My cat smelled paint fumes. What are the long-term effects of VOCs?

In a normal sized room with normal ventilation, nail polish fumes are not likely to be harmful. Do always make sure any strong smelling products are in a well ventilated space or that Millie is removed from the room. Watch Millie for any signs of trouble breathing, drooling or runny eyes or nose. Have her examined if these are noted. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

The fumes certainly could be bothering him. If you have a garage other space you can take him for a day or two while the house airs out, that would be ideal. If you don't have a space away from the fumes, call your vet or a boarding facility and ask if you can keep him there, or call a friend or family member. If you get him out of the area and make sure he's eating and drinking, its reasonable to just wait a few days before bringing him home, and he should do fine. If he goes more than 12 hours without eating or if he is acting progressively lethargic or starts vomiting, becomes unable to walk, seems increasingly disoriented, or has any seizure activity, please take him to a vet right away. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

If your cats are acting normally at this time there should be nothing to worry about. Continue to monitor them closely and keep the windows open and fans on if you can. If you notice any symptoms such as neurological changes/mentation change, lethargy or vomiting, then you may want to have them checked out. Once you can not notice the smell, it should be completely safe for your cats. I hope this helps. Best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Monitor for difficulty breathing wheezing, coughing, lethargy, drooling, loss of appetite, wobbly gait or tremors. Remove him to an area with fresh air and ventilate the affected areas for several hours before bringing him back in.

Similar to humans, fumes can be irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract. If the ventilation was appropriate enough that you were comfortable then likely your dog was too. If you were wearing a mask then your dog probably should not be in that area. Watch for any coughing or difficulty breathing. If this occurs then I would encourage you to have her evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Best of luck and I hope she does well. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

I would definitely make sure the area you are painting in stays well ventilated and that you have some place that you can keep Ringo (living room or a room that won't be painted) while you do so. Keeping fans open, opening windows (depending on the weather conditions) in painted rooms for 24-48 hours, etc can help keep the area ventilated as well. Low VOC paints can also be less irritating on the respiratory tract. If you notice any signs that Ringo may be affected such as listless behavior, trouble breathing, etc, moving him to a well-ventilated area and/or seeking veterinary help is best.

Oh no, poor kitty! Yes, you are right that breathing in nail polish can cause internal harm if it contains acetone. It can cause pulmonary injury from being inhaled, and it would be a good idea to have him checked out by a vet today since he was showing some concerning signs. The vet can diagnose if there is anything to worry about and if he needs treatment or not.