Conference misery::feline_v1

    Re .0 (Roberta):
    
    >I keep the litter scoop and a can of lysol right next to the box
    >so everthing is within reaching distance for clean-ups.
     
    ==>CAUTION<==  _Never_ use Lysol!  It can slowly poison your cat!!!!
    
    Check bwith your vet for a safe alternative.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    Steve - I had NO idea!!  I just use it to get the smell out of the
    air.
    
    What do you use??  I better call the vet today.
    

    Re .1	What deodorizer is good?  I also use Lysol, but only
    when I change the litter and the box is empty.  I also have spray
    specifically for cat boxes and it smells sort of like baby powder.
    The only reason I stuck with the Lysol is because it kills germs.
    I think for deodorizing, I'll now switch to baking powder (and will
    call the vet to find something harmless).
    
    Thanks for the tip, Steve. 
    Mary
    

    There are several good litter deodorizers available from your local
    cat store, the one I like the best is called:  F.O.N.  it stands
    for Feline Odor Neutralizer.  It's hard to find, but many veterinarians
    stock it.
    
    Also, it isn't as expensive as it may seem when you buy it!!!
    
    cin
    

    I wash my box out with Lysol deoderizer then wash it out and
    dry it really good before filling it with litter.  Is this 
    what you mean by using Lysol or do you mean the spray kind?
    I certainly wouldn't want to poison my babies......
    
    My kitties also throw the scooper in the box when they decide
    it's too full.  I think it's better then an 'alternative' choice
    to tell me ;^>.
    
    Katie
    

    I use the Lysol after scooping and spray it directly on the litter
    as well as around the box (oh, no - am I setting up my cats for
    a slow & painful death??)
    

    If using Lysol includes a _thorough_ rinsing afterwards, you've
    minimized the chances of injuring your kitties, though it's still
    not a good idea.  I generally use litter liners, which obviates
    the need, most of the time, for having to wash the tray.  When I
    do, I generally use Palmolive dish detergent.
    
    The action of Lysol is slow, and apparently somewhat cumulative
    (though reversable, up to a point).  While it doesn't hurt humans
    ....
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    I don't use Lysol, but I do use Red Cross Dissinfectant spray when
    I clean the box.  Do you know if this brand is safe?  I don't spray
    the litter between scoops but the litter I use has baking soda in
    it.  
    

    Well, we certainly got off track on this note, though I must say,
    I'm glad we did!
    
    I got the Lysol idea from my Mom who has been doing it for years.
    Fortunately, her 4 cats have lived to tell about it.  I'll have
    to warn her too.
    
    /Roberta
    

    There is a powder on the market called....I can't think of it now!!
    
    "Kitty something"  It come in a can like parmesan cheese. :^) with
    a picture of a kitty on it.  You can find it in the kitty section
    of your favorite market...
    
    Try it, you'll like it!  It smell nice and not expensive, around
    a buck.
    
    Linda

    Arm & Hammer produces an aerosol spray that is non-toxic (it contains
    baking soda). I use it for spraying the air when someone has done
    something that doesn't smell nice. As for deodorizing the box,
    I find that lemon-scent Sunlight dishsoap and hot water followed by a
    white vinegar rinse does the trick.
    
    Back to the original question of what does your cat do when they
    want the box cleaned? Well, when I had just Argus and Pip, when
    ever one of them went to the box, they would immediately come and
    get me, bring me to the box and not let me leave until it was scooped.
    
    Deb

    Personally, I've taken to using ordinary hydrogen peroxide for many
    of my disinfecting needs.  It's very safe, and very appropriate
    for cuts, scrapes, etc.
    
    For stronger jobs, I've been meaning to use diluted chlorine bleach,
    but I just haven't gotten around to preparing it. This is a recommended
    method for cleaning wood cutting boards.  Does anyone know whether this
    is safe around cats?  
    
    Ever since we switched to Tidy Cat 3, odor hasn't been a problem. Even
    before that, I'd rather put up with the odor than expose the cats to
    human chemicals, and I'm still tempted to hunt for an odorless litter
    that the cats like.  Of course, it helps that we have an unfinished
    basement, and air flow patterns that keep the odors downstairs.
    
       Gary

    RE: .10
    
    It's called "Litter Fresh"
    
    Linda

    I use Tidy Cat 3 (the 99% dust-free litter), and my boys still manage
    to stink up the box.  Last night, I threw in some baking soda and
    mixed it around which neutralized the odor somewhat.  Think I'll
    try what Deb recommended.
    

Just a note about Tidy Cat 3.  I had been using it for as long as I had cats
and found it very good at masking odors.  However, I found out about a year
ago (thanks to Dave McAllister and Pookie's Mom) that Tidy Cat 3 can cause
eye allergies in cats.  My Daisy would get problems where one or both of her
eyes would look opaque and she would act like a lethargic, sick kitty.  The
vet thought it was an eye infection and gave me antibiotics and eye creams.
Daisy's eye would clear up (although the anitbiotic gave her the runs) and 
then a few months later it would flare up again.

According to Dave, this is fairly common knowledge among breeders.  I now use
Clean Kitty (in the red bag, it comes with baking soda) and Daisy hasn't
had a problem in almost a year, where before she would have a problem every
3-6 months.  I haven't noticed any odor problems with the Clean Kitty either,
although it's alot dustier than Tidy Cat 3.  Dave said that this eye allergy
can happen with any scented litter, but that Tidy Cat 3 seems to cause the
most problems.

I would suggest you continue using Tidy Cat 3 if you've never noticed any
eye problems, but switch immediately if problems occur.

Pam

    I light a match. Since I collect match books, I have tons of matches.
    The sulpher seems to kill the smell; especially the amonia smell
    from her urine. (Too much ash in her food).
    
    /cal

    Re: .15
    
    Has anyone brought this to the manufacturer's attention?
    

    Moderators, perhaps the title of this note could be changed to
    something like Litterbox Deodorizers/Disinfectants, since that
    seems to have become the topic.  It would help people who are
    doing a directory to find information.
						-- Nina

    Re:  .15
         
    One thing I have noticed in Nikki is that he sometimes has a discharge
    (sleep?) running out of the corners of his eyes, but his appetite
    and attitude have not been affected by it.  I wonder if this could
    be from the litter?  Can anyone recommend another dust-free litter
    that doesn't cause eye allergies?  I can't use anything else due
    to *my* allergies.
    

    Getting back to the original question, my Himalayan scratches like
    mad at the litter bag whenever HE thinks his box needs changing.
    
    I'm SO glad to get the Lysol information.  I'm throwing it out tonight
    and will get some Clean Kitty asap.

RE .17:    I don't know if the manufacturer is aware of it or not.  Dave
	   McAllister (yoohoo Dave!) knows more about this than I do.

RE .19:	   It's been my experience that most cats tend to have some sort
	   of eye discharge.  I notice in my cats it's worst in the winter,
	   although I've also been noticing that it's alot less now than
	   when they were kittens.  I'm also cat-sitting 2 cats and their
	   eye discharge is much better now than 3 weeks ago when I first
	   got them.  Obviously, significant discharge, where it runs, should
	   be attended to by a vet.

Pam

    Also, some breeds of cats tend to "tear" more than others.  Persians,
    Himalayans and Exotic Shorthairs in particular tend to have teary
    eyes.  For these three breeds, this tearing (within reason) is normal.
    
    purrs
    cin
    

    ..How very true, my Pookie and Happy have "teary eyes all the time..
    we do our eye care daily.. yucko.. Happy is the original squirmy
    the wormy.. wiggle ....wiggle.. argh!!!!Pook on the other hand
    loves to be groomed and her eyes done...sits here very patiently..
    tee-hee..
    Regards
    Kate

    Kyrielle was having eye trouble so we switched from Johny Cat to
    Tidy Cat at the vets suggestion (kitty opthamalogist), haven't had
    a problem since then.  It was the dust that was causing Kyrielle's
    problem and Tidy Cat is 99% dust free.
    
    For a good litterbox cleaner try Roccal-D.  It is sold at most cat
    shows and pet stores.  It was also recommended by the vet.  They
    use it to disinfect the office.  It has a germicide, and a fungicide
    and a deoderizer in it.  I dilute it and use it to clean the boxes,
    carriers, and I pour some into the wash when I wash Kalliste's stud
    pants and the cage curtains.
    
    A 16 oz bottle has lasted me for over a year.  It costs about $7.00
    for the bottle.
    
    As for the Lysol - stay away from any products that have phenol
    in them (lysol, pine-sol) since that is the ingredient that makes
    lysol toxic to cats.
    
    Jo
    

    This recent posting to the USENET explains just what it is about
    LYSOL (or any pine oil based cleaner) that is harmful to cats.
    
    Deb 
    
    
    Newsgroups: rec.pets
Path: decwrl!ucbvax!pasteur!ames!ncar!gatech!gitpyr!suzan
Subject: Re: My cats have sore paws!
Posted: 31 Aug 88 19:56:33 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
 
In article <[email protected]> [email protected] (Terri W. Hardwick) writes:
>DO NOT CLEAN WITH LYSOL, by the way.  All pine products are poisonous
>to cats.
>
 
Is this true?  I have owned cats for years and years (actually taken care of
them for 23).  Much of that time I have used LYSOL (tm) or any PINE OIL BASED
CLEANER to disinfect the litter box (once every 10 days).  Have I just been
good/lucky about rinsing any cleaner residue away?  Could the lingering odor
(*I* think it smells nice & clean) be the reason my newest cat, Freddie
(Oriental Shorthair), won't use the box, but uses the newspaper around it?
 
-- 
"Don't blame Georgia Tech for what you see written here"
 
Suzan Wassman            [email protected]
Georgia Institute of Technology   Atlanta, GA   30332


Newsgroups: rec.pets
Path: decwrl!purdue!mailrus!ncar!ico!rcd
Subject: Re: My cats have sore paws!
Posted: 1 Sep 88 06:51:26 GMT
Organization: Interactive Systems Corp, Boulder, CO
 
> >DO NOT CLEAN WITH LYSOL, by the way.  All pine products are poisonous
> >to cats.
...
> Is this true?  I have owned cats for years and years (actually taken care of
> them for 23).  Much of that time I have used LYSOL (tm)...Have I just been
> good/lucky...
 
Yes, you have been extremely lucky.
 
Lysol is one of a class of disinfectants which are potentially very
dangerous to cats.  This is well known to cat "professionals" but
unfortunately not well-known generally.
 
Coal-tar or wood-tar derivatives are all to be avoided around cats.  These
include disinfectants containing phenols, cresols, and others.
 
The most effective disinfectant is ordinary household bleach--which is just
a solution of sodium hypochlorite in water.  (Brands don't matter much, as
long as there isn't other junk in it.  Generic or house brands work fine.)
The bleach itself is poisonous, of course, but it won't leave any sort of
poisonous residue, and cats will avoid it for the short period until the
chlorine dissipates.  It's also cheap.
-- 
Dick Dunn      UUCP: {ncar,nbires}!ico!rcd           (303)449-2870
   ...Worst-case analysis must never begin with "No one would ever want..."

    Well, I guess I've been one of the lucky ones as I didn't know about
    Lysol being harmful to cats before.  Never used that on litterboxes
    as, until recently, I always used a very large cardboard box which
    I scooped out 3-4 times daily (depending on usage), changed twice
    a week, and replaced the box with a new one every two weeks.  Went
    through a lot of newspapers then too.
    
    Now I have two of the Jumbo sized enclosed litterboxes I bought
    at my local pet supply dealer (with charcoal filter in hood of box)
    and use the pan liners.  When I clean the plastic trays I use Ivory
    Liquid Dishwashing Soap mixed with warm water.  I'm using "Fresh
    Step" litter and liners.
    
    I have always used Lysol's Pine-Sol for washing my kitchen/bathroom
    floors though so I'd better switch to something else now.  Is Spic
    'n' Span okay?  How about Barcolene Floor Wash?  Have used this
    once or twice too.  If Lysol products would harm cats using in their
    litterbox, then it must be as bad washing the floors with it.
    
    Pat
    

    We've been switching to using Murphy's oil soap, in the spray bottle,
    at least for those places where the cats may be in contact.  I believe
    this stuff is safe.  For the smudge marks high on the walls, and other
    places the cats can't reach, we still use pine products (highly rated
    by Consumer Reports).  I don't believe this presents a problem. With
    all the experience of people in this file who've used Lysol or pine
    cleaners, I have to believe that it takes more than the faint residue
    from cleaning to kill a cat.
    
    I'm still tempted to write a letter to Consumer Reports, berating
    them for reviewing all these cleaners, giving various pine cleaners
    top ratings, without once mentioning potential toxicity to pets.
    
       Gary