My Feral And Rescued Cats

[NY cat man]

Several years ago, I put down a floating laminate floor , sold by a large national flooring chain. It was only much later that we found out about the formaldehyde in the Chinese-made flooring. When we got a notification about a class-action suit against them, we turned in the paperwork. It took so long that I had forgotten about it until one day, about 2 years later, we got a check in the mail- for a whole $30 and change. I wonder how much the lawyers got? Anyway, the flooring is still there after about 7 years, with no ill effects; at least, not yet.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Jcatbird It's too bad you can't get more of the flooring like the kind you put in the cat room -- that's very nice and versatile, and no problems, right?
Yeah, N NY cat man I think everyone's heard about the Chinese drywall scandal a couple of years back. Not that it's confined to Chinese products, but there does seem to be a preponderance of shady practices on those products. And since almost everything we get here in terms of home products comes from there now, it's very difficult to determine what might be safe! Business practices are no better with domestic products, so it's kind of a crapshoot. I guess I got in under the wire with the flooring I have -- I like it a lot and I'm not going to change it. I have a few boxes of the tiles used in the laundry room/kitchen/breakfast room just in case. Unfortunately, not so with the bathroom tile.
Yeah, M maggiedemi and Jcatbird the stuff took the paint right off. And I have discovered that I LOATHE the smell of lavender, which I've never been around before but which seems to be everywhere now. What a disgusting smell! Another one here is rosemary, which as far as I know is NOT used as a fragrance. It's used in cooking. I use it and love it. To wear as perfume? Never! Those fragrance plug-ins are awful -- what's wrong with no smell in the house?!! and light cologne/EDT/perfume as personal fragrance?!! Yes, the oils mostly have warnings NOT to apply them to skin. I have fragrance oils that are made to be worn but these are not them.
Looks like that fishie needs a lot of suPURRvision and guarding!

 

[maggiedemi]

I used a scrub brush on the walls last night!

Love the idea of cleaning walls.

I’ll get Banjo to wipe dirty paws on every blanket. Froggie can track in some mud and Lady can roll in some leaves.

Ewww! No need to go that far.

Heart shaped pasta? That is so cute! I haven’t seen anything like that!

That’s it. Come to Banjo.

Hmmm....Does that actually work? Might have to give it a try on a certain someone.

formaldehyde in the Chinese-made flooring

I'm sure there's a ton of bad stuff in this old house. Plus I just read that the old Corelle dinner plates that I use every day have lead in them. Perfect. Oh well, I'm still gonna use them for now. They haven't killed me after all these years.

I LOATHE the smell of lavender

Never liked it either. They put it in baby wash to make baby sleepy. I can't imagine a baby liking that. It would keep me awake.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Love the idea of cleaning walls.



Ewww! No need to go that far.



View attachment 370336


Hmmm....Does that actually work? Might have to give it a try on a certain someone.



I'm sure there's a ton of bad stuff in this old house. Plus I just read that the old Corelle dinner plates that I use every day have lead in them. Perfect. Oh well, I'm still gonna use them for now. They haven't killed me after all these years.



Never liked it either. They put it in baby wash to make baby sleepy. I can't imagine a baby liking that. It would keep me awake.

Me, too, on the lavender! It's so sharp and unpleasant to my nose and eyes! I like sweet, warm scents. I think babies would, too.
Yeah, I have a lot of things that I'm sure have "bad" stuff in them. But I'm still here. We're all pretty healthy, I think. Even the so-called "organic" stuff people pay $$$ for is corrupt. The entire planet is. Everything has plastic in it. Including us. And chemicals. It could drive us all to distraction if we let it. I let my senses guide me, and try to do the best I can.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

The seller told me who manufacturer was when I first called them but later said it was probably made in China.

Question to ask when considering a tile..."Where was it manufactured?" Should be on the box. Acceptable answers seem to be "USA," "Great Britain," "Germany." Actually, almost ANYWHERE but China. Those guys will make anything out of anything if it is cheap.

Rain finally stopped for a day or so. It'll be back Thursday, when (of course) I have to go out! Hope all of you are surviving this crazy weather!

Scamper is doing fine. I checked his back this morning, and got some more medicine on it, although it looks REALLY good! And the girls are still singing their Love Songs to the guys. Kitten season is upon us!

 

[Jcatbird]

rubysmama Thank you for the links. I am going to be reading up and looking for a cat safe product to use. I never suspected. Live and learn!

N NY cat man I am so sorry you got the formaldehyde product. Very glad you have not suffered any ill effects. 30 dollars? So did you splurge and buy a nice bit of cat food? As long as your health is good, and remains so, that’s what matters most. We’ll hope that the flooring remains stable

tarasgirl06 If only I had known back then what I know now!! That room was a big job or maybe I would have bought flooring for more space then. I guess we have to research everything we buy now. I guess people are turning to more scented things to hide the scents put off by fabrics and building materials and maybe they don’t realize where the odors are coming from. I remember how my Grandmothers house always smelled like the air outside. Fresh and nice. Buildings are so tightly constructed these days and insulated, smells are trapped if we don’t open some windows. I remember too that great grandmother used dried lavender in tiny little pillows in the linen closet. Very light fragrance since it was dried. Not too strong but the oils are much more potent. I agree that we must trust our senses, including common sense to keep us healthy.
That Fishie is a bucket full of wiggles! Lol Banjo can handle it though. I think. Lol

M maggiedemi I don’t know if saying “come to me” works for anyone besides Banjo but it’s worth a try!

No leaves or muddy footprints for you? Awww. The kitties were all ready to have a messy party!

Corelle has lead? The old stuff and the new stuff? Ummmm. We learned a long time ago not to use lead on dishes. What happened there?

That pasta is so cute! That would be sweet to serve.
Maybe as the pasta in an Artichoke Hearts salad? Lol Pasta Salad with Artichoke Hearts and Feta

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Drat...I had to reboot and lost an entire long post! AND I FORGOT WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT!

Um...country of manufacture is on the box. STAY AWAY FROM CHINA! UK, Canada, Germany and US appear to have the most stringent regs on materials that I could find.

Scamper is fine, but the ladies are singing Love Songs of Our People nightly. There will be more fights. SIGH....

Other than that, all is well. A little warmer, no rain, but that will change on Thursday, when (of course) I have to go out!

 

[Jcatbird]

Mamanyt1953 I agree that we need to check where things are made now. It seems that some things made here have contents sourced from other places. So.... it gets tougher.
The weather is crazy! I have one friend experiencing an ice storm and a relative that is in the freezing Houston area. Here it has rained nearly every day for weeks. It has been cold most of that time but every once in awhile the temperatures have risen. It was warmer today with a bit of sun so that was wonderful!
Scamper is doing okay? That is great news. If only he could resist the love songs. I suppose he has his Valentine too.

 

[dustydiamond1]

M maggiedemi I'm sure there's a ton of bad stuff in this old house. Plus I just read that the old Corelle dinner plates that I use every day have lead in them. Perfect. Oh well, I'm still gonna use them for now. They haven't killed me after all these years.

We use Corelle everyday too! And Gypsy uses a clean Correlle bowl for each meal. I hadn't heard about lead in them. Per Corelle's website, any decorations are made with low-lead enamels.. I do know that while the new ones will bounce when dropped on the floor the ones that have been around a long time will shatter into sharp shards so beware!

 

[tabbytom]

Plus I just read that the old Corelle dinner plates that I use every day have lead in them.

We use Corelle everyday too! And Gypsy uses a clean Correlle bowl for each meal. I hadn't heard about lead in them

I heard that King Charles II died from lead poisoning. I guess he's been drinking directly from his lead cup daily all his life.

 

[Jcatbird]

Smile post anyone? Last night we left Banjo fish sitting. Lol Appatently the other cats were watching though. What would a protective cat think?

Sitting on the fish is going to get old after awhile.

I better find a better place to hide Fishie.

Dolly smells something fishy.

I know that fish is around here somewhere!

I think I can hide Fishie in my carrier. It worked for the car keys.

Be verrrry quiet Fishie. I’ll go eat and come back.

Where’s my guardian cat?

Ohhhh! I think I see a cat fish!

My scent is on here. This is my carrier!

This should protect Fishie.

Dolly isn’t looking.

Muffin is up on the table. She isn’t looking either.

Nothing going on here Dolly!

Going for my supper.

I knew the top would open!

Unh! I can’t look away for a minute around here!

Dolly has the carrier open!

Get down Dolly!

Okay.

Just mind your own business.

I see the Fishie Banjo.
So?!?! That’s my Fishie!

That was close!

Are you still in there Fishie?

Awwww. You’re flipping because you’re scared?

Well, this won’t do!

Come to me again.

Let’s find a better place.

Maybe I can hide you under this rug.

Slide in here.

I’ll hold the rug up for you.

Nooooo! Don’t do that.

Heh heh. I love the way you jump. It’s a lot like Froggie but you keep hopping out from under the rug!

Can you hold still and take a cat nap?

I guess that means no.

So, if you wiggle all the time....

You’re going to keep moving from wherever I leave you.

I can’t take you outside.

It’s raining and you’ll get cold.

Where else could I hide you? Somewhere you can’t hop away. Oh!

I know! Come on Fishie!

I think this is going to be Purrfect!

Hi Mom! Feeling comfortable sitting there? If you feel like you are getting a massage, it’s just me purring.

Banjo is so considerate. I must say that I do feel like she is giving me a lower back massage. Strange though, she left!

Another rescue accomplished!

 

[dustydiamond1]

Jcatbird
I have not been told anything from the seller of the tile except to return it for a refund. The manager did provide me with the cleaner and adhesive remover. The person I spoke to at Customer service online phone number told me to “take the tile out and return it.” I had to ask if there was anything to remove the smell. The lady said the cleaner should help eventually. I bounced through several calls before I got any helpful suggestions. The manufacturer I found said they could not find that specific tile. Then they told me that it must have been made by someone else. The seller told me who manufacturer was when I first called them but later said it was probably made in China. Sold under a Brand name. I guess I will be lucky to just get a refund. I have to provide the receipt , of course. Customer service says it will be in sellers computer but....I won’t depend on that. I am hoping the seller won’t deduct a “restocking” fee. Often they do that on returns. The whole thing is very discouraging and literally sickening. I asked at the store what I could use to replace the tile that would be safe. The flooring employee suggested other tiles but could not say what chemicals might be present so she felt that my only safe option was ceramic or porcelain tile! I don’t think I am still young enough to do the cutting of that kind of tile and mortar job. At this point, I have no idea what I will do to solve this and now my floor is worse than it was! I am a bit worse for wear too. Goldi and the bears have had a rough time too.
Was it the glue or the tile that caused the problem? I would notify the Manufacturer (maybe the seller too) that you are going to contact the Better Business Bureau! Maybe even check to see if there have been any other complaints about them with the BBB. Whoever is listed as the Manufacturer,no matter where it's made, they should be legally responsible for quality! And if they do accept responsibility and reimburse or replace I'd still probably report to BBB. Possible restocking fee my @ss.The whole thing stinks, literally and figuratively. Georgia offers free legal advice. I'd contact them and ask about the legality of the company who sold it or the Manufacturer to pay for a cleaning service to get rid of the smell. You shouldn't have to deal with getting the stink out of fabrics. Ask the lawyer about the Manufacturer being responsible for any future medical problems occurring from this and reimbursement for any costs you incurred. Did you contact your doctor & vet? Might be a good idea. Hope you are feeling better. Glad your neighbors were able to help!

 

[Jcatbird]

dustydiamond1 I have some Corelle too!! Newer stuff but the more I look stuff up, the more I find about current lead uses. Apparently, if your dishes were made after 2005, you are safer. The lead is in the decorations on the dishes. If any older dishes have the painted decoration chipping or showing wear, you should not be eating or drinking from them. Especially hot foods or drinks and don’t use them in the microwave. At least that is what I found by looking online. All white Corelle is supposed to be safe. The recommendations are to put older Corelle away or use as decorations only. The FDA implemented stronger regulations on lead after 1984. I know a lot of vintage pottery had lead glaze. Corelle vintage also is reported to have cadmium. We do know that old paint has lead and is dangerous. Especially to small children. Yikes! Did you know that nature provides us with radon has? The granite bedrock below some areas causes radon gas build up in homes? Two doors down from where my Dad lives there is a home that just had to install a ventilation system in their basement due to radon gas buildup. Tightly enclosed spaces trap the gas. I guess we were meant to get fresh air , sleep in a tree or a cave, eat from our hands and drink only from fresh running water.Huh. Sounds like something I have seen. Oh.Cats do that! We could learn a lot from our kitties!

tabbytom How awful that he died from lead poisoning. I am sure that many have come in contact with things that they did not know were toxic. You wouldn’t think that simply drinking from a cup would be lethal but.....sad.

 

[tabbytom]

How awful that he died from lead poisoning. I am sure that many have come in contact with things that they did not know were toxic. You wouldn’t think that simply drinking from a cup would be lethal but.....sad.

I guess in our day to day stuffs may have some kind of poisons in them but at a very low quality that is insignificant to our health but it's better to be safe than sorry. Not all hooman bodies are made similar and some may be affected by tiny traces while some can take a bigger hit.

Science findings changes all the time. At one time they say coffee is bad for health but now it has health benefit So I guess everything in moderation should be the order of the day.

As for King Charles II, his wine and lead could have caused a chemical reaction and therefore after a long run, he died.

 

[Jcatbird]

dustydiamond1 It seemed to be the tile itself. Once the tile was out, the air seemed better but still not great. At this point, no one will admit being the manufacturers or responsible for bringing the tile under their brand name. Mystery tile! As soon as I have things back in order here enough to feel it is safe, I can attempt to follow up a little better. When I went for the cleaning product I was really sick. I have been staying out of public places as much as possible because of Covid in this state but this was not something I could put off. I’m just glad I got that stuff out of here! I’ll update as I find out more. It certainly isn’t good that others might be exposed to something. I would want to prevent problems for anyone else. Maybe the BBB could help. I’ll update as I learn anything more. I am feeling better. Thank you! Still some issues but looking to solve everything. My neighbor really did save me by helping out when I needed help.

 

[Jcatbird]

tabbytom It’s so true that we cross toxic things everyday and usually never know it. I found it very interesting that the bedrock just north of me puts off natural radon. In open air, no problem but enclosed spaces, a real problem. Paint used to contain a lot of lead before we learned just hoe risky it was. I agree, everything in moderation and NEVER, EVER lick any old walls.

 

[tabbytom]

I agree, everything in moderation and NEVER, EVER lick any old walls.

That's rite!

 

[rubysmama]

Did you know that nature provides us with radon has? The granite bedrock below some areas causes radon gas build up in homes?

That's a concern in areas around here. In fact, you can borrow kits to test the levels in your home, which is something I really should look into. The levels are highest in basements, so worse for people who have basement rec rooms, than those of us who only use the basement for laundry, storage, etc. Radon is a main cause of lung cancer, so it is a very serious concern.

 

[Lari]

When we bought our house, one of the suggestions was to do a radon test (we did and it passed), so I assume that nowadays it's a blanket suggestion for anyone buying.

 

[dustydiamond1]

Smile post anyone? Last night we left Banjo fish sitting. Lol Appatently the other cats were watching though. What would a protective cat think?

Sitting on the fish is going to get old after awhile.
View attachment 370410
I better find a better place to hide Fishie.
View attachment 370368
Dolly smells something fishy.
View attachment 370369
I know that fish is around here somewhere!

View attachment 370370
I think I can hide Fishie in my carrier. It worked for the car keys.
View attachment 370372
Be verrrry quiet Fishie. I’ll go eat and come back.
View attachment 370373
Where’s my guardian cat?
View attachment 370374
Ohhhh! I think I see a cat fish!
View attachment 370375
My scent is on here. This is my carrier!
View attachment 370376
This should protect Fishie.
View attachment 370377
Dolly isn’t looking.
View attachment 370378
Muffin is up on the table. She isn’t looking either.
View attachment 370379
Nothing going on here Dolly!
View attachment 370380
Going for my supper.
View attachment 370381
I knew the top would open!
View attachment 370382
Unh! I can’t look away for a minute around here!
View attachment 370383
Dolly has the carrier open!
View attachment 370384
Get down Dolly!
View attachment 370385
Okay.
View attachment 370386
Just mind your own business.
View attachment 370387
I see the Fishie Banjo.
So?!?! That’s my Fishie!
View attachment 370388
That was close!
View attachment 370389
Are you still in there Fishie?
View attachment 370390
Awwww. You’re flipping because you’re scared?
View attachment 370391
Well, this won’t do!
View attachment 370392
Come to me again.
View attachment 370393
Let’s find a better place.
View attachment 370394
Maybe I can hide you under this rug.
View attachment 370395
Slide in here.
View attachment 370396
I’ll hold the rug up for you.
View attachment 370397
Nooooo! Don’t do that.
View attachment 370398
Heh heh. I love the way you jump. It’s a lot like Froggie but you keep hopping out from under the rug!
View attachment 370399
Can you hold still and take a cat nap?
View attachment 370400
I guess that means no.
View attachment 370401
So, if you wiggle all the time....
View attachment 370402
You’re going to keep moving from wherever I leave you.
View attachment 370403
I can’t take you outside.
View attachment 370404
It’s raining and you’ll get cold.
View attachment 370405
Where else could I hide you? Somewhere you can’t hop away. Oh!
View attachment 370406
I know! Come on Fishie!
View attachment 370407
I think this is going to be Purrfect!
View attachment 370408
Hi Mom! Feeling comfortable sitting there? If you feel like you are getting a massage, it’s just me purring.
View attachment 370409
Banjo is so considerate. I must say that I do feel like she is giving me a lower back massage. Strange though, she left!

Another rescue accomplished!

Nonchalantly " It worked for the car keys"