Cat chewed corner of window sill

[Moonlight_wolf]

Hello, my little kitty Lexa likes to chew wooden corners. This normally isn’t a big deal because it’s usually only her wooden cat ledges that she chews. But the other day I looked up and saw she had also chewed the corner of the window sill. This is an older house so I began to worry about lead paint because i don’t know if older layers of paint have lead in them or not. I have since put lemon juice on the window sill corner to deter her from biting it again. But how concerned should I be about lead poisoning? I mean it happened at least a couple of days ago but I only recently noticed it. And she hasn’t had diarrhea or anything. But I’m still concerned because I worry for my cats. If she hasn’t had any symptoms as of yet do I need to worry about her having chewed that corner? I attached a picture of the corner she chewed.

 

[Furballsmom]

Can you talk to your vet?
Also, has she had a checkup lately that included a really comprehensive look at her teeth?

 

[Moonlight_wolf]

Yeah I’ll probably call my vet tomorrow just to be safe. And she’s due for a check up around her first birthday which is in June. I mean she hasn’t been acting any differently she’s still crazy and hungry and spunky….. and loud.

 

[Furballsmom]

and hungry

How much are you feeding her? How old is she?

 

[Moonlight_wolf]

I pretty much free feed her since she’s still a kitten and that’s what I was told to do. Lol. She’s just very excited for food is what I mean aka her appetite hasn’t changed .

 

[Moonlight_wolf]

She’s around 11 months now

 

[Furballsmom]

You're right, kittens don't necessarily fully mature until a year old or later, so they need to eat quite a lot.

If you can and aren't yet, you might try adding in some canned food - Fancy Feast isn't as expensive as other brands and their pate varieties are decent foods

 

[Moonlight_wolf]

Oh yeah she’s on an all canned diet! I know that it’s better for their kidneys to get that moisture in through their food

 

[Moonlight_wolf]

I mean I just checked our lease and it says that the landlord has no knowledge of there being lead based paint and they have no reports or records pertaining to lead based paint. So hopefully that meant there isn’t lead paint in our house?

 

[Furballsmom]

This is from the CDC;
Lead-based paints were banned for residential use in 1978. Homes built in the U.S. before 1978 are likely to have some lead-based paint.

 

[IndyJones]

Its usualy the dust thats a concern inhaling dust from sanding for example. I can't imagine a cat swallowing the wood.

Asbestos is also a concern in older homes, not sure it is found in paint but it might be in wood glues or tiles.

 

[fionasmom]

If you google something like "how do you know if your house has lead paint" you will find suggestions. There are home test kits that you can buy at places like Home Depot.

Has the lemon been effective? There are chewing deterrent sprays on the market along with some homemade recipes using vinegar. Some sites will recommend using hot flavored liquids which I personally would not do.