Cat throwing up with new carpet smell

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alex77781@cox.net - 05 Dec 2005 21:23 GMT

We just got new carpeting in the family room today and the minute the
cat came downstairs she threw up. (Luckily on the tile and not on the
carpet) Just a few minutes ago she threw up again. Is this common and
what's the best way to prevent this. I assume we'll just have to wait
for the "new carpet smell" to wear off.

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Beth - 05 Dec 2005 23:04 GMT

Oh my. That's not good for the poor thing. The only time my cat has thrown
up from a smell was when she got a good whiff of my nail polish remover. If
the smell is strong, she will probably do it all the time for a good long
while. I've had new carpet with a cat and it didn't affect her. The only
thing I can think of would be to get some sort of carpet deodorizer that you
use with a vacuum or something and vacuum the hell out of it. Maybe get one
of those pheromone things from your vet to help calm her and make it seem
familiar. Otherwise, keep her away from the room as much as possible for at
least a week or so.

Beth

> We just got new carpeting in the family room today and the minute the
> cat came downstairs she threw up. (Luckily on the tile and not on the
> carpet) Just a few minutes ago she threw up again. Is this common and
> what's the best way to prevent this. I assume we'll just have to wait
> for the "new carpet smell" to wear off.

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alex77781@cox.net - 06 Dec 2005 00:52 GMT

I think that's what I'm gonna do for now. I have her upstairs away from
the family room and I opened up all the windows to let some air in.
I'll get some carpet deodorizer tomorrow to see if that helps.

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jdc1 - 09 Dec 2005 05:18 GMT

> I think that's what I'm gonna do for now. I have her upstairs away from
> the family room and I opened up all the windows to let some air in.
> I'll get some carpet deodorizer tomorrow to see if that helps.

She may be smelling the glue they use when installing under carpet padding.
It should dissipate over time.

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Rhonda - 09 Dec 2005 07:21 GMT

Yah, that stuff is not healthy!

I would keep her out of there until the smell is gone. Don't try to
cover it up with other smells, that could make more trouble for her.

If it's making her sick, it can't be doing much for humans either...

Rhonda

> She may be smelling the glue they use when installing under carpet padding.
> It should dissipate over time.

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Lumpy - 09 Dec 2005 16:31 GMT

> Yah, that stuff is not healthy!
>
> I would keep her out of there until the smell is gone. Don't try to
> cover it up with other smells, that could make more trouble for her.
>
> If it's making her sick, it can't be doing much for humans either...

You're right. They did some sort of study on this, when the so-called "sick
buildings"
were in the news.

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Phil P. - 09 Dec 2005 19:08 GMT

What's making your cat sick are the chemicals (formaldehyde, benzene,
toluene, styrene, xylene) outgassing from the carpet/backing- carpet fibers
and/or adhesives that hold the carpet to the backing. Contact a reputable
carpet dealer and ask them about a carpet sealer. SafeChoice Carpet Guard
a/k/a SafeChoice Carpet Seal is a pretty good carpet sealer.

Phil

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cybercat - 09 Dec 2005 19:21 GMT

> <alex77781@cox.net> wrote :
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> carpet dealer and ask them about a carpet sealer. SafeChoice Carpet Guard
> a/k/a SafeChoice Carpet Seal is a pretty good carpet sealer.

I knew there had to be a solution. FWIW, I hate carpet and have no
wall-to-wall in the house at all. Hardwoods, tile, stone, and area rugs
mean no glue/rubber etc.

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Phil P. - 09 Dec 2005 23:14 GMT

> > <alex77781@cox.net> wrote :
> >
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> wall-to-wall in the house at all. Hardwoods, tile, stone, and area rugs
> mean no glue/rubber etc.

Winter is probably the worst time to install new carpet because homes are
closed up and there's less ventilation. So, the concentration of outgassing
fumes is much higher than in the warmer months. Outgassing is even worse
for cats because they're closer to the fumes for long periods of time-
especially if the cats sleep on the carpet.

There are home test kits available to determine levels of formaldehyde and
other outgassing chemicals. This is one of the better ones:

http://www.prohousedr.com/DIYTestKits.htm

Here's a good one for you- it detects and measures the concentration of
Feld-1 allergen- the probable cause of your allergy problem and your cat's
EGC and asthma:

http://www.pureaircontrols.com/ieqform.html

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