Why Do Cats Like Bleach?

Most cat homeowners have, in some unspecified time in the future, doubtless encountered their cat displaying curiosity in bleach cleansing merchandise. Cats typically rub themselves in opposition to, sniff, purr at, and roll on something that has been cleaned with bleach.

Cats that do that doubtless assume that bleach smells like different cat urine. This will likely appear just a little loopy at first, but when we break it down, it does make sense. A cat’s urine releases chemical compounds because it decomposes, which smells much like bleach.

Because of this to cats, bleach might odor much like different cats. Publicity to bleach seems to trigger a hormonal response in cats, the place they act as if below the affect of hormones and pheromones. Let’s take a better take a look at this feline quirk.

Sorts of Bleach

There are lots of several types of bleach cleaners generally utilized in our households. Bleach answer typically comprises chlorine. Completely different bleach merchandise will include various quantities of chlorine, some with very excessive quantities, and others with low quantities or none in any respect.

The upper the chlorine focus, the extra corrosive the bleach is. It’s value testing the focus of chlorine within the bleach earlier than deciding to make use of the product in your house. If you’re uncertain, you may communicate to your vet. Some merchandise additionally include ammonia, which cats have a response to as properly.

Why Are Cats Interested in Bleach?

Cats perform by detecting scents and different chemical compounds of their surroundings that give them details about their environment. They often hunt alone, so that they depend on their senses to permit them to find their prey and in addition to avoid potential predators.

Cats have an excellent sense of odor. It seems that bleach smells attention-grabbing to cats. Some homeowners report that cats react in a really optimistic means after they odor bleach.

Excitedly sniffing and rolling round within the space the place bleach has been used sometimes demonstrates approval of the odor. When cats press themselves up in opposition to the floor that the bleach has been used on and rub themselves on it, they’re attempting to get nearer to it to and get a greater sniff.

Nevertheless, one other faculty of thought is that cats displaying this habits are attempting to rub their scent over the brand new bleach odor to say it as their very own. On this means, cats mark the place with the unusual odor as their territory, probably as a result of they really feel threatened.

The precise cause that cats are interested in bleach has not been scientifically confirmed, however there are a couple of good theories. Let’s discover them.

1. Attraction to Chlorine

Pheromones are particular chemical messengers which are secreted or excreted by cats. They set off a social response in different cats. Cats use pheromones on daily basis to achieve essential details about their surroundings. There are pheromones that give cats messages about territory markings, mating, and bonding.

One thing within the chemical make-up of bleach attracts cats. One of many parts of bleach is, as acknowledged above, chlorine. In accordance with this concept, the odor of chlorine might have the identical impact that pheromones have on cats after they odor it, suggesting it could have an effect on their mind chemistry. This is the reason they look like interested in the odor in the identical means they’d be to a possible mate or a well-known cat.

2. A Threatening Scent

Because the chlorine in bleach can launch pheromones, your cat can react to those chemical substances. If they’ve by no means smelled this odor earlier than, they might determine it as a risk or the odor of an intruder.

You might even see your cat repeatedly going over to the bleach to odor it. They could roll round and rub themselves in opposition to the world to try to rub their very own scent over the pheromones to mark this particular space as their personal territory. Cats do that to warn different cats away and substitute the brand new scent with their very own.

3. Drug Interactions

One other concept concerning cats in bleach, is that chlorine appears to have a wierd impact on cats that’s much like catnip. Some cat homeowners imagine that chlorine is able to triggering the completely satisfied receptors in your cat’s mind simply as catnip does.

After watching cats react to Nepetalactone, which is among the chemical substances current in catnip, it’s straightforward to see {that a} cat’s response to nepetalactone mirrors that of their response to bleach or chlorine. Because of this the bleach has “drug-like” impact on the cat.

Ought to I Stop My Cat From Sniffing Bleach?

Cats will react to the odor of chlorine in the identical means they react to pheromones or catnip.

Bleach is a recognized irritant. It’s a sturdy, harsh chemical cleansing product and might be dangerous to each people and cats. In case your cat is consistently involved with the product or inhales it frequently, this can have a detrimental impact in your cat’s well being. An occasional sniff of bleach after it has been used to wash someplace, after which rinsed away, is unlikely to trigger hurt.

If you could clear with bleach and you realize your cat will likely be interested in it, all the time be certain that you employ diluted bleach in order that it isn’t as concentrated and powerful. If you’re frightened about your cat licking or ingesting bleach after you have got used it as a cleansing product, maintain your cat in a special room or space while you’re cleansing. A swap to pet-friendly cleansing brokers that do not need any bleach in them is all the time a secure different.

Why Don’t Some Cats Like Bleach?

Many cats will go loopy for the odor of bleach. Nevertheless, not all cats will react like this. Some cats gained’t react in any respect. Different cats are actively repulsed by the odor and exit of their approach to keep away from it. It’s thought that there are generic parts that have an effect on whether or not a cat reacts or to not bleach.

Some breeds of cats are extra liable to reacting to bleach and different chemical substances than different breeds. Ragdoll cats appear to react to bleach greater than different cats. The precise cause behind that is unknown.

Ideas For Preserving Your Cat Away From Bleach

You probably have cats and need to nonetheless use bleach cleansing merchandise, there are a couple of additional precautions you may take to maintain your cat secure in your house.

1. By no means Depart Cleansing Merchandise Out

When utilizing cleansing merchandise, by no means go away them unattended, particularly when the lids are off them. If you’re transferring between rooms, take the merchandise with you or retailer them away. By no means go away mop buckets with any answer unattended and pour it out when you have got completed. Should you retailer loads of bleach in your own home, guarantee it’s all the time locked away from cats.

2. Hold the Lid Closed on the Bathroom

The bathroom is among the best locations in your cat to entry bleach. They’ll leap up with ease and poke their head into the bowl, getting instant entry to the bleach merchandise. Cats might attempt to lick the bleach from the rim if the bathroom has lately been cleaned, so maintain the bathroom lid shut always.

3. Dilute Your Bleach

It’s all the time good observe to dilute your bleach when cleansing. This reduces the quantity of fumes that people and animals inhale when in shut proximity. Customary family bleaches have a 5-6% hypochlorite content material.

That is very excessive and if ingested, it may well trigger critical well being points together with vomiting, diarrhea, ulceration of the mouth, sore throat, extreme drooling, issue respiratory, seizures, and abdomen ache. It might additionally harm a cat’s paws in the event that they stroll over a floor that has been cleaned with extremely concentrated bleach.

ratio for dilution is 1:32 of bleach to solvent. At all times rinse surfaces and dry them completely after utilizing bleach in case your cat has entry to them.

Cats and Bleach

Hold your rest room lid shut to discourage a cat from licking a lately bleached rest room seat.

Cats appear to be interested in bleach because of the reality it comprises chlorine. Cats generally react to chlorine as they’d to pheromones or catnip of their surroundings. They could approve of the scent or discover it threatening. Different cats don’t care about bleach in any respect.

Every particular person cat will react barely in another way to chemical substances. All of them have completely different tolerances and thresholds so the response you see will likely be distinctive to your cat.

You should by no means permit your cat to lick or ingest bleach as a result of it’s extremely poisonous. Should you assume your cat might have ingested bleach, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Management Middle at 888-426-4435. You can too name The Pet Poison Helpline telephone quantity at 855-764-7661.

Additionally Learn: Poisoning in Cats: Causes, Signs, and Therapy