Question:
Is this safe for cats to play with. ??
I heard that the mint flavor is like the flavor of catnip.
I tried it with our Puss and she loved it. It was like a flavored piece of
string. She sure acted silly after, just like catnip, of course I do not
want to harm her in anyway.
I got the idea from my dental hygienist ,go figure. She has two cats and
told me they love it.
Answer:
No, dental floss is not safe for a cat to play with. If it's ingested, it can
bind in their intestines. I've read many people on the other newsgroups
mention that they have to keep a jar with a lid in the bathroom to dispose of
old dental floss, to keep their cats from getting it. So they *must* be
attracted to it.
Of course, if you're a really doting cat-mom, you'll just have to supervise
very closely, and never let go of your end of the string!!
No, floss is very UNSAFE for cats.
They like to eat it - and there is a choking danger, along with binding
through the gut.
Keep it away from them.
Why would you want to give it to them anyway ?
Dental floss is *extremely dangerous* for cats. They may swallow it, and it
can bind the intestines. There are a number of objects that you should take
great care to put away and keep away from your cats such as dental floss,
rubber bands, string or cord, Christmas "icicles," ribbon, etc. They love
to play with these objects, but all can be swallowed. It is safe to play
with ribbons, string, and cord as long as you hold one end -- but I would
not feel safe with dental floss even under those circumstances.
Having had a cat eat dental floss I wouldn't recommend letting kitty play
with it. We had one tense weekend hoping Boots would pass the entire length
of it without complication. I always wrap the used floss in a small amount
of toilet paper to keep him from eating it now.
Because of the backward pointing hooks on their tounges, cats can't
spit out light strings of any kind once it gets hooked - their only
option is to swallow it, and that is *bad*.
I try to sfely dispose of any string smaller than the heavy twine used
in the building trades for marking digging lines and as chalk line.
And I supervise play with that.
you've heard all the negatives, and I agree.. but let me say this.. as long
as it is supervised, and you make sure you end the play time by removing the
whole piece of floss and putting it where your kitty can't get it, there is
no reason why you can't. Same thing with yarn, string, or anything else
like it.. most people don't even consider that they would be an issue.
The problem with dental floss (as contrasted with a cat playing with yarn or
string while under the watchful eye of a "supervisor") is dental floss is so
small that it can easily be broken by the cat's teeth and a portion of it
swallowed -- and this could happen too quickly for the person watching to
prevent it.
