Safe De-Icers

[jcnassoc]

Hello fellow cat lovers on theCatSite! I'm seeking advice on two winter-related issues:

1. Kitty-Safe De-Icers

Can anyone recommend pet-safe de-icers that won't harm our feline friends? Although our cats are indoor-only, I'm concerned about potentially tracking harmful chemicals into the house on our shoes. We want to ensure our kitties stay safe even if they come into contact with residue from de-icers. I've heard urea-based products might be safer, but I'd love to hear your experiences and recommendations for alternatives that won't pose a risk if accidentally brought indoors (we do go through the garage and have multiple mats and take off our shoes).

1. "DO NOT SPRINKLE DE-ICER" Signs

I need ideas for creating durable signs to prevent landscapers from using harmful de-icers on my property. The signs should be:

• Large enough to be easily visible
• Weatherproof to withstand rain, snow, and wind
• Sturdy enough to last through the winter season

Has anyone made similar signs? What materials work best for outdoor use in harsh winter conditions? I'm considering options like:

• Aluminum signs (durable and rust-resistant)
• PVC board (lightweight and weather-resistant)
• Coroplast (affordable for temporary use)

Any suggestions on where to get these made or DIY methods would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your help in keeping our indoor kitties safe from potentially harmful residues and our property de-icer free!

 

[Caspers Human]

Just use plain, old rock salt. It's cheap, easy to get and mostly non-toxic. You can eat rock salt! I wouldn't eat a lot of it but, no, it won't hurt you in reasonable amounts. Certainly keep it out of your gardens because too much salt will make it hard for plants to grow properly in the spring. Otherwise, there isn't any reason not to use it.

Forget about those urea-based things. They don't work as well. They are more expensive and harder to find. It's just a big hassle for more money and less benefit.

Read the bag. Look for the words "rock salt" or "sodium chloride." Rock salt or sodium chloride salt is mined from the ground or evaporated from the ocean. You can't get any more natural than that!

Avoid ingredients like calcium chloride or magnesium chloride. Those are the things that can cause chemical burns to the skin. If you see any phrases like "proprietary mixture" or "special formula" avoid those products. Trade Secret laws allow companies to use those phrases to protect their products from competition. I agree with that but, if a company won't, at least, tell you what their product is made from, there's no good reason to buy it. Is there?

Regardless what you use, there will be some of the product tracked indoors. The best solution is to put down a doormat and wipe your feet when you walk in the door. If snow tracks indoors when you come into the house, whatever is in the snow will also track with it. Just keep a doormat on the floor and a Jiffy Mop in the closet near the entry way.

That's the way things have been done for sixty years, since I was a kid. I have, yet, to find a better way.

 

[amethyst]

The one I like is Safe Paw, just like most ice melts it doesn't work that well if it's really cold, but so long as it's above -2F/-19C it still works it just needs more time then it does when it's above 10F/-12C. Below about -4F/-20C ice starts to get more sticky then slippery anyway. It also does seem to require more then some other de-icers, but I have dogs so I needed something that was safer for them and my cats if they tracked any into the house. For larger areas though I just use ash from my wood stove, hands down the best thing I've found to use on ice (other then being messy), but I realize that is not an option for most people.

 

[Caspers Human]

For larger areas though I just use ash from my wood stove

Yes, wood ash will work but be careful. Wood ash, when mixed with water, creates potash. (AKA: Lye.) Lye is very caustic and can cause burns to the skin.

Have you ever gotten a mixture of wood ash and water on your skin and felt a slippery or soapy feeling when you rub your hands together? That's because lye is dissolving the fats and proteins in your skin. A little bit of that isn't unduly harmful. You can just wash it off and no harm is done. If you get a lot of it on your skin and don't wash it off it can cause chemical burns.

 

[amethyst]

Yes, wood ash will work but be careful. Wood ash, when mixed with water, creates potash. (AKA: Lye.) Lye is very caustic and can cause burns to the skin.

Have you ever gotten a mixture of wood ash and water on your skin and felt a slippery or soapy feeling when you rub your hands together? That's because lye is dissolving the fats and proteins in your skin. A little bit of that isn't unduly harmful. You can just wash it off and no harm is done. If you get a lot of it on your skin and don't wash it off it can cause chemical burns.

Oh yeah, I should have mentioned a couple things with that to clarify. First is I mostly burn softwood like spruce and pine, which doesn't have as much potassium in it as hardwood so it's not good for making lye with. Also a little goes a long way with it, I just need a dusting over the ice for it to be effective at giving traction and color the ice to absorb sunlight. I generally only need to put some down a few times a winter since the layer of snow and ice on my dirt/gravel driveway tends to last until spring. I've been using it for almost 20 years now and haven't had an issue yet, but again, specific situation, and not for everyone.

 

[stephanietx]

Non-clay litter works. It doesn't de-ice but it makes it safe to walk on slick surfaces.

 

[IzzysfureverMom]

We prefer ice melt that is safe for animals. Other options are not as safe. Calcium chloride and sodium chloride has both caused issues here with the outside ferals and other animals. They also both reck havoc on our concrete driveway. Safe Paw is very good but also pretty expensive but there are other brands that are safe for animals.

 

[Caspers Human]

Yes, ordinary wood ash shouldn't be harmful if you are careful. I agree, it does the job as long as you pay attention. People have been using wood ash on ice for as long as I can remember. Road crews often spread cinders and ash on roads to improve car traction.

I would not use calcium, potassium or magnesium chloride on ice around my home because it does degrade concrete and can cause burns to skin and damage to floors in areas where it gets tracked in. Sodium chloride (regular salt) isn't AS harmful and won't degrade concrete if it is fully cured (for at least a year) and isn't overused. Only use as much as needed to do the job and, once the ice starts to melt, shovel the slush and excess salt away to some place where it won't cause so much damage or get tracked indoors.

I do like brands like Safe Paw. They work as advertised but still not as well as good, old fashioned salt. The expense and difficulty to obtain them are factors to consider but, if you prefer pet safe products, there isn't any reason not to use them.

Non-clay litter works. It doesn't de-ice but it makes it safe to walk on slick surfaces.

Yes, non-clay! Non-Clumping! Clumping cat litter is made with bentonite. When it gets ground up and mixes with water it can become as slippery as grease! Back in the day, people used to keep a bag of kitty litter in the trunks of their cars in case they got stuck and needed traction. Some people didn't know about bentonite and used it for car traction but found out that they were stuck even worse! They might have been able to rock the car out of the snow but, once that stuff gets on their tires, it will probably be time to call a tow truck!

Use common sense. Shovel your steps and sidewalks before the snow gets packed down under foot traffic and turns to ice. Use floor mats in your entry ways. Take off your shoes as soon as you come indoors. Use a mop or towel to clean up slush and salt before it gets tracked throughout the house. Use whatever products that you think are appropriate for your home.

To be honest, we just have to accept that it snows in the winter and we're going to have to deal with it whether we like it or not.

 

[jcnassoc]

Hi all. Thanks so much for the responses. I'll look into Safe Paws and see if I can't somehow put up weather-proof signs to keep the landscapers from spreading their less-pet-friendly deicer.

This site is PAWSOME!!!! Thanks again!