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Can Cat Urine Hurt My Baby?

If your cat keeps peeing in random spots, you may be wondering if it could get on, or harm your baby.

Can cat urine hurt my baby?

The problem is the ammonia factor. Fumes from pet urine can cause exposure to this and so it’s best to ensure that if the cat goes anywhere but the litter box you clean it up quickly. With proper supervision, it shouldn’t be a problem, as you can handle things fast.

Use an enzymatic cleaner, as this is going to break up the uric acid in the cat’s urine to clean it – detergent will simply cover the scent briefly but it will come back.

Is it safe to have a cat with a newborn baby?

You don’t want to leave the cat alone with a newborn. From their perspective, this is simply another animal in the house, and while they probably won’t hurt them you simply cannot leave a little, furry predator next to another ‘animal’ that they might become jealous of.

It has nothing to do with the old ‘a cat will steal a baby’s breath’ adage, which is just an old wive’s tale (based on the fact that cats like baby’s breath plants!), but even a well-meaning cat that sits close to the baby might get tugged on and could swat at or nip your child.

It’s best to keep them separated until your child is a little older.

How can I keep my cat away from my baby?

Supervision is the only 100% effective method, but you can use the citrus spray near the baby’s playpen and this won’t harm the cat or the baby, but cats really hate the smell, so your cat will hopefully keep their distance from the baby if you employ this natural method of deterrence.

How can I clean up cat urine?

Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 solution of ammonia and water and spray the affected area, letting it air out for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. After this, you’ll want to clean the area with a commercial enzymatic cleaner. This works well because it will break up the uric content of the cat’s urine.

Standard detergents won’t do this, so the urine smell will only be covered for a brief period at best, so the enzymatic cleaner is a definite MUST. If the litter box is hard to maintain on a regular schedule, consider setting up two, or putting one in an area such as under the sink for quick access.

That way when you need to change the box, you can swap it quickly, dump out the old one, and the cleaning process will go much faster.

Is cat pee harmful during pregnancy?

Yes. The problem is all about ammonia. Cat urine is high in uric acid and ammonia content and so it can cause respiratory distress if you are exposed to it in high concentrations for long periods. As such, cat urine needs to be effectively cleaned as soon as you notice it.

With enzymatic cleaners, you can do this, although it may take 2 to 3 cleanings if an area has been heavily saturated.  If your cat has recently sprayed an area, start by sopping up the excess urine with paper towels and then spraying the area with a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water.

Let this air dry for 15 to 20 minutes before cleaning it with an enzymatic cleaner, letting it dry, and then cleaning with the enzymes again as needed. Open the windows and use a fan to hasten the drying and to improve air circulation.

Treat the situation like you have just spilled ammonia cleaner in the house. It’s serious but very manageable, so you cant to clean the cat’s urine quickly and efficiently.

Can breathe in cat urine harm you?

Yes, breathing in cat urine smells for prolonged periods can give you headaches, make you feel sick to your stomach, trigger asthma if you have it, or even lead to pneumonia if your respiratory system is a bit fragile or you are already ill.

As such, it’s important to not only clean it but to clean it effectively with a cleaner that includes enzymes. Do a Google search for ‘enzymatic cleaners’ and you can find several items available locally that you can use to quickly get a handle on cat urine in your home.

What are the side effects of breathing cat urine ammonia?

It depends on the concentrations, but you are dealing with ammonia and so the same side effects of this can apply. In small, pungent amounts it can trigger an asthma attack or make you feel sick to your stomach. Larger concentrations, however, are where things get the most dangerous.

You could get pneumonia, lung damage, or in extreme conditions, even blindness may occur or death. Treat it like a chemical ammonia spill. If you spilled a bottle of ammonia in the house, you wouldn’t simply leave it.

Cat urine is only .05% ammonia but that’s still .05% too much.

Clean it right away and keep cleaning it until the fumes are gone.

Is dried cat urine toxic?

Yes, and it’s MORE toxic. When cat urine crystallizes, the ammonia fumes will be more potent than fresh cat urine, and it’s not uncommon to get a runny nose, red eyes, or a rash if you are around it too long.

This can make you ill if you are around it for a prolonged period or if you have a lot of cats in the house and it’s become a problem. As such, it is vital to get it well and thoroughly cleaned before it starts affecting your or your family’s health.

Can cat urine on the carpet make you sick?

If it’s only for a short period, then no, it’s most likely not going to make you sick. It’s only when cleaning is put off that things start to become problematical. With prolonged exposure, you’re breathing in small concentrations of ammonia, so you’ll get sniffly and could even get red eyes if you are sensitive to it.

If ignored, then you could get a cold or even pneumonia, so it’s best to clean cat urine as soon as you find it. This is not something that you want to breathe in for long periods and it’s also much more dangerous for children or the elderly.

What are the signs of ammonia poisoning?

It is useful to know the signs of ammonia poisoning, especially if you are in an environment where you or a roommate have a lot of pets and there has been a lot of spraying lately that has not yet been cleaned. Symptoms may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Red eyes
• Runny nose
• Pain in the throat
• Fever
• Weak or a rapid pulse
• Cough
• Chest pain or tightness

These are just the mildest of symptoms, in more severe exposure cases bluing of the lips may occur, severe stomach pain, vomiting, blindness, and even death could occur.

It is vital to clean cat urine regularly and quickly so that the concentrations cannot build up and become much more dangerous to everyone in the area.