Is Bleach Toxic To Cats
The short answer is yes.
But, this really depends on the type of bleach and how your cat consumes the product.
If your cat smells bleach, they will not be poisoned. But drinking bleach can cause serious health issues.
Also, highly diluted bleach is not as dangerous as undiluted bleach. When you use commercial bleach at home, you are likely using a diluted version. You can also add water to further dilute the bleach.
Types Of Bleach And The Effects They Have
As you may know if you use bleach for your washing, there are several types of bleach available on the market. The variable is the chlorine in the composition. There are bleaches with a low concentration of chlorine, other with a high concentration of chlorine, and some that dont have chlorine at all.
While their efficacy for whitening your clothes is debatable, one thing is certain all of them are very attractive to your cat because all three types of bleach have that irresistible smell that your cat simply goes crazy for. All of them are also dangerous for your cat. However, some of them are more dangerous than others. Here are the main types of bleach and their effects on your cat:
In Summary: Why Do Cats Like Chlorine
I hope this article why do cats like chlorine? – has helped answer this question for you. As well as highlight some of the potential dangers and ways your kitty might be able to be exposed to chlorine.
Like all hazardous substances, there is a risk of toxicity or poisoning if your cat, dog, and any other animal that comes into contact with too much of the product. For the most part, however, smelling chlorine on you or your clothes after a swim isnt a big deal.
If you want to let them have their moment of enjoyment on your bathing suit, its not going to do any harm. You could, of course, give them some catnip toys, honeysuckle, or whatever else gives them the same reaction.
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How Do I Know If My Cat Drank Bleach
Why Do Cats Like The Smell Of Bleach? What are the possible signs you see if it has drunk bleach?
If your cat drank bleach, there would be visually seen symptoms in your cat. The significant symptoms you can notice if your cat has consumed the bleach water are:
In addition to this, severe bleach poisoning can also happen, making the cat so sick that it could sometimes expire when a proper and quick detoxification procedure is provided to the cat.
So, look for these symptoms in your cat when it drinks the bleach. Apart from these, if you see your cat behaving strangely, like dancing on the floor, smiling and moaning for no reason, and walking staggered like it is high, all these indicate bleach consumption.
What Happens When Cats Smell Bleach
Cats have a strong behavioural reaction to a range of scents, including bleach and catnip: perhaps they mimic pheromones. Bleach can be a harsh irritant, affecting the eyes, digestive and respiratory systems, but it isnt otherwise toxic. Once the bleached area is dry, there is no risk of a problem.
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Which Bleach Is Most Dangerous For Cats
All bleach is dangerous for your cat. Regular household bleach does contain a slightly lower concentration of chlorine and is slightly less acidic than some other products. But it is still dangerous enough to cause irritation to your cats skin and to be potentially fatal if swallowed.
Then you have products like highly concentrated bleach that are wildly dangerous. These types of products are only for professional cleaning and have a much higher concentration of chlorine and a higher level of acidity, making it particularly treacherous for felines.
Lastly, there is no-chlorine bleach. While this may seem like a good choice at first, its important to know that instead of chlorine, these products often use hydrogen peroxide. This is also dangerous for cats and can induce vomiting. And unfortunately, your cat will probably still go crazy for the bleach smell.
Cats And Bleach Poisoning
Many pet owners see this reaction as a reason to worry about the health and safety of their cat, but the faint smell of bleach and a cats reaction to it is harmless. However, licking or ingesting a lot of bleach can cause some serious cat health issues that would require immediate veterinary attention.
Some symptoms to be on the lookout for if you think your cat has swallowed bleach include vomiting, sore throat, stomach pain, excessive drooling, and a bleached appearance of the hair around the paws or mouth, possibly along with the smell of bleach or chlorine.
If your cat is showing these symptoms, give them milk or water and get them to the vet ASAP do not try to induce vomiting. The vet will continue to treat the cat by giving them large amounts of milk or water, and the prognoses is generally good if you act quickly and effectively.
So if your cat goes into a state of ecstasy over your bleach-scented hands every time you clean the bathroom, you do not have to worry that they are crazy. Their love of the scent is a common cat quirk, but it does mean that you have to be extra careful to keep any chemicals containing bleach safely away from your kitty.
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Will Bleach Hurt My Cat
Cleaners with powerful odors that promise results should alert pet owners, particularly cat owners, to danger, experts say. The ingredients that make disinfectants effective make them toxic for companion animals: alcohol, bleach, hydrogen peroxide, chemical compounds that contain the word phenol, etc.
Why Do Cats Love Bleach: An Overview
If you are a cat lover, then youve probably run into the strange phenomenon of cats going crazy over bleach before. This is one of those mysterious kitty behaviors that lead us to think that our housepets are mysterious creatures that we cannot expect to understand. However, most feline behavior makes a lot more sense than youd expect.
For many years scientists and behavior experts have put their efforts into decoding the hows and whys of cat behavior. Many studies about their biology and what makes cats tick have come up with answers that we once considered impossible. After all, science is incredible stuff that can help us understand almost anything.
Though theres no entirely proven answer, scientists have put their minds to the question of why cats like bleach so much. The theory theyve come up with has to do with how sensitive a kittys nose is.
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Why Do Cats Love Bleach
The most common explanation is that there might be something in the chemical makeup of bleach that attracts cats, such as chlorine. But that raises the question, why do cats like chlorine?
The generally agreed upon answer is that it is because cats have a very highly developed sense of smell much more complex than humans and something like bleach might be connected to their pheromones, triggering a biological, hormonal reaction to the scent.
Common reactions include rubbing, purring and drooling very similar to the effect that catnip has on kitties. So while cat experts havent really reached a detailed conclusion about why cats are into bleach, a simple way of thinking of it is that it has the same effect as catnip does on a kitty.
Where Do Cats Get Their Chlorine Fix
If you want to discourage your cats chlorine habit, here are the places/ways they are most likely to find exposure to it:
On your damp swimwear As mentioned in the opening comments, people usually find out their cats love chlorine when they are all over them after theyve been swimming. They might also try to chew your hair!
From a pool I hope youre fortunate enough to have a home swimming pool. But even if youre not, one of your neighbors might do. Either way, its a good idea to check if there is pool water nearby that your cat may be drinking. If they are, see if you can do something to put a stop to it.
In storage If you have chlorine products youre storing them somewhere. If you dont have kids its likely youre not locking them away really carefully either. Now you know about cats and how much they love the smell of chlorine its time to store them somewhere kitty proof.
Cleaning products Chlorine and bleach are two cleaning products that cats get that catnip type of buzz off. If youve cleaned with bleach you may have noticed their strange behavior, much the same as their reaction to chlorine.
For most people, chlorine isnt a chemical you and your cat will come across daily. Now youre aware of the risk, it shouldnt be too hard to ensure your feline doesnt come into contact with any.
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Why Does My Cat Like The Smell Of Bleach
Being a cat owner means you are going to witness a lot of weird behavior from your cat. One day they will be friendly with you another day, they may not. They will love a certain toy once and then throw them away next. You will also notice them showing interest in things that do not call for a cat behavior.
So, in case if you suddenly witness that your cat loves the smell of bleach and longing around it frequently, there is nothing to be worried about. Cats smelling and liking bleach is very common, but the question of why does my cat likes the smell of bleach could be burning. Lets find out the exact reason for that.
Why Do Cats Like The Smell Of Chlorine
While its not been proven scientifically , its believed that cats are drawn to the smell of chlorine as it stimulates a very similar response to pheromones.
Pheromones are basically signals that cats leave behind in the way of a scent. These scents are then picked up by other cats and they have an uncontrollable reaction to them. Which usually involves rolling around on the floor in enjoyment.
Chlorine does have a strong, distinctive smell. Im sure we can all agree on that. But whether we like the smell or not, it doesnt have the same releasing effect on us than it does for cats. No one has been able to pinpoint the exact element causing this reaction, but chlorine is little more than calcium hypochlorite so thats likey the offending chemical.
This also answers another common question cats owners have why do cats like bleach? Its because bleach contains chlorine and has a very similar smell and releases the same chemicals.
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How To Prevent Bleach Poisoning In Cats
The only way to protect your cat from being poisoned by chlorine is to keep them away from it.
Place the cat in another room if youre going to use chlorine. This will prevent them from drinking more of the remedy.
Its also a good idea to dilute the bleach solution. Before you use the chlorine, make sure it has a lot of water in it. Bleach that has been highly diluted is less harmful to cats than bleach that has not been diluted.
Clean up any spills and store the leftover bleach in a safe position out of sight of your cat until youve finished using it.
Since the bleach gases are not harmful to your pet, you should bring your cat back into the area after the bleach has been washed up.
Since they can smell the gases, they can either roll about or droll. They shouldnt get chlorine poisoning as long as there isnt enough bleach for them to lick or drink.
Ways To Prevent Bleach Poisoning
The best way to prevent your cat from consuming any bleach and suffering from bleach poisoning is by keeping the bleach out of reach. If youre planning to use bleach, then keep your cat in another room. Also, ensure that the bleach you use is highly diluted.
You can do this by adding lots of water to the bleach before using it because the more diluted the bleach solution is, the less toxic it will be for your cat compared to undiluted bleach. And, once you have finished using the bleach, make sure to clean up any spills. Then place the remaining bleach in a safe place where your cat cannot reach it.
Bleach fumes are not toxic for cats and so once you have completed your work and cleaned up the area, you can allow your pet into the area. Your cat may still roll around and purr because he can smell the bleach fumes however, since he cannot lick or drink any bleach, it is safe and there is no danger of bleach poisoning.
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Why Cats Are Attracted To Bleach
Cat parents will certainly know this. Cats are particularly attracted to bleach. The reason can be found in the chemical composition of the substance. Bleach so called because of its bleaching and disinfectant function is a solution based on sodium hypochlorite. It smells very similar to chlorine. Its characteristic odor is like that of animal pee. When the cat perceives this smell, it feels threatened and feels the need to mark the territory. This is the case with all substances containing sodium hypochlorite.
Take Your Cat To The Vet Based On Their Advice
When you call the vet, theyll want to know what kind of bleach your cat consumed. Its common for owners to find themselves panicking, so remain calm.
Your cat relies on your level-headedness in this situation, so dont panic.
The old saying of trying to get your cat to drink milk is a bad idea. Cats are mostly lactose intolerant, and the milk causes further digestive discomfort.
Dont let your cat try to drink water, as this could also complicate things. In a severe case of bleach poisoning, the best option is to rush your cat to the vet. Call the vet before or on the way to let them know youre coming and what to expect when you arrive.
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What Should I Do In Case My Cat Drank Bleach
Why Do Cats Like The Smell Of Bleach? What are my possible options in case it drank bleach?
Why does my cat like bleach? Is it bad for its health? What is the proper thing to do when a cat starts doing weird stuff like this?
The first and quick thing you can do is call the vet or reach the local animal service area. Then, you can call a fast ambulance or stop wasting time calling and taking it to the vet.
Make the cat drink large amounts of water as vomiting can cause dehydration in cats, and it could make the situation even worse.
Get it to the vet and provide all the assistance it needs to encounter severe and deadly bleach poisoning.
Three Theories Of Why Cats Enjoy Bleach
Saying that bleach does something your cat likes isnt a whole lot of information. Lets take a look at what the bleach is probably doing. First, you need to know about the three most likely explanations of why your cat is acting so weird.
Here are three reasons your cat may like bleach:
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Sex
First, your bleach loving cat could be having a sexual or hormone-based reaction and loving it. All that rolling and rubbing might be half turn-on and half confusion because theres no other kitty there, making everything smell like mating time.
Drugs
Second, they might be having the catnip reaction, which is not the same, though it can look pretty similar. Drugs affect your behavior and actions by temporarily changing your brain chemistry. Catnip and bleach certainly seem to fit the profile.
Home Invasion
Third and finally, the hormones might smell more like an intruder than a potential mate. Therefore the rubbing could be an extreme form of marking behavior to try and re-odorize the environment and reclaim their territory. Cats who spray, or drag their butts through bleach are more likely to be having a territorial reaction.
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