Cat Lawn Chemicals

If you own a home and have a cat, you should be aware that various items you use on your lawn can cause harm to your cat. If you work hard on your lawn and use lots of chemicals to keep it healthy, you should always be aware of where your cat is because you do not want to let your cat out on a lawn that you just treated chemically, or allow your cat to roam around on the lawn and begin eating the grass.

What Chemicals are Harmful?

In 2004, the Purdue University released their findings that cats exposed to lawns treated with a chemical known as 2, 4-D had a higher risk of developing Cat Bladder Cancer. Remember, if you are treating your lawn with anything, you need to know what is in it, and make sure it is safe for your cat. Cats love to roll around in the grass, eat it, and generally use the more sandy parts of your lawn as their outdoor litterbox. You may be surprised to learn that the chemicals you are using to treat your nasty weed problem may indeed have 2, 4-D in it as one of the ingredients that is effective at killing weeds, but unsafe for your cat.

What About Lawn Professionals

Almost all lawn care professionals will tell you their products are safe to use around cats. However, you need to do your own research and ask to read the ingredients on the chemicals they plan to use on your lawn. If they are using all natural organic substances, then you can feel safe in using the product on your lawn. However, never just take a company’s word for it, after all, they want your business, and they will not have to deal with your cat should it become ill in the future.

Most lawn care companies test their products to make sure they are safe for humans, but you probably noticed that your cat is not exactly human. Therefore, many have done no tests to make sure the safety of your cat is ensured when using their products. If you have concerns, either do not use the professional service or keep your cat away from the treated area.

An Alternative

The best thing to use on your lawn is a natural product. It may take longer to kill weeds, but at least you can rest assured knowing that your cat is safe being around the ingredients.

If you insist on using chemicals on your lawn, you can section off your yard with fence to keep your cat off of the treated grass. That way they can still go outside and you can use chemicals on the lawn where you know your cat cannot get into. This of course, is tricky with cats because they are agile and can get through and over almost any type of fencing, so you will have to find a way to keep your cat out of the treated lawn. If your cat is an indoor-only cat, then you do not have to worry about it getting in the treated lawn.

Final Thoughts

If you know your cat has been on a recently treated lawn, be sure to wipe their feet off before they come back inside the house. Know what ingredients you or a professional use on your lawn and do your research to make sure the chemicals are safe. If in doubt, choose not to use the chemical.