Gransnet forums

Health

Warning about the danger of cat litter.

(43 Posts)
Lovetopaint037 Tue 28-Oct-25 03:34:01

My daughter has been in hospital for over a week now and no sign when she will be able to come out. She was looking after a neighbour’s cat when the cat litter had to be changed. As she did this a great deal of dust enveloped her. She became ill and had to be driven to the doctor who called an ambulance. Paramedics stayed with her for seven hours until admitted to a respiratory ward. She was given oxygen and large amounts of antibiotics. A physiotherapist worked on her several times in the day. She had a CT scan and then moved to ITU where there was some other equipment which could help. She had lines put in an arm enabling blood to be taken and oxygen to be measured. Then another in the other arm which had to be removed as it became too painful. Her oxygen was down again yesterday. It is a severe allergic reaction to the cat litter. If you look on the web you will see that some cat litter contains all sorts of nasties. My SIL told me that a doctor warned about this on the tv. Apparently it seems that the cheaper cat litter contains the most dust. If you have a cat or like my dd undertake to look after one please read the warnings. My dd is so ill and we are so worried.

escaped Tue 28-Oct-25 07:30:26

I'm so sorry to hear that Lovetopaint, and thank you for the warning. Who would ever have thought that?
I do hope your daughter will make a full recovery. 💐

BlueBelle Tue 28-Oct-25 07:47:10

Oh my goodness LtoP I have never heard of this and what a dreadful worry fir you hoping with all my heart she turns a corner and starts to improve My thoughts are with you 💐

Lovetopaint037 Tue 28-Oct-25 08:11:33

Thank you so much escapedand BlueBelleMy daughter has had a couple of cats in the past and always used a more expensive litter which was a better product with no dust. I can’t believe this has happened.

GrannyGravy13 Tue 28-Oct-25 08:17:55

How frightening for your daughter and you all.

I have had cats in the past, I am asthmatic but cats are not one of my triggers . Will definitely pass on this information to the cat owners I know.

I do hope your DD recovers soon 🙏🏻

Esmay Tue 28-Oct-25 08:23:23

I'm so sorry that your daughter has become so ill . I hope that she recovers from her illness and you recover from the shock .
There ought to be a warning on the packet .
I think that when changing any cat litter that disposable gloves and a mask is advisable.

Susan56 Tue 28-Oct-25 08:40:48

I am so sorry.So shocking and frightening for you all.

Thank you for informing us.I have passed the information to family who have cats.

Lovetopaint037 Tue 28-Oct-25 08:46:59

Thank you GrannyGravy . The cat wasn’t the problem. It was the litter. That is good advice Esmay. Perhaps that should be the advice on the packets.

Aveline Tue 28-Oct-25 08:47:30

What a dreadful situation. I hope that she's much better very soon indeed. In our house the letter tray has always been DH's job. We use the wood pellet one not the dusty stuff. Thanks for the warning though.

Athrawes Tue 28-Oct-25 11:14:09

Goodness! I've never thought that cat litter could be dangerous. Thanks for the info

Smileless2012 Tue 28-Oct-25 11:17:53

That's awful Lovetopaint shock please let us know how your daughter's getting on flowers.

I had house cats for years, 5 at one point and had no idea that cat litter could be so dangerous and am wondering why I've never heard of cheaper litter affecting the cats who use it.

LisaAN Tue 28-Oct-25 12:35:43

How awful, hopefully your daughter will be ok.

We stopped using the cheaper cat litter when one of our cats was coughing every time he used it. I had no idea it could have this effect on people.

Septimia Tue 28-Oct-25 14:44:28

I'm sorry your daughter is so poorly, Lovetopaint, especially as she was doing someone a good turn.

We don't use clay- or paper-based litter but prefer the silica stuff because it absorbs liquids without making hard lumps. Even that has its own problems, though.

Gloves when cleaning the litter tray are certainly a good idea and maybe a mask is too.

Allira Tue 28-Oct-25 15:32:35

Thank you for the warning which I will pass on, Lovetopaint.

I do hope your daughter will make a full recovery, how worrying for you all.
💐

pably15 Tue 28-Oct-25 15:46:41

oh Lovetopaint, what a terrible thing to happen, I hope it won't be long till your daughter is back home with you all, thank goodness she was taken to hospital when she was, wishing her well xx

Lovetopaint037 Tue 28-Oct-25 17:18:33

She is still in intensive care. She is desperate to go home as she misses her dog so much. Hopefully it won’t be long before she goes back to the respiratory ward. Although the cat has never affected her and nor had her own cats this cat who was old (17 years) and not too well became worse when his owner arrived home on Friday and had to be taken to be put to sleep. My dh posed the idea that perhaps the litter had worsened his condition

As

MayBee70 Tue 28-Oct-25 18:59:23

Have you kept any of the litter for analysis? I realise this is far from your mind at the moment and I’m so sorry for what your family is going through but imo the manufacturers need to be sued.

Lovetopaint037 Wed 29-Oct-25 06:22:00

No MayBee as my dd lives a distance from us. She lives on her own with her lovely dog. A neighbour took her to the doctor and now has her dog. I didn’t know about this for two days as she tried to keep it from me as I haven’t been well. My SIL also said the manufacturers should be informed. I doubt that the owner of the cat has done anything about it as she has problems of her own which was why she was away. Also she had to have her elderly cat put to sleep when she got back. It has been a nightmare and my dd is still so ill. We FaceTime her every day and can see her oxygen equipment and the lines in her arms which are so bruised. They had to raise her oxygen to 75% the night before last. We are so grateful to her close friends who are popping in to see her and taking washing etc.She has instructed her sister not to take us up there until she is home. We no longer drive and are dependant on my other daughter to take us as our mobility is a real problem of late. Her friends don’t stay long as she gets very tired.

escaped Wed 29-Oct-25 07:24:34

You must be so worried, Lovetopaint, especially as you can't be with her. It sounds as though she is being well looked after, but of course that doesn't stop you from worrying every minute of the day. Hopefully today she will turn the corner and her breathing will return to normal.

dragonfly46 Wed 29-Oct-25 07:29:16

So sorry to hear this Lovetopaint.

MayBee70 Wed 29-Oct-25 12:34:18

It’s just so awful that such an act of kindness by your daughter has resulted in this. And I totally understand why she is so upset about her dog. Thank goodness there is someone to look after it. Please keep us up to speed with how she is. I’m a total worrying ‘what if’ sort of person but what has happened here is something that no one could possibly foresee. x

Shelflife Wed 29-Oct-25 13:43:36

Thank you for the warning . You must be beside yourself with worry , I sincerely hope she improves very quickly. What a shocking thing to happen.
We gave a cat and I use the wood pellets.
Hope today brings you better news 🙏

watermeadow Wed 29-Oct-25 17:04:30

I have house cats and use litter made from recycled paper. It’s clean little pellets and no dust.

DamaskRose Wed 29-Oct-25 17:15:08

I’m so sorry to hear about your daughter and hope she is able to get home soon. I am looking after next door’s cat next week and will be extremely careful. Our0 cat wouldn’t tolerate cheap litter (sat in front of the tray looking affronted!) so got the most expensive and thank goodness. Just off to warn DS.

Lovetopaint037 Wed 29-Oct-25 20:09:57

Thank you all so much for your very kind words. She was telling me tonight that she has been told she has had a brush with death. She will have to very careful if she has a cold etc.Probably have to call an ambulance at the first sign of trouble. She is still in ITU as she is on a more powerful type of oxygen. She spent most of her own nursing career in cardiac thoracic intensive career so for that reason the doctors talk to her in a very direct way as she understands what is going on. I am so glad you are spreading the word as I would hate anyone else to go through this. The dammed thing will have left her with messed up lungs.