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The Mystery of the Red Paws



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 30th 03, 10:50 AM
badwilson
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Posts: n/a
Default The Mystery of the Red Paws

I was gone all day yesterday. Went for a nice hike to this waterfall, then
swimming in the rocky pool under the falls, then a seafood lunch on the
beach...oh yeah, my life really sucks sometimes ;-)
Anyway, so I was gone all day and the maid let herself in to do the
cleaning. I don't know what happened, but this morning when I woke up, one
of Vino's paws was kind of sticking in my face and I noticed it had a
strange orange-pink tinge to it. The pads were way brighter and the fur in
between the toes was stained. How odd! I never noticed anything when I
came home last night. So I got up and combed the house for evidence of some
kind of orange or red fluid. Nothing. I did find some pinkish pawprints
and stains on the white blanket in the spare bedroom.
Vino's paws don't smell like anything, and wiping them with a wet cloth
isn't getting the colour out of his fur, so it must have been something
really strong.
Vino seems perfectly healthy today, but still I'm wondering what it could
have been? I want to ask the maid, but she doesn't speak any English and I
don't speak any Thai so our communication is practically zero. Besides,
she's really shy and would probably get upset if I questioned her.
Grrrr....this is really bugging me though, I'm dying to find out what
happened
--
Britta
ROT13 to reply
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on Vino and "friends" album


  #2  
Old September 30th 03, 11:41 AM
JHBennett
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Posts: n/a
Default

Hmmmmm......... Sounds like it could be a chemical burn. Some cleaning
products have color/tint added to them for the benefit of the consumer, as
many cleaning solvents/ detergents are actually colorless. Usually,
domestic products are tamed down a bit, but some can be awsomely potent.
Might want to check on what she's using, supplies you have on hand, which
you've purchased/checked, or whether she is possibly bring something with
her, perhaps from an industrial supplier. To give you an idea, one of the
janitorial crew at our base spilled some substance she was using, to clean
the bathroom in our building. It burnt a hole in the synthetic carpet and,
what it didn't destroy, it discolored. Read the warning labels and it
wouldn't be out of line to check with a Vet.
I have absolutely no reason for this thought, but tri sodium phosphate
(TSP) comes to mind. It's a very powerful detergent used, in some
concentrations, for the etching of concrete. It is also greatly diluted to
end up as the active ingredient, in your laundry detergent.
Cheers,
Jack
"badwilson" wrote in message
...
I was gone all day yesterday. Went for a nice hike to this waterfall,

then
swimming in the rocky pool under the falls, then a seafood lunch on the
beach...oh yeah, my life really sucks sometimes ;-)
Anyway, so I was gone all day and the maid let herself in to do the
cleaning. I don't know what happened, but this morning when I woke up,

one
of Vino's paws was kind of sticking in my face and I noticed it had a
strange orange-pink tinge to it. The pads were way brighter and the fur

in
between the toes was stained. How odd! I never noticed anything when I
came home last night. So I got up and combed the house for evidence of

some
kind of orange or red fluid. Nothing. I did find some pinkish pawprints
and stains on the white blanket in the spare bedroom.
Vino's paws don't smell like anything, and wiping them with a wet cloth
isn't getting the colour out of his fur, so it must have been something
really strong.
Vino seems perfectly healthy today, but still I'm wondering what it could
have been? I want to ask the maid, but she doesn't speak any English and

I
don't speak any Thai so our communication is practically zero. Besides,
she's really shy and would probably get upset if I questioned her.
Grrrr....this is really bugging me though, I'm dying to find out what
happened
--
Britta
ROT13 to reply
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on Vino and "friends" album




  #3  
Old September 30th 03, 11:59 AM
badwilson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

No, I have nothing like that here. Just your average windex, dishsoap,
toilet cleaner and Ajax for the floor. She doesn't bring anything with her,
guaranteed. It's really weird. Also, Vino is fine, thank goodness. If he
licked off some strong chemical from all 4 paws, you'd figure he'd be a
pretty sick kitty by now.
Still mystified...
--
Britta
ROT13 to reply
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on Vino and "friends" album


"JHBennett" wrote in message
...
Hmmmmm......... Sounds like it could be a chemical burn. Some cleaning
products have color/tint added to them for the benefit of the consumer, as
many cleaning solvents/ detergents are actually colorless. Usually,
domestic products are tamed down a bit, but some can be awsomely potent.
Might want to check on what she's using, supplies you have on hand, which
you've purchased/checked, or whether she is possibly bring something with
her, perhaps from an industrial supplier. To give you an idea, one of the
janitorial crew at our base spilled some substance she was using, to clean
the bathroom in our building. It burnt a hole in the synthetic carpet

and,
what it didn't destroy, it discolored. Read the warning labels and it
wouldn't be out of line to check with a Vet.
I have absolutely no reason for this thought, but tri sodium phosphate
(TSP) comes to mind. It's a very powerful detergent used, in some
concentrations, for the etching of concrete. It is also greatly diluted

to
end up as the active ingredient, in your laundry detergent.
Cheers,
Jack
"badwilson" wrote in message
...
I was gone all day yesterday. Went for a nice hike to this waterfall,

then
swimming in the rocky pool under the falls, then a seafood lunch on the
beach...oh yeah, my life really sucks sometimes ;-)
Anyway, so I was gone all day and the maid let herself in to do the
cleaning. I don't know what happened, but this morning when I woke up,

one
of Vino's paws was kind of sticking in my face and I noticed it had a
strange orange-pink tinge to it. The pads were way brighter and the fur

in
between the toes was stained. How odd! I never noticed anything when I
came home last night. So I got up and combed the house for evidence of

some
kind of orange or red fluid. Nothing. I did find some pinkish

pawprints
and stains on the white blanket in the spare bedroom.
Vino's paws don't smell like anything, and wiping them with a wet cloth
isn't getting the colour out of his fur, so it must have been something
really strong.
Vino seems perfectly healthy today, but still I'm wondering what it

could
have been? I want to ask the maid, but she doesn't speak any English

and
I
don't speak any Thai so our communication is practically zero. Besides,
she's really shy and would probably get upset if I questioned her.
Grrrr....this is really bugging me though, I'm dying to find out what
happened
--
Britta
ROT13 to reply
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on Vino and "friends" album






  #4  
Old September 30th 03, 12:30 PM
CK
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

badwilson wrote:
No, I have nothing like that here. Just your average windex, dishsoap,
toilet cleaner and Ajax for the floor. She doesn't bring anything with her,
guaranteed. It's really weird. Also, Vino is fine, thank goodness. If he
licked off some strong chemical from all 4 paws, you'd figure he'd be a
pretty sick kitty by now.
Still mystified...


Nail polish?? Could a bottle of nail varnish have fallen and broken,
Vino got some on his paw, and the maid cleaned up the rest of the mess?
Is it possible for you to "question" the maid by showhing her Vino's paw
(provided the color's still there when she comes next time) and having a
quizzical and concerned - not angry - look on your face. Maybe she then
could show you what it was. Or do you have a friend there who speaks
Thai and could ask her directly, in a gentle way as to not frighten her?

--
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Christine in Vantaa, Finland (Europe)
Email: christal63(at)yahoo(dot)com
Photos: http://photos.yahoo.com/christal63

  #5  
Old September 30th 03, 12:44 PM
badwilson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

No, it must have been something really liquid because of how it's kind of
"dyed" the fur. Almost like food colouring or something. But I don't have
that, so it couldn't have been it. Nail polish would be sticky and turn
hard. Also I keep it all in a box and it's hard to get to.
Yeah, I'll have to figure something out with asking her. She's coming back
tomorrow but unfortunately I have to be out again while she's here so I'll
miss her again :-( In the meantime I'm keeping a close eye on him to make
sure he doesn't take a turn for the worse.
--
Britta
ROT13 to reply
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on Vino and "friends" album


"CK" wrote in message
...
badwilson wrote:
No, I have nothing like that here. Just your average windex, dishsoap,
toilet cleaner and Ajax for the floor. She doesn't bring anything with

her,
guaranteed. It's really weird. Also, Vino is fine, thank goodness. If

he
licked off some strong chemical from all 4 paws, you'd figure he'd be a
pretty sick kitty by now.
Still mystified...


Nail polish?? Could a bottle of nail varnish have fallen and broken,
Vino got some on his paw, and the maid cleaned up the rest of the mess?
Is it possible for you to "question" the maid by showhing her Vino's paw
(provided the color's still there when she comes next time) and having a
quizzical and concerned - not angry - look on your face. Maybe she then
could show you what it was. Or do you have a friend there who speaks
Thai and could ask her directly, in a gentle way as to not frighten her?

--
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Christine in Vantaa, Finland (Europe)
Email: christal63(at)yahoo(dot)com
Photos: http://photos.yahoo.com/christal63



  #6  
Old September 30th 03, 01:19 PM
Christine Burel
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I'm thinking something with food coloring in it, too. One of my kids
permanently stained our carpet red with red jello.
What about makeup, lipstick?
Christine
"badwilson" wrote in message
...
No, it must have been something really liquid because of how it's kind of
"dyed" the fur. Almost like food colouring or something. But I don't

have
that, so it couldn't have been it. Nail polish would be sticky and turn
hard. Also I keep it all in a box and it's hard to get to.
Yeah, I'll have to figure something out with asking her. She's coming

back
tomorrow but unfortunately I have to be out again while she's here so I'll
miss her again :-( In the meantime I'm keeping a close eye on him to make
sure he doesn't take a turn for the worse.
--
Britta
ROT13 to reply
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on Vino and "friends" album


"CK" wrote in message
...
badwilson wrote:
No, I have nothing like that here. Just your average windex,

dishsoap,
toilet cleaner and Ajax for the floor. She doesn't bring anything

with
her,
guaranteed. It's really weird. Also, Vino is fine, thank goodness.

If
he
licked off some strong chemical from all 4 paws, you'd figure he'd be

a
pretty sick kitty by now.
Still mystified...


Nail polish?? Could a bottle of nail varnish have fallen and broken,
Vino got some on his paw, and the maid cleaned up the rest of the mess?
Is it possible for you to "question" the maid by showhing her Vino's paw
(provided the color's still there when she comes next time) and having a
quizzical and concerned - not angry - look on your face. Maybe she then
could show you what it was. Or do you have a friend there who speaks
Thai and could ask her directly, in a gentle way as to not frighten her?

--
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Christine in Vantaa, Finland (Europe)
Email: christal63(at)yahoo(dot)com
Photos: http://photos.yahoo.com/christal63





  #7  
Old September 30th 03, 02:13 PM
MaryL
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"badwilson" wrote in message
...
Anyway, so I was gone all day and the maid let herself in to do the

cleaning. I don't know what happened, but this morning when I woke up,

one
of Vino's paws was kind of sticking in my face and I noticed it had a
strange orange-pink tinge to it.
--
Britta
ROT13 to reply
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on Vino and "friends" album



Is there any possibility that some kind of red-colored or orange-colored
spice (such as paprika) was spilled? If the cat stepped in that and than
washed its paws, it is possible that the diluted color could have been
distributed in the fur. Do you keep any on the counter where it could have
been bumped onto the floor -- and possibly cleaned up by the maid after Vino
walked in it? Also, what about your closets, or even drawers that could
have been opened for awhile and then closed? -- any products stored there
that could have spilled? Anyway, it's great to hear that Vino does not seem
to have suffered any ill effects.

MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)


  #8  
Old September 30th 03, 02:28 PM
Ted Davis
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On 30 Sep 2003 06:44:08 -0500, "badwilson"
wrote:

No, it must have been something really liquid because of how it's kind of
"dyed" the fur. Almost like food colouring or something. But I don't have
that, so it couldn't have been it. Nail polish would be sticky and turn
hard. Also I keep it all in a box and it's hard to get to.
Yeah, I'll have to figure something out with asking her. She's coming back
tomorrow but unfortunately I have to be out again while she's here so I'll
miss her again :-( In the meantime I'm keeping a close eye on him to make
sure he doesn't take a turn for the worse.


Some of my cats sometimes have red/orange stains on their paws and
sometimes track it around: pasta sauce - I let them lick the plate and
sometimes they put their front paws on the plate and in the sauce to
get at a tender morsel toward the middle.



T.E.D. )
SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D."
somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected.
  #9  
Old September 30th 03, 03:55 PM
badwilson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote in message
...

Is there any possibility that some kind of red-colored or orange-colored
spice (such as paprika) was spilled? If the cat stepped in that and than
washed its paws, it is possible that the diluted color could have been
distributed in the fur. Do you keep any on the counter where it could

have
been bumped onto the floor -- and possibly cleaned up by the maid after

Vino
walked in it? Also, what about your closets, or even drawers that could
have been opened for awhile and then closed? -- any products stored there
that could have spilled? Anyway, it's great to hear that Vino does not

seem
to have suffered any ill effects.

MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)


I really don't know. My spices are few and in the back of a high up
cupboard. I've checked my make up, drawers everywhere, etc. But you never
know. It could be that she brought something in, food maybe, and spilled
it. It's very odd. Also because it's on all 4 paws equally.
--
Britta
ROT13 to reply
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on Vino and "friends" album




  #10  
Old September 30th 03, 03:56 PM
JHBennett
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"badwilson" wrote in message
...
No, I have nothing like that here. Just your average windex, dishsoap,
toilet cleaner and Ajax for the floor. She doesn't bring anything with

her,
guaranteed. It's really weird. Also, Vino is fine, thank goodness. If

he
licked off some strong chemical from all 4 paws, you'd figure he'd be a
pretty sick kitty by now.
Still mystified...
--
Britta

Whew! So far, so good. Although some toilet cleaners can be pretty
caustic, chances of getting into that are kinda slim.
Good luck to you and Vino, on your detective project ;-)
Cheers,
Jack


 




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