Common Dangers, Poisons at Home
Learn to Protect Your Cat

Dear Simba,
Two years ago our old tom cat passed away of kidney failure. Last year my 12-year-old female started having the same symptoms. I took her to the vet and they said she just had a virus and it would run its course. They put her on antibiotics. She rallied back. About a month ago she started to have the same symptoms, the vet said the same thing. She was better for about a week then she got worse and before I could get her back to see the vet. She died. This happened while I was at work. She had foamed at the mouth and looked like it was very violent I took her to the toxicology lab and they said the died of Cardio-Respiratory-Failure (CRF).

Why did my vet not catch on to it??? I am afraid she was poisoned. We try to keep her in but sometimes she gets out and we have several people who are real animal haters in our neighborhood. Could anti-freeze or rat poison cause such an immediate death if she was already having problems and would they always show up in an autopsy? Any help would be appreciated. I am very upset plus I have another cat to protect. Tracey

Dear Tracey,
So sorry to hear of your loss. It is possible that kitty died of poisoning although at 12, she was also at risk of dying from more natural causes. Below is some information on poisoning that you may find of help.

SIGNS OF POISONING can develop within 1 to 2 hours and include:

• Foaming, Excessive salivation
• Paw and facial swelling
• Lethargy
• Ash-gray gums
• Vomiting
• Bloody diarrhea
• Abdominal distension
• Shivering
• Shock
• Collapse or Death

SPECIFIC SUBSTANCES, SIGNS

Coolants

• Coolants since these contain ethylene glycol, which causes permanent kidney damage even in small quantities (6 milliliters of antifreeze are fatal). The danger is that kitty will walk through an antifreeze puddle and may ingest it while it cleans its paws.

Rat Poison

• Cats that eat it or eat poisoned mice can bleed to death. If you find an empty box, look for heavy breathing, anorexia, nosebleeds, bloody urine or feces, and pinpoint hemorrhages on the gums.

Tobacco

• Dangerous to cats. It causes excitement, foaming/salivation, vomiting, muscle weakness, coma or death

Marijuana

• Can be quite dangerous to kitties. Signs to look for include involuntary muscle movements or trembling, depression or excitability, foaming/salivation, death

Aspirin / other human pain relievers

• These are very TOXIC to cats. Signs to look for include anemia, gastric hemorrhage, and blood oxygen changes (acetaminophen drugs like Tylenol)

If kitty has consumed enough of a neurological toxin, sudden death may be the only sign.

Below are some quick tips for preventing the worst:

• Use cords or locking lids for garbage cans. Use a heavy frame to prevent knock-downs.
• Keep kitty off lawns sprayed with chemicals (wash his/her feet if they are exposed). -Avoid vegetable and flower gardens.
• Encase compost piles or use commercially made containers.
• Never give human drugs unless your vet says to.

If you suspect deliberate poisoning, I recommend that you proceed with the toxicology tests and contact the police. They will investigate this and even if they are unable to prove any crime, their investigation will remain on their records and will serve as a reminder and a deterrent to the responsible person. I hope this is of help to you. Simba

Dear Simba,
I have a 2-year-old tabby named Turbo, who was not feeling well today. He threw up some frothy spit-like substance with blood in it. I took him to the vet and asked that he be tested for poisoning since our next door neighbor does not like him. The test results came back positive for rat poison. The vet gave him a vitamin K shot and gave us vitamin K pills to help Turbo's blood coagulate. I was just wondering if you know the survival rate for cats that have been poisoned. Thanks.

Hi,
A cat's survival rate is dependent on many factors, such as health, the type and quantity of the poison ingested and the time to treatment from consumption. Your vet is much better able to give you an assessment on Turbo's chances given the information he has on hand.

If you have good reason to suspect your neighbor (i.e. Turbo has been on his property, your neighbor has made threats, etc.), please contact the police, because this is a crime. The authorities will investigate this and even if they are unable to prove any crime, their investigation will remain on their records and as a deterrent on your neighbor's mind. Your best long term bet for Turbo's health is to make yours a cat friendly home and keep him indoors. Simba

Hi Simba,
We just found a stray kitten and with Halloween this last weekend, we had some candy out and the kitten got into it and decided he loved chocolate. He has since eaten 2 fairly big pieces of chocolate. We thought it was very strange, but that was about it. I have always heard that chocolate is dangerous for dogs. But since this happened some people have told us they heard it is also dangerous for cats, now we are worried. Will this hurt the cat? What should we do? Kelly

Dear Kelly,
Chocolate is dangerous because it has theobromine. This substance is toxic to dogs and cats. It can cause accelerated heart beats and cardiac arrest. These can lead to death. Young kittens, with their developing intestinal tracks and small hearts are at greater risk. Please call your local animal hospital or vet ASAP, before there are symptoms. They can walk you through the steps needed to induce vomiting. Simba

Note: Please consult your vet or local animal hospital for all matters that require immediate attention. Also, do not ever feed your cat or kitten any food or drink containing chocolate and/or caffeine.

Hi, Simba,
I occasionally take my kitten Lola outside in her harness and lead, and today she caught a big bumble bee! I do not think it stung her, but it frightened both of us quite a bit (ok, me more than her). If she ever does get stung, is there anything I can do, and what should I do to be prepared? Kit

Dear Kit,
Like people, cats can suffer from bee stings. Also, like people they can have mild to severe reactions. Some signs to look for after being stung include:

• Unusual restlessness/excitement
• Pawing and chewing at the area stung.

It is very important that you monitor the symptoms, because a sting can cause respiratory distress which in turn can cause death, if not treated by a professional. The signs of respiratory distress include:

• Facial swelling
• Appearance of Welts throughout the body
• Very rapid breathing/ panting
• Blue coloration of the tongue.

Should you see this you should take your cat to the Vet ASAP so they can provide cat-specific antihistamines and treat kitty for shock. If you can see the stinger, remove it with tweezers, and apply a cold compress. This will stop the swelling and relieve the pain. Simba

PS
Sever symptoms rare in single stings, it can happen, although most frequently with a multiple sting situation.

Hi Simba,
Is there a negative to giving a cat a mouse filled with catnip. We gave one to our 7-year-old cat this morning...she is now a wreck! She refuses to be picked up, she urinated on me this afternoon, then she clawed me very badly to get away. She is one of the most cuddly cats I have ever had. This evening I tried to pick her up and she bit me. I do feel she has lost some weight lately. Is this the catnip having a bad effect on her? Can a cat be allergic to catnip? She has never reacted this way to it before. Or do you feel there is an underlying problem? Please help! Becky

Dear Becky,
There are two issues in your question. One relates to a recent loss of weight and the other to a behavioral change. First, Here is a summary of Catnip.

Catnip is a non-addictive "recreational drug" for cats of which there are 250 varieties. Cats usually go on a ten-minute "high", they rub and roll on the plant and then act "drunk/wild" for an hour or so. There are some that believe that catnip stimulates the same pleasure centers in the feline brain as sexual activity.

A small percentage will become possessive of their catnip and may snap or hiss at you. All species of cats, although not every individual, will react to catnip. Catnip is regarded as safe, although vomiting and diarrhea can result if excessive amounts are ingested. But other than that there are no widespread side effects.

Catnip does not affect a cat until they are at least 2-months-old. It is possible that your cat has become possessive of the catnip. Try picking her up while holding the catnip mouse or pick her up when she is not around the mouse. It is important that you not ignore the other issues here, mainly the loss of weight. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Does your cat have intestinal problems? see Stomach Troubles
• Has your cat eaten any new foods? see Feeding Cats
• Have you recently lost or acquired a cat? see New Cats
• Has your cat become lethargic? see Fevers / Lethargy
• Does your cat meow in pain when urinating? see Urinary Problems
• Have you noticed other behavioral changes? see Aggression to Other Cats

These all relate to symptoms related to disease or stress. Click on the section in blue next to the questions to which you answer yes for information on possible causes and on how to treat these. Keep me posted. Simba

Dear Simba,
I was recently told that the Ficus tree I have is