Allergic to Leather?

A friend of mine has a 7-year-old cat who has always had a bit of a sensitive stomach. (A benign tumour was removed from the area about a year ago).

Although she will puke on occasion, it has gotten worse - about 3-4 times a day in the past few days. Irene will take her to the vet - but then she realized that a leather couch and chair had just arrived in the house about a week ago (followed by a heat wave shortly after). She thinks Cleo (cat) might be licking it and getting sick from it.

Cleo apparently licks cardboard and plastic, so this would not be a stretch. (Irene is also VERY careful that Cleo does not have this stuff to lick).

Cleo has really enjoyed scratching on the leather! So the furniture will be leaving the house soon.

Anyone else have experience with this?

Thanks!

This will get ignored, but here goes:

Spunky and sams lick the shower/tub so I don't use chemicals unless I can lock the bathroom. I also rinse it well to remove shampoo residue.

As for leather: true unadulaterated rawhide might be less of a problem (and uncomfortable), but she should consider all of the chemicals used to condition the leather for use in furniture. Spunky and Rosie (RB) threw up from eating store brand food, so vomiting from licking the poisons off of leather or vinyl would be a logical conclusion.

Anne

Why ignored? Hey, you're the only person so far who has responded to the post!

Mind you, in summer, Friday afternoons til Mondays are a bit quiet! :D

I really appreciate your thoughts on the leather deal...at least Cleo doesn't lick the tub!

hugs
Catty1

Catty1,

Tanned leather uses many caustic chemicals most are removed by the time the product is finished but residues may remain. Other items may be coloring stains, softeners, stain protectors (scotch guard). Take a damp white towel and rub the leather to see if anything comes off, if it does that is what the cat may be ingesting. Good luck, we can’t have leather furniture for fear that our cats would ruin it; in fact we can’t have anything nice (bad cats).

Good luck and best of wishes.