Black mold on clothes: Will it harm my cat if I shower right away?

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. Mold can cause respiratory issues in cats long term however it is difficult to tell if it is effecting them until they start showing clinical signs. Depending on age and health condition, the signs could range from mild to severe. Some signs that cats may exhibit are as follows: Runny nose Itchy and runny eyes Skin infections Persistent scratching Coughs and wheezing sounds Nose/mouth bleeding Continuous mold exposure can cause seizures and tremors. Cats in particular will become agitated or anxious due to allergies. Both dogs and cats that have been exposed to mold are also known to shake their ears and heads. Some may also chew their paws, have chronic ear infections, foul odor of the skin and hair loss are other signs that may emerge after mold exposure. You may want to consider getting some HEPA filters in your home to help minimize exposure to both you and your cat. ( https://oransi.com/collections/air-purifiers-for-mold ) Also, I suggest you keep indoor humidity <50% - you can purchase a hygrometer if you don't have one that will tell you the humidity levels. ( https://www.lowes.com/pd/ThermoPro/5013585047 ) There is no direct link to mold exposure and lung cancer in cats but could it be possible, I would venture to say yes. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Given that you have already washed them, it should be fine. Leaving them on the stairs to dry is fine as well since Mirz doesn't have access to the stairs. In addition, since you carried the shoes inside after you washed them, there isn't a worry about anything getting spread in the house. Just put them back on outside the next time you wear them. I hope this helps!

This shouldn't cause any harm to Salem, even if it gets on your feet and you walk around. I'm more worried about the harm to your pretty floors! I'd get rid of them, not for him, but so your floor doesn't become permanently discolored. I hope this helps!

No problems, I can understand your concerns. Definitely rinse off the basket. You can use a little dish soap as this will clean a little deeper. Again, dump all the clothes in the wash & all pollen will be thoroughly removed. Honestly, no one has ever gotten sick from the pollen. The toxin is in the plant parts, roots, stem & leaves. Even if you managed to ingest a little pollen, the toxin is dose dependent, meaning the more plant material someone consumed, the more toxin would get into their system. So even if you or your cat managed to chew a small piece of a leaf, there would hardly be any adverse effects. Hopefully, this will ease your mind to know that there is not enough of the cardiac glycoside in the pollen to cause you or your cat any harm. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Cats are pretty resistant to aspergillosis so you probably don’t have to worry. Nasal aspergillosis causes nasal discharge, enlarged lymph nodes and lethargy/decreased appetite. Systemic aspergillosis really only occurs in immunocompromised cats so if your cats are healthy there is minimal concern. Systemic/disseminated aspergillosis causes decreased appetite, lethargy, GI signs, and fever. Cats are typically very sick with either form. Aspergillosis is everywhere in the environment so 3 months of potential exposure wouldn’t be too concerning - they may be exposed again at some point. Testing is difficult for the same reason and ultimately a CT scan, scoping and biopsy is usually needed for diagnosis. I would simply watch for thick nasal discharge and contact your vet if noted.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! To be safe, bathe Sabbath in case bleach got on his fur. Since cats groom themselves we wouldn't want him to get bleach in his mouth. If he'll let you, try to rinse his mouth, but don't do it if he tries to bite. My hope is that he didn't lick any and none spilled on him. If he starts drooling, not eating or breathing fast take him to the Vet. I hope this helps! Good luck!

Great job hanging up the plants so your cat can't get into them! Yes given that you have swept the floor, it's fine you let your cat walk around. You don't need to mop, especially since there wan't any dirt where you were :-)