Eau de Domestos- Does your cat have a bleach fetish?

Not as crazy as you may think. The chlorine in bleach and also the ammonia in other cleaning products can smell rather like the biochemical odour of cat wee. This is one reason why you should avoid using these products to clean areas of your house accessed by your cats - some cats are so convinced it's wee that they are smelling that they may start to urinate on these areas. :-(

Other cats seem to be particularly attracted to the smell of bleach and can put on quite a performance when they encounter a surface scented with it - not unlike the excited rolling and purring and cheek rubbing you see with cat nip. Although this response may seem harmless enough, if your cat rubs in bleach and then licks it off they are essentially ingesting an irritant toxin (sodium hypochlorite) which causes ulceration to mouth and lining of the gastrointestinal tract (or eyes if it gets in them). Symptoms of exposure to bleach therefore include drooling, difficulty/pain on swallowing, vomiting and abdominal pain or painful eyes (watery red eyes, squinting/closed eye(s), rubbing at eyes). 

TOP TIPS: 

If you think your cat has licked any bleach it is best to dilute the toxin by offering your cat water or wet food mixed with water but do not inducing vomiting as the chemical will just cause further damage on the way up. This is a potential emergency and the key is to start treatment promptly. Contact your vet immediately for further advice.

If you think your cat has been exposed to bleach but is not showing any symptoms, then first carefully check the fur, paws and mouth area for any smells of bleach and then immediately wash with soap and water (not liquid soap containing Dettol!) and rinse any areas of your cat's fur/feet that may be contaminated several times over. If in doubt contact your vet.