got a hold of my Daisy. I'm going to be putting that painfully happy face on before the years up. Animals get to me... why did I enter this thread!

I was there last year with my 13 year old golden retriever, the best dog I ever owned. Stayed strong until he was asleep, but couldn't stay for the final shot.

Anyway enough of that as my tears still well up.

Sorry about your cats, but my first thought was also possibly radon. I'd definitely have it tested.

Radon Gas & Cats | eHow

 

[anavidfan]

I feel for your loss and Im curious what the tests brought about. I read through all the posts, yes some were very harsh but I can understand some becoming alarmed. We as vapers have to face a lot of opposition out there and all you have to do is google vaping and pets and it will lead you here and anywhere anyone else posts a question anywhere.

From reading it does seem like it might be something either environmental such as allergens, or air fresheners and even the cat litter, heck you might have even brought it in unknowingly on your self or feet . THere are many feline diseases viral and bacterial that may have made its way on you from petting another cat or a friend visiting.

If it was vaping, and no one can really say it was NOT 100% because if some people are allergic to PG a cat could be too. A few years ago cats died because of Febreeze being sprayed all over carpets and furniture and cat lost all their hair or died.

But if it was affecting pets, the first one to be affected would have logically been the little cockatiel. Radon might also affect the birdie. I almost tend to think it might have been litter dust or a respiratory viral/ bacterial infection. One got it and of course the other got it.

Im sure if there is an environmental cause finding out what it was will help , and what ever the cause , you should not feel as if it was your fault. Im sure you nor any of us would purposely put our loved ones, animal or human in harms way.

People need to sometimes be just a bit more careful answering a question that was obviously a cry for help in a panic state of mind. Im sure if the OP had it to post again they might have worded things in a different manner as not to put uneducated/ or anti vaping/anti tobacco people in a panic and run to alert the media that vaping *ills our pets.

I lost my companion Thomas the Kat a few months ago, he was at least 22 and I still miss him and even typing this makes me get a lump in my throat and I cna hardlwy see .

Again, my heart goes out to you and I hope for you r peace of mind you find out what caused it so you , your family human and feathered, furrred, scaled, etc can stay happy and healthy.

 

[krysti]

I feel for your loss and Im curious what the tests brought about. I read through all the posts, yes some were very harsh but I can understand some becoming alarmed. We as vapers have to face a lot of opposition out there and all you have to do is google vaping and pets and it will lead you here and anywhere anyone else posts a question anywhere.

From reading it does seem like it might be something either environmental such as allergens, or air fresheners and even the cat litter, heck you might have even brought it in unknowingly on your self or feet . THere are many feline diseases viral and bacterial that may have made its way on you from petting another cat or a friend visiting.

If it was vaping, and no one can really say it was NOT 100% because if some people are allergic to PG a cat could be too. A few years ago cats died because of Febreeze being sprayed all over carpets and furniture and cat lost all their hair or died.

But if it was affecting pets, the first one to be affected would have logically been the little cockatiel. Radon might also affect the birdie. I almost tend to think it might have been litter dust or a respiratory viral/ bacterial infection. One got it and of course the other got it.

Im sure if there is an environmental cause finding out what it was will help , and what ever the cause , you should not feel as if it was your fault. Im sure you nor any of us would purposely put our loved ones, animal or human in harms way.

People need to sometimes be just a bit more careful answering a question that was obviously a cry for help in a panic state of mind. Im sure if the OP had it to post again they might have worded things in a different manner as not to put uneducated/ or anti vaping/anti tobacco people in a panic and run to alert the media that vaping *ills our pets.

I lost my companion Thomas the Kat a few months ago, he was at least 22 and I still miss him and even typing this makes me get a lump in my throat and I cna hardlwy see .

Again, my heart goes out to you and I hope for you r peace of mind you find out what caused it so you , your family human and feathered, furrred, scaled, etc can stay happy and healthy.

I'm really sorry for your loss as well. It's amazing how much our pets are not really pets, but family. You are right, I wrote my original post right after I got the autopsy results and was in a complete panic. I just went back and re-read what I wrote and I see now how it came across. I edited it and updated it. I wish I could edit the title, but it doesn't allow it. None of the vets I spoke with believe it was from vaping. I was even told PG is not toxic to animals which is why they switched to that in anti-freeze instead of ethylene glycol which is poisonous. I have not found one person who has had any lung issues with pets and vaping. At the time, I couldn't think of many other possibilities, but have since. See my previous post about cat litter with silica and the litter robot. I truly believe this is what happened.

The pathologist said there was no bacterial infection. I do not believe it was viral because the first cat started showing symptoms way before the second cat. Also, none of the vets ever mentioned a possible viral infection. Neither cat had a fever either or ........ or anything. I am still going to get the chemical test on Monday to be on the safe side and will definitely update everyone.

You know, I got so focused on the chemical inhalation part that until I re-read my original post, I forgot he also said diffuse pleural thickening. I just looked that up and I am convinced more than ever of silicosis from the cat litter dust. My cat's behavior, symptoms, autopsy, everything seems to point to this.

 

[Coelli]

Krysti, if you do wind up getting another cat (or cats), and you're worried about silicosis, I highly highly recommend this litter:

Amazon.com: Precious Cat Ultra Premium Clumping Cat Litter, 40 pound bag: Pet Supplies

We switched to it because there is almost NO dust. My boyfriend is the catbox guy and he's extremely fastidious about it, scooping it twice a day morning and night. He used to use Tidy Cat, and you could see the cloud of dust rising when he poured it into the box. All of the furniture in that area for a wide radius got really dusty, even though we have a Clever Cat (top-entry) litterbox.

The Precious Cat stuff is SO MUCH BETTER. You can pour it into a box and there's no dust cloud. Like, at all. And the rooms where the litterboxes are stay much cleaner. We still get dust, but not really any more than anywhere else in the house.

So I just wanted to offer that to you if you decide to get another cat once your heart heals a little.

I'm very sorry for the loss of your kitties!

 

[TheGirlfriend]

I know cats are very sensitive to essential oils....but I'm not sure how that would correlate with vaping unless you two were hotboxing the crap out of them.

I'm really sorry about your loss. Losing a pet is so rough.

 

[alisa1970]

Krysti, if you do wind up getting another cat (or cats), and you're worried about silicosis, I highly highly recommend this litter:

Amazon.com: Precious Cat Ultra Premium Clumping Cat Litter, 40 pound bag: Pet Supplies

We switched to it because there is almost NO dust. My boyfriend is the catbox guy and he's extremely fastidious about it, scooping it twice a day morning and night. He used to use Tidy Cat, and you could see the cloud of dust rising when he poured it into the box. All of the furniture in that area for a wide radius got really dusty, even though we have a Clever Cat (top-entry) litterbox.

The Precious Cat stuff is SO MUCH BETTER. You can pour it into a box and there's no dust cloud. Like, at all. And the rooms where the litterboxes are stay much cleaner. We still get dust, but not really any more than anywhere else in the house.

So I just wanted to offer that to you if you decide to get another cat once your heart heals a little.

I'm very sorry for the loss of your kitties!

I've always been worried about this, but I couldn't use the wheat or corn clumping stuff because my cat has pica and eats it. I will be checking this out as well because the dust from what we use is HORRIBLE. Thank you!

 

[anavidfan]

thanks for the litter tip, after reading about all the dust, I got pretty scared and was thinking what to do. I use Scoop away and its great because it clumps so well and there is NO ODOR, but worry now if it is bad for our new kitten. I used that litter before when I had my other cat that passed away ( he was over 22 ) The box is in a well ventilated bathroom with a window. We were not looking for a new cat but she found us and I would like for her to be around as long as Thomas had been with us.