Whoever has and loves cats or other pets understands that besides food and water need to provide them a safe environment for living. As animals have a natural habit to sniff and lick things in their surroundings it’s necessary to keep them away from substances that can harm them. Borax is just one of those we use often. So naturally, the question might occur, is borax safe for cats?
Borax is not safe for cats or any other pet. When ingested by pets, it causes stomach upset and irritation. High doses can injure the kidneys. Even higher concentrations can be fatal for your pet and even people.
In the following paragraphs, you’ll find out why borax is toxic to cats, what it is used for, how to help your pet if it’s contaminated with this product, how affects their health, how to use it safely, etc. Let’s check it!
Contents
- Is borax safe for cats?
- How much borax is toxic to cats?
- What does borax do to cats?
- Symptoms of poisoning
- How to Treat Borax Poisoning in Cats – What to do if your cat sniffs/ licks borax?
- Borax flea treatment, is it safe?
- Is Borax Great for Killing Ants and Fleas?
- What is borax used for?
- What are some uses of borax?
- What contains borax?
- What is borax made from?
- What is the chemical name for borax?
- How to store it?
- FAQs
- Final thoughts
Is borax safe for cats?
The short answer is, no. Borax is toxic to both dogs and cats, and although it’s considered natural, it can cause harmful side effects in pets.
Borax is commonly found in household products like laundry detergent, dish soap, and hand soaps.
It’s also used as an ingredient in many homemade cleaning products.
But is borax safe for cats? The short answer is no. Although it’s considered a natural ingredient, borax can cause harmful side effects in pets—and humans.
Why would you want to use borax?
Because of its antiseptic properties, borax is often used as a natural cleaning agent.
However, it’s important to note that while borax may seem like an all-natural product, it actually contains chemicals called boric acid and sodium tetraborate.
These two ingredients are not only toxic to cats but also to humans!
If you’re looking for an alternative that won’t harm your cat or yourself, consider using vinegar instead of harsh chemicals like bleach or ammonia (which can be found in some cleaning products).
Vinegar cleans just as well as these traditional cleaners but without the potentially harmful side effects!
How much borax is toxic to cats?
Even small amounts of this white powder can be toxic and in some cases fatal for your cat.
The amount of borax is toxic to cats depends on their body weight, but it’s generally safe to say that any ingestion at all could cause an upset stomach and self-decontamination via vomiting.
Doctors consider that 5 gr / 0,2 oz is enough to poison your furry friends like cats, dogs, rabbits, other pets, and even children!
Now that you know how much borax is toxic for cats I don’t need to tell you how important it is to store it properly and keep it away from your pets and children.
What does borax do to cats?
Now that you know that borax is harmful to your feline friend, you need to remember that cats aren’t aware of that.
That means that they can get in contact with borax if we, or someone in our surroundings, don’t store it properly.
If they swallow this product within the last two hours it can cause your cat to start vomiting, have diarrhea and stomach pain, or feel excessive thirst.
That’s most commonly what this multipurpose product does to them.
Symptoms of poisoning
After closer contact symptoms of borax poisoning can be fatal so it’s important to notice them on time and act accordingly.
Pay special attention to skin rash, eye irritation, respiratory problems, swelling of the throat, vomiting, and mouth infection since all those are no joke and you should be extremely cautious.
How to Treat Borax Poisoning in Cats – What to do if your cat sniffs/ licks borax?
After you notice symptoms of borax poisoning in your cat you should act fast.
Of course, the best would be to take it to the vet immediately where the vet will inject IV fluids to minimize the risk of kidney damage.
However, you should know how to treat borax poisoning in cats in case you cannot drive it to the vet clinic immediately:
1. Wash your cat’s mouth with mild soap. Also, rinse any areas that have been in contact with this product, like her face, paws, and fur.
2. Call the vet, he may suggest to you how to induce vomiting.
Those steps are just something to do if the vet is not an option for you for some reason at the moment.
Again, go to the vet clinic as soon as possible.
Borax flea treatment, is it safe?
As you could see on the previous list, borax can be used to kill fleas. People use it to kill fleas in carpets and furniture but also to remove them from animals.
Users usually sprinkle the powder on carpet or furniture and leave it there for a few days before vacuuming it. That process kills fleas and larvae.
Borax works by removing moisture from fleas after they ingest it and afterward they die. Even though it is effective when it comes to killing fleas, don’t use it on pets.
This product can seriously harm your pet’s skin and even lead to death. To remove fleas from cats and other pets use veterinary recommended solutions.
Is Borax Great for Killing Ants and Fleas?
Borax can resolve many of your home nightmares. It’s quite effective when it comes to killing almost all pests that like to live in our kitchens, bathrooms, and other places in our homes.
If you’re curious, is borax great for killing ants and fleas, you should know this product is effective in killing roaches, ants, fleas, and many other pests.
What is borax used for?
Borax is a combination of boron, sodium, and oxygen. It’s widely used in the cleaning industry and it’s known as a household cleaner and a booster for laundry detergent.
Even though its most popular purpose is for cleaning, that’s not only what for you can use this product.
Borax can be found in many household products like toothpaste and mouthwashes, lotions, skin creams, moisturizers, paint, ceramic glaze, herbicides, and many more products.
What are some uses of borax?
Borax, just like baking soda and vinegar, has a wide range of usage in households.
It’s not just for cleaning. Below, find out what are some uses of borax, you can use it to:
- Whiten Yellowed Pillows
- Make Slime (toy for kids)
- Deodorize Your Trash Can
- Prevent Humidifier Odors
- Remove Rust
- Freshen Up Your Fridge
- Preserve Flowers
- Feed Fruit Trees
- Kill Weeds
- Kill Fleas
Those are just some of the potential usage of this magic powder, there are many more.
However, you should be careful with amounts as bigger amounts can harm pets, kids, and even grownups.
What contains borax?
Since sodium tetraborate has wide usage in the chemical industry it’s part of many products we use in our houses.
Many all-purpose cleaners are based on sodium tetraborate, but not only that. Here you can find what contains borax besides different types of cleaners.
- Laundry detergents (some are even labeled as natural),
- Stain removers,
- Dish detergents,
- Air fresheners,
- Pesticides
- Herbicides
- Slimy toys
What is borax made from?
Borax’s main ingredient is a natural mineral – sodium tetraborate. Basically, it’s a hydrated salt of boric acid.
On the market, this powder is labeled as a green product, mainly because this product doesn’t contain chlorine and phosphates according to the safety data sheet.
This applies when you’re buying products from an American borate company or those like 20 Mule Team Borax.
What is the chemical name for borax?
In chemistry, borax is also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate.
Borax is a powdery, white substance often used in households as a multipurpose cleaner. Usually, it’s available in powder or granular form.
How to store it?
You should keep borax in a dry warehouse, the best would be to store it on wooden pallets, away from the reach of pets and children.
It’s necessary to avoid putting products directly on earthen floors or concrete. That’s all you need to know about how to store this useful multipurpose item.
FAQs
In this section, you’ll find some of the most common questions and answers when it comes to this topic.
Can borax kill my cat?
Unfortunately, yes. Borax can be fatal to your cat. It can cause severe burns and irritation to your cat’s skin, eyes, and mouth if they come into contact with it. If ingested, borax can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and even death within 24 hours of ingestion.
Can borax be used around pets?
Yes, Borax can be used around pets. Just pay attention to how you are storing it.
Is it safe to put borax on the carpet?
Borax makes a great natural carpet cleaner. In addition to cleaning carpets, borax can be used to clean tile floors and even walls. When using borax for cleaning purposes, always remember to dilute it with water before applying it to any surface.
Can I mix borax and vinegar?
Yes, you can combine borax and vinegar to create a great all-purpose cleaning solution.
Final thoughts
I hope, by reading this article, you found the answer to the question:” Is borax safe for cats?” .
We made it obvious that even small amounts of this powder can seriously affect your cat’s health.
Basically, you should be careful when storing this cleaning solution, since cats like to sniff and lick everything and just 5gr / 0.2oz can be fatal.
If you have more questions just leave a comment, our team will be glad to hear from you.
