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#51
November 19th 03, 07:09 PM
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#52
November 19th 03, 07:09 PM
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#54
November 19th 03, 09:01 PM
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In article ,
ospam enlightened us with... kaeli wrote: What are the other dangers of plastic bags? I'd like to know. They are non-digestible. A cat can bite off pieces, even if it's tied. Yes, on the few occasions my cat has chewed and swallowed bits of plastic, it came out undigested. But what is the health risk in that? That it will not come out. Anything indigestible that a cat could consume worries me. Heck, if they canget blockages from their own hair, what might happen with too much plastic? Also, chemicals are used to treat the plastic. I have no idea if they could harm my cats, but I sure wouldn't want to chance it. They are possibly loaded with germs and bacteria - I worked in a grocery store. I know where those bags might have been. You mean, more germs and bacteria than the cat would consume by cleaning feces and urine from its body? Yes, much. All animals are used to their own bacteria. Humans have plenty, too, in our mouths, intestines, etc, and we wouldn't get ill from consuming our own feces or urine in small amounts like the cat gets from cleaning. Cats are even better than us when it comes to bacteria, but enough of it can sicken the best of creatures. Many animal sites even recommend using steel bowls instead of plastic because of bacterial growth. I myself use stainless steel bowls. Plastic breeds bacteria easier than steel and doesn't sanitize as well. Plastic bags can have all manner of bacteria and germs on them from the store from the raw meats, insecticides and poisons from the vegetables, and toxic cleaning solutions and even rat poison from sitting in the back room. If the store has an insect or pest problem, they may also have droppings on them - sometimes from diseased pests. While this may not kill or even sicken a healthy cat, it can make an already sick, old, or young cat more ill. Even bags straight from the box they come in can be exposed to insects and diseased pests if the store or warehouse is not kept sanitary. Basically, I wouldn't want my baby sucking on them, so I don't let my cats. Your baby doesn't have a fully developed immune system yet. Neither do some cats, including my little sickly furkid. She makes me paranoid.  But the reason I'm asking what real risk is posed by a cat consuming a little plastic is that I did a search online, and I couldn't find any site that gave an actual reason. So that's why I'm asking here. Actually, I doubt there are any studies or anything (I didn't find any, anyways). I go based on what I know from working at a store and from logic about what happens when animals consume indigestible material. I doubt too many cats would eat enough plastic to harm them, unless they had an OCD type disorder. It's knowing where those bags have been that makes me leery. I'd say 9 out of 10 times, the plastic would be fine if the cat didn't consume it, but it's that 1 time that makes me never want to go there. -- ~kaeli~ Practice safe eating - always use condiments. http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace
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#55
November 19th 03, 09:01 PM
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In article ,
ospam enlightened us with... kaeli wrote: What are the other dangers of plastic bags? I'd like to know. They are non-digestible. A cat can bite off pieces, even if it's tied. Yes, on the few occasions my cat has chewed and swallowed bits of plastic, it came out undigested. But what is the health risk in that? That it will not come out. Anything indigestible that a cat could consume worries me. Heck, if they canget blockages from their own hair, what might happen with too much plastic? Also, chemicals are used to treat the plastic. I have no idea if they could harm my cats, but I sure wouldn't want to chance it. They are possibly loaded with germs and bacteria - I worked in a grocery store. I know where those bags might have been. You mean, more germs and bacteria than the cat would consume by cleaning feces and urine from its body? Yes, much. All animals are used to their own bacteria. Humans have plenty, too, in our mouths, intestines, etc, and we wouldn't get ill from consuming our own feces or urine in small amounts like the cat gets from cleaning. Cats are even better than us when it comes to bacteria, but enough of it can sicken the best of creatures. Many animal sites even recommend using steel bowls instead of plastic because of bacterial growth. I myself use stainless steel bowls. Plastic breeds bacteria easier than steel and doesn't sanitize as well. Plastic bags can have all manner of bacteria and germs on them from the store from the raw meats, insecticides and poisons from the vegetables, and toxic cleaning solutions and even rat poison from sitting in the back room. If the store has an insect or pest problem, they may also have droppings on them - sometimes from diseased pests. While this may not kill or even sicken a healthy cat, it can make an already sick, old, or young cat more ill. Even bags straight from the box they come in can be exposed to insects and diseased pests if the store or warehouse is not kept sanitary. Basically, I wouldn't want my baby sucking on them, so I don't let my cats. Your baby doesn't have a fully developed immune system yet. Neither do some cats, including my little sickly furkid. She makes me paranoid. But the reason I'm asking what real risk is posed by a cat consuming a little plastic is that I did a search online, and I couldn't find any site that gave an actual reason. So that's why I'm asking here. Actually, I doubt there are any studies or anything (I didn't find any, anyways). I go based on what I know from working at a store and from logic about what happens when animals consume indigestible material. I doubt too many cats would eat enough plastic to harm them, unless they had an OCD type disorder. It's knowing where those bags have been that makes me leery. I'd say 9 out of 10 times, the plastic would be fine if the cat didn't consume it, but it's that 1 time that makes me never want to go there. -- ~kaeli~ Practice safe eating - always use condiments. http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace
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#56
November 19th 03, 11:08 PM
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kaeli wrote: In article , enlightened us with... kaeli wrote: What are the other dangers of plastic bags? I'd like to know. They are non-digestible. A cat can bite off pieces, even if it's tied. Yes, on the few occasions my cat has chewed and swallowed bits of plastic, it came out undigested. But what is the health risk in that? That it will not come out. Anything indigestible that a cat could consume worries me. Heck, if they canget blockages from their own hair, what might happen with too much plastic? Okay, that does sound reasonable. I don't think a chewed up bit of plastic is as likely to cause a blockage as many other foreign objects, but I guess it's possible. My cat did vomit one piece, so obviously it didn't agree with her. Also, chemicals are used to treat the plastic. I have no idea if they could harm my cats, but I sure wouldn't want to chance it. They are possibly loaded with germs and bacteria - I worked in a grocery store. I know where those bags might have been. You mean, more germs and bacteria than the cat would consume by cleaning feces and urine from its body? Yes, much. All animals are used to their own bacteria. Humans have plenty, too, in our mouths, intestines, etc, and we wouldn't get ill from consuming our own feces or urine in small amounts like the cat gets from cleaning. Cats are even better than us when it comes to bacteria, but enough of it can sicken the best of creatures. Many animal sites even recommend using steel bowls instead of plastic because of bacterial growth. I myself use stainless steel bowls. Plastic breeds bacteria easier than steel and doesn't sanitize as well. Plastic bags can have all manner of bacteria and germs on them from the store from the raw meats, insecticides and poisons from the vegetables, and toxic cleaning solutions and even rat poison from sitting in the back room. If the store has an insect or pest problem, they may also have droppings on them - sometimes from diseased pests. While this may not kill or even sicken a healthy cat, it can make an already sick, old, or young cat more ill. Even bags straight from the box they come in can be exposed to insects and diseased pests if the store or warehouse is not kept sanitary. So what if you wash the bag before the cat gets hold of it? Wouldn't that get rid of these potential germs and toxins? Yes, I know that plastic bowls can harbor bacteria but that's because they get little nicks, unlike steel or ceramic. I'm not sure plastic bags are in quite the same category. Basically, I wouldn't want my baby sucking on them, so I don't let my cats. Your baby doesn't have a fully developed immune system yet. Neither do some cats, including my little sickly furkid. She makes me paranoid. But the reason I'm asking what real risk is posed by a cat consuming a little plastic is that I did a search online, and I couldn't find any site that gave an actual reason. So that's why I'm asking here. Actually, I doubt there are any studies or anything (I didn't find any, anyways). I go based on what I know from working at a store and from logic about what happens when animals consume indigestible material. I doubt too many cats would eat enough plastic to harm them, unless they had an OCD type disorder. It's knowing where those bags have been that makes me leery. I'd say 9 out of 10 times, the plastic would be fine if the cat didn't consume it, but it's that 1 time that makes me never want to go there. Okay, that's basically what I was trying to find out. As I said, one of our cats occasionally manages to find a piece of plastic to chew, although we try to keep that stuff away from her. But I haven't observed any harm coming of her doing so, and I suspect, as you say, that only rarely would it cause a problem. So it's not something to panic about if one finds the cat has chewed a bit of plastic. Now, what about cardboard boxes? She loves to chew on those too. Especially a nice, comfy brand new shoebox.
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#57
November 19th 03, 11:08 PM
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kaeli wrote: In article , enlightened us with... kaeli wrote: What are the other dangers of plastic bags? I'd like to know. They are non-digestible. A cat can bite off pieces, even if it's tied. Yes, on the few occasions my cat has chewed and swallowed bits of plastic, it came out undigested. But what is the health risk in that? That it will not come out. Anything indigestible that a cat could consume worries me. Heck, if they canget blockages from their own hair, what might happen with too much plastic? Okay, that does sound reasonable. I don't think a chewed up bit of plastic is as likely to cause a blockage as many other foreign objects, but I guess it's possible. My cat did vomit one piece, so obviously it didn't agree with her. Also, chemicals are used to treat the plastic. I have no idea if they could harm my cats, but I sure wouldn't want to chance it. They are possibly loaded with germs and bacteria - I worked in a grocery store. I know where those bags might have been. You mean, more germs and bacteria than the cat would consume by cleaning feces and urine from its body? Yes, much. All animals are used to their own bacteria. Humans have plenty, too, in our mouths, intestines, etc, and we wouldn't get ill from consuming our own feces or urine in small amounts like the cat gets from cleaning. Cats are even better than us when it comes to bacteria, but enough of it can sicken the best of creatures. Many animal sites even recommend using steel bowls instead of plastic because of bacterial growth. I myself use stainless steel bowls. Plastic breeds bacteria easier than steel and doesn't sanitize as well. Plastic bags can have all manner of bacteria and germs on them from the store from the raw meats, insecticides and poisons from the vegetables, and toxic cleaning solutions and even rat poison from sitting in the back room. If the store has an insect or pest problem, they may also have droppings on them - sometimes from diseased pests. While this may not kill or even sicken a healthy cat, it can make an already sick, old, or young cat more ill. Even bags straight from the box they come in can be exposed to insects and diseased pests if the store or warehouse is not kept sanitary. So what if you wash the bag before the cat gets hold of it? Wouldn't that get rid of these potential germs and toxins? Yes, I know that plastic bowls can harbor bacteria but that's because they get little nicks, unlike steel or ceramic. I'm not sure plastic bags are in quite the same category. Basically, I wouldn't want my baby sucking on them, so I don't let my cats. Your baby doesn't have a fully developed immune system yet. Neither do some cats, including my little sickly furkid. She makes me paranoid. But the reason I'm asking what real risk is posed by a cat consuming a little plastic is that I did a search online, and I couldn't find any site that gave an actual reason. So that's why I'm asking here. Actually, I doubt there are any studies or anything (I didn't find any, anyways). I go based on what I know from working at a store and from logic about what happens when animals consume indigestible material. I doubt too many cats would eat enough plastic to harm them, unless they had an OCD type disorder. It's knowing where those bags have been that makes me leery. I'd say 9 out of 10 times, the plastic would be fine if the cat didn't consume it, but it's that 1 time that makes me never want to go there. Okay, that's basically what I was trying to find out. As I said, one of our cats occasionally manages to find a piece of plastic to chew, although we try to keep that stuff away from her. But I haven't observed any harm coming of her doing so, and I suspect, as you say, that only rarely would it cause a problem. So it's not something to panic about if one finds the cat has chewed a bit of plastic. Now, what about cardboard boxes? She loves to chew on those too. Especially a nice, comfy brand new shoebox.
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#58
November 19th 03, 11:08 PM
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kaeli wrote: In article , enlightened us with... kaeli wrote: What are the other dangers of plastic bags? I'd like to know. They are non-digestible. A cat can bite off pieces, even if it's tied. Yes, on the few occasions my cat has chewed and swallowed bits of plastic, it came out undigested. But what is the health risk in that? That it will not come out. Anything indigestible that a cat could consume worries me. Heck, if they canget blockages from their own hair, what might happen with too much plastic? Okay, that does sound reasonable. I don't think a chewed up bit of plastic is as likely to cause a blockage as many other foreign objects, but I guess it's possible. My cat did vomit one piece, so obviously it didn't agree with her. Also, chemicals are used to treat the plastic. I have no idea if they could harm my cats, but I sure wouldn't want to chance it. They are possibly loaded with germs and bacteria - I worked in a grocery store. I know where those bags might have been. You mean, more germs and bacteria than the cat would consume by cleaning feces and urine from its body? Yes, much. All animals are used to their own bacteria. Humans have plenty, too, in our mouths, intestines, etc, and we wouldn't get ill from consuming our own feces or urine in small amounts like the cat gets from cleaning. Cats are even better than us when it comes to bacteria, but enough of it can sicken the best of creatures. Many animal sites even recommend using steel bowls instead of plastic because of bacterial growth. I myself use stainless steel bowls. Plastic breeds bacteria easier than steel and doesn't sanitize as well. Plastic bags can have all manner of bacteria and germs on them from the store from the raw meats, insecticides and poisons from the vegetables, and toxic cleaning solutions and even rat poison from sitting in the back room. If the store has an insect or pest problem, they may also have droppings on them - sometimes from diseased pests. While this may not kill or even sicken a healthy cat, it can make an already sick, old, or young cat more ill. Even bags straight from the box they come in can be exposed to insects and diseased pests if the store or warehouse is not kept sanitary. So what if you wash the bag before the cat gets hold of it? Wouldn't that get rid of these potential germs and toxins? Yes, I know that plastic bowls can harbor bacteria but that's because they get little nicks, unlike steel or ceramic. I'm not sure plastic bags are in quite the same category. Basically, I wouldn't want my baby sucking on them, so I don't let my cats. Your baby doesn't have a fully developed immune system yet. Neither do some cats, including my little sickly furkid. She makes me paranoid. But the reason I'm asking what real risk is posed by a cat consuming a little plastic is that I did a search online, and I couldn't find any site that gave an actual reason. So that's why I'm asking here. Actually, I doubt there are any studies or anything (I didn't find any, anyways). I go based on what I know from working at a store and from logic about what happens when animals consume indigestible material. I doubt too many cats would eat enough plastic to harm them, unless they had an OCD type disorder. It's knowing where those bags have been that makes me leery. I'd say 9 out of 10 times, the plastic would be fine if the cat didn't consume it, but it's that 1 time that makes me never want to go there. Okay, that's basically what I was trying to find out. As I said, one of our cats occasionally manages to find a piece of plastic to chew, although we try to keep that stuff away from her. But I haven't observed any harm coming of her doing so, and I suspect, as you say, that only rarely would it cause a problem. So it's not something to panic about if one finds the cat has chewed a bit of plastic. Now, what about cardboard boxes? She loves to chew on those too. Especially a nice, comfy brand new shoebox.
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#59
November 19th 03, 11:57 PM
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In ,
Yngver composed with style: Now, what about cardboard boxes? She loves to chew on those too. Especially a nice, comfy brand new shoebox. lol I think if some pet foods contain cellulose, a little cardboard isn't going to hurt.
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#60
November 19th 03, 11:57 PM
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In ,
Yngver composed with style: Now, what about cardboard boxes? She loves to chew on those too. Especially a nice, comfy brand new shoebox. lol I think if some pet foods contain cellulose, a little cardboard isn't going to hurt.
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