Dear Sinéad, Siouxsie and Thomas:
Recently we had to take our three year old kitty, Sophie, to the emergency pet hospital with a mild case of Pyrethrin poisoning. Though we had taken what we thought to be adequate precautions, the poor little thing ended up ill after we bug-bombed the house for an annoying case of gnats. Pyrethrin is supposed to be relatively nontoxic to mammals but there are certainly things to be aware of!

Briefly, the problem arose from reintroducing Sophie to the home while the residue from the Pyrethrin product was still on surfaces she walked on, brushed up against, etc. The instructions call for airing the home out for 30 minutes before re-entering but even though we aired it out for four hours (on a windy day) there was enough of that stuff around to cause a reaction.(The primary indication of Pyrethrin poisoning is hyper-salivation)

$165 later, we were out of the pet hospital with a bathed kitty (to remove any residue on her fur) and instructions to vacuum, mop and wipe down all the surfaces we could think of to pick up any droplet residual ... and a sense of relief that our beloved Sophie would be OK. They did give her some IV fluids to help her purge the stuff in her system, but I got the impression that was to help us feel like there was something done for our money. A bit of an expensive lesson, which we hope to pass on to other cat owners before they have a bad scare thrown in them!

The vets and their assistants told us this is something they see fairly regularly with cats because cats lick their contaminated paws and fur (and sometimes with dogs from flea treatments). While Pyrethrin poisoning is fairly benign, it's pretty scary to observe. Obviously, it's a preventable occurrence! But you might want to do a little more than indicated on the packaging.

Thanks,
Ed and Sophie

Sinéad: Wow, Ed, what a scary way to learn about the dangers of supposedly safe pesticides! We're very glad to hear that Sophie's okay and that there was no permanent damage.

Siouxsie: Thank you for sharing your story with our readers. It's very important for all humans to do their research when they're planning on using any sort of pesticide or chemical in their house.

Thomas: I'm sure we'd like to believe that the label "non-toxic" means there are no harmful effects from using this chemical. But think about it: If a product is designed to kill any living being, even a bug, it's very likely that it could have harmful effects on other animals. And people too!

Sinéad: Parents of small children are often warned about using pesticides, even those considered safe, because of the fact that toddlers are so close to the floor, tend to put their hands on everything, and then, of course, put their hands in their mouths. In addition, children's smaller bodies require a much lower dosage of a toxin to produce a toxic reaction.

Siouxsie: In his book Natural Health for Dogs & Cats, Dr. Richard Pitcairn tells his readers what the labels on pesticides and chemicals mean. If the label says DANGER--POISON, that means just a pinch is a lethal dose. If the label says WARNING, that means the lethal dose is about a teaspoon. CAUTION means that the product's lethal dose is anywhere from two tablespoons to two cups. No label means the product is considered non-toxic. Of course, all these toxicity ratings apply to human adults--not human children or animals.

Thomas: We believe the safest thing to do, for humans and cats, is to keep toxin loads at an absolute minimum. Sometimes we may need to use pesticides or rat poison, for example, but remember that even if one chemical by itself isn't necessarily toxic, if it's combined with other chemicals or toxins it could produce enough stress on the body to create health problems.

Sinéad: Like humans, cats vary in their ability to tolerate chemical or toxic insults to their bodies. Some cats can develop chemical sensitivities, too.

Siouxsie: We believe that cats are more likely to have toxic reactions if their bodies are already stressed. If your cat has just been vaccinated, for example, you may wish to hold off on bug-bombing or cleaning your carpets for a week or so. If your cat was rescued from a toxic environment (burning building, meth lab, metal foundry, etc.), he may already have a heavy "toxin load" in his body.

Thomas: More and more veterinarians are beginning to see the effects of environmental toxins on their animal patients. Some holistic vets believe that the increased levels of chemicals and toxins in the environment are producing an increased rate of cancers, thyroid problems and other chronic diseases in their patients.

Sinéad: We're not telling you that you should stop getting your cats vaccinated and move to a yurt in the mountains and live on a diet of whatever you can forage from the woods or anything like that. But we do hope that you, our readers, will exercise caution when using chemical products in your house. As Ed's vet said, it's very important to vacuum, mop and wipe down all surfaces after you bug-bomb or do any other sort of pesticide treatment.

Siouxsie: Also, we hope you can minimize the chemical load in your environment. It's good for your health as well as that of your animal companions. We recommend using unscented cat litter and eliminating or greatly reducing the use of any artificial fragrance-type air fresheners--whether they be plug-ins, battery operated fans, oil diffusers, or whatever.

Thomas: If you live in a city or a town with a public water supply treated with chlorine and/or fluoride, use filtered water for drinking and cooking. The filter will eliminate the water treatment chemicals (some of which actually are toxic to cats), as well as any bacteria that may have survived the treatment process, and will make the water smell and taste better. A pitcher-based filter system--which is available at drugstores, hardware stores and superstores all over the United States--is economical and very effective.

Sinéad: When I got a urinary tract infection a couple of years ago, my vet actually told Mama to feed me filtered water. Mama's given us pitcher-filter water ever since, and I haven't gotten a single UTI since then!

Siouxsie: If you'd like more information on substances that are toxic to cats, the Cornell Animal Science Department website has a comprehensive list of common household cat toxins.

Thomas: And while we're talking about things that are toxic to cats, here's a very comprehensive list of plants (from all over the world) that are toxic to cats. This site also has a list of plants that are definitely non-toxic. A great resource!

Sinéad: Thanks for writing to us, Ed. Head-bonks to you and Sophie, and best wishes for a long and toxin-free life!

Got a question? Need some advice? E-mail Sinéad and Siouxsie at advice@paws-and-effect.com. None of the advice in this column is meant to be a substitute for regular veterinary care.