# Shake n vac warning!



## emmasmummy (Sep 27, 2012)

Having had my beloved Fred for many years and only lost him due to old age, I didn't even give using it and cats a thought yesterday.

Dylan, aged around 6 years, my newish (had him 6 months) rescue cat, took a liking to rolling in it, I didn't pay much attention except stupidly to tell him, it wouldn't taste very nice if he licked it! I can't believe I was so blaze about it! 10 minutes later he was violently sick a couple of times, how guilty did I feel, VERY!!
I gave him some milk (I know that's a nono in cat world, but I also know it's good for toxins, I then monitored him over the next few hours in case he needed to see the vet, thankfully he was fine, but it has taught me a valuable lesson, just because one cat doesn't bother with something, ie a plant, it doesn't mean another wouldn't.
Please don't call me irresponsible, I know I made a mistake. 

Just thought I'd share this to ease my guilt really.
Dylan has had more love than usual, and I think he's forgiven me


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## aria2013 (Feb 23, 2014)

Glad he is ok.


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## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

A very timely reminder that cats and cleaning products just do not mix. Sorry you had to find out in such a way but at least now you can review all the products and chemicals that you use around the house and hopefully minimise them.


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## Gingerbeer (Jun 10, 2014)

Wow glad he's ok!
To be honest, I've never thought about it either. Possibly because ours are out most of the time, but if they've been in and we've used it (we don't use it regularly), they've never paid any attention to it, so it's never popped up in my head. But thank you for this post, though our older cats may have never bothered with it,we have just got two kittens and as you say, they're all different so will definitely be sure not to use it around them!


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## dorrit (Sep 13, 2011)

I was shocked to find recently that this product was still sold as was a similar new product by Vanish...

It was well known back in the 1970s that shake and vac could cause severe skin irritation to both pets and children...

Oh and a professional carpet cleaner friend said it settled in the backing of carpets and rotted them!


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## Polski (Mar 16, 2014)

The vacuum cannot get it all back up and the bits that are left tend to be the heavier, grittier pieces...its not that it rots it as such but it is abrasive so it kind of sandpapers away at the base every time it is walked or vacuumed over. Not a problem if you change your carpets every few years but not something I would use on expensive, down for a lifetime, carpet. 

I have however used talc...My mother insisted on buying me talc to go with my once favourite perfume no matter how many times I told her I no longer used the perfume and I have never used talc so...I used it as shake n vac, in front of her, which stopped her buying it and eventually used up the many tubs I had.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

I used to use this years ago without a thought but, over time, I've become obsessively suspicious about anything that sprays, shakes or otherwise where the pets are so I don't use anything.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

So glad you realised what it was and he is OK now.

Ive never used it but a friend did years ago, and warned me about it, although her dogs were not physically ill, it caused them to itch and scratch for England and really irritated their skin, so I knew of the skin problems but never thought about what would happen if it was actually ingested.


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## emmasmummy (Sep 27, 2012)

I astonished myself at my stupidity! Thankfully these products have an emetic in them, which was clear from the violent vomiting, not the usual hair ball regurgitation.
Lesson learnt, and will never use it again, as some others have said, it's impossible for the vacum to get it all up.

Thanks for your support, I'm glad I posted x


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## Chasing Katy (Oct 20, 2013)

Can anyone recommend a good carpet cleaner that won't cause problems for the cats? In the hunt for Atticus I tracked some mud in and need to get some carpet cleaner to take it off.


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