How Much Bleach Will Kill a Cat?

How much bleach will kill a cat? It’s a question that has been posed time and time again by concerned pet owners who, for good reason, want to make sure they’re keeping their pets safe from poison, whether accidental or intentional.

While some cats are capable of drinking bleach, it’s important to understand why and when this is dangerous as well as how you can treat your cat if extreme measures are needed.

Read also: Is Moss Toxic to Cats?

How Much Bleach Will Kill a Cat?

While it’s not always possible to keep a cat indoors, especially if you live in a rural area, it’s important to consider the dangers of letting your cat roam around outside.

Cats are attracted to many things that can kill them, including bleach; whether it’s been used to clean your house or if it’s been spilled on the ground by mistake.

Luckily, cats are fairly resistant to bleach. So you don’t need to worry too much about your kitty drinking some cleaning solution and dying on the spot.

It takes a pretty concentrated dose of bleach to be fatal for a cat;and even then, it usually takes some time for it to work.

An amount as small as 100 milliliters (or 1/3 cup) is enough to start affecting your cat’s respiratory system. And can make them sick if they inhale it. If this happens, call your vet right away.

If you’d rather play it safe than sorry and keep the bleach out of reach entirely for any pets or children in your home, just make sure you store the bottle upright in a locked cabinet.

What Are the Symptoms Of Bleach Poisoning In Cats?

The most common symptom of bleach poisoning is respiratory distress, which you can look for in your cat by observing their breathing.

If your cat is experiencing respiratory distress, you will be able to see their chest and/or abdomen moving quickly. You may also notice that your cat’s tongue has turned blue or purple.

If your cat is having difficulty breathing, lay them down on a flat surface with their head slightly lower than the rest of their body.

Be sure to keep them warm, as cats’ bodies need to maintain a certain temperature to function properly.

Do not try to force them to drink water; if they can’t breathe properly, they probably won’t be able to swallow without choking.

Try calling them by their name or saying something else that would normally get them to respond. If they don’t respond, it could indicate that they have lost consciousness and may be in critical condition.

If this is the case, contact your veterinarian immediately or call animal poison control

Indications of a cat’s exposure to bleach include:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Tremors
• Seizures
• Irregular heart rate

Why are Cats Attracted to Bleach?

It’s true that some cats like the smell of it. But so do some types of dogs and even some other animals, like skunks and raccoons. So why are cats so much more attracted to the smell of bleach than any other animal?

There really is no answer to this question. However, here are two pieces of evidence that might help you understand why cats like bleach more than other animals:

1. The answer is in their eyes. Cats have a special receptor on the backs of their eyeballs that reacts to ultraviolet light and to certain chemicals. Why do cats get so excited when they see bleach? Because it’s full of chemicals similar to the ones that cats use for vision. And, it’s bright enough to trigger the chemical response.
2. There’s the fact that chlorine has a very strong odor to cats. And that smell is similar to so many things we love: blood and urine, for example.

Can a little bit of bleach kill a cat?

People ask this question a lot. They’re often asking because they’ve heard that bleach is bad for cats orr because their cat just got into some bleach and they’re worried they need to get their cat to a vet immediately.

The truth? Bleach, like lots of cleaning products, is usually not good for cats. Not if your cat is the type to lick the floor after you’ve sprayed it with cleaners (which many cats are).

But bleach isn’t likely to kill your cat. We do hear about a lot of cases where people think their cats have died from exposure to cleaners.

But a lot of times those cats don’t actually die. They just get really sick and end up needing lots of expensive treatment from vets.

We recommend keeping all cleaners away from your cats. It’s also important to rinse any surfaces where you’ve used cleaners well before letting your cat back into the room, just to be extra safe.

Are bleach fumes harmful to cats?

While cats can’t smell as well as humans, they do have a sense of smell that is more discerning than ours.

Their sense of smell is tied to their breathing, so if a cat smells the fumes from bleach, it will inhale them into its lungs.

This can cause irritation and damage to the cat’s lungs, especially if the cat is exposed for an extended period of time.

FAQs

What should I do if my cat has been exposed to bleach?

Your vet will perform tests on your pet and prescribe medication as needed. You may need to give your pet medication for several weeks or even months before their condition improves.

Can I prevent my cat from being poisoned?

Cats are curious creatures that like to explore their environment and get into things, so there is no way to completely prevent them from being poisoned by household chemicals such as bleach. However, keeping household cleaners

Conclusion

Hopefully this article was able to answer some of the questions you had about whether bleach is lethal for cats or not.

It should be noted that this article is intended for reference purposes only, and the exact dosages can vary based on breed and the individual cat.

Resources

https://www.clorox.com/learn/5-pet-safe-germ-killing-tips-for-healthy-pets/