A word to the wise. Even if you buy a Green pesticide that is labeled safe for pets,

[GreenPartyVoter]

check with your vet before using it!

I did not do so, but am very lucky that I had (and continue) to keep the kittehs locked out of my bedroom where I sprayed the stuff on some carpenter ants. Apparently, some of the "safe" ingredients are essential oils like clove and thyme that cannot be metabolized by cats and will cause liver or neurological failure through ingestion, contact, or even inhalation.

I can't get the smell out even using Dawn, Lysol, and Febreeze because it soaked into the particle board and carpet, and the drywall and wood behind a door casing. My first call to the company they told me not to worry, they use everything in low concentrations so it won't hurt animals. My second call to their chemical emergency hotline told me they used it in high concentrations, and that if I can't get it out I might want to consider replacing the exposed flooring and wall section!

I love that they are trying to make something safer for the world, but I wish they had put a "not for cat homes" disclaimer on their bottle.

[Curmudgeoness]

1. That is scary indeed.

It sounds as if using a less green pesticide that is powerful but has a short life would have been a better choice, even if it would not have been what I would expect.

But I have a question about this.....would it be a problem that the essential oils are in the flooring? The cat would not try to eat that flooring, would it? And is just smelling it dangerous, or are be talking about ingesting it?

Drat! It is always something.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. I was told even inhaling could be a problem. Plus kitties are wonderful about

trying to control the pest population for me by eating the bugs, but it would be very bad for them to eat ants that had walked through this stuff. I'm going to let it dry out, then put down heavy plastic sheeting on the particle board, clean that section of carpet, and spray foam insulation up into the cracks in the wall and door casing.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. Ah, yes, I had forgotten about the insect predation.

My kitty loves to stalk anything that gets into the house. I have a feeling that after this pesticide dries and has been there for a week or two, it will not be potent enough to damage insects or kitties. But I wouldn't want to take chances either.

Just be careful with that spray foam. It is a great idea to use in the cracks, but whenever I use it, I have such a mess that I end up laughing at myself, and how much it grows. I have used it three times, each time trying to do it without that Blob effect. I use silicone caulking now. Good luck with it.

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Oh yes, you should see the insulating job we did on the underside of the attic stairs to stop the

bitter winter air from sinking down through. LOL

Whatever leaks out of the door frame I will be sure to cut away.