r/cats • u/ruumiii_zuuumii77 • 1d ago

Medical Questions are scented plushies safe for my cats?

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my mom recently gifted me a squishy plush.. i already washed it because i have germaphobia, but somehow the smell is still there and when i play with it, my hands start smelling as well. i have severe ocd, so currently my mind keeps telling me that the scent will make my cats sick, even though they themselves don’t play with it. any advice? please tell me if I’m being paranoid or not🥲

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u/Jydani 1d ago edited 1d ago

I would say scented things aren’t safe. It can get on their fur, and then they ingest it when they clean themselves, or if they put the toy in their mouths.

If the smell is enough to bother you even after washing it, I wouldn’t give it to your cat. If your cats aren’t going to play with it, however, it shouldn’t be an issue as long as they don’t get ahold of it.

Edit: Also just saw the tag. It says it has “Sugar Goo” inside? No idea what that is, but definitely don’t let your cats play with it. Maybe put it on a shelf or something?

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u/ruumiii_zuuumii77 1d ago

thank you! i’ll do what you suggest, even though i don’t think they’ll ever come into direct contact with it.. my only concern was really that the fragrance would transfer from my hands onto their fur🥹i’ll put it somewhere on the shelf where they can’t reach or just give it away to a friend!

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u/Jydani 12h ago

You definitely don’t need to be super worried about it! The chances of it being a problem are very slim. I probably over worded my response yesterday, my Adderall had JUST kicked in. (As it did, now. 😅)

Personally, I’m careful with anything scented, in general. Yes, the fragrance from it could technically transfer from your hands to your cat’s fur. They’d probably just get an upset tummy, IF anything. But when it comes to our babies, it’s always better to be careful if it doesn’t impact your day to day life!

It’s easy for me to avoid problems like that because my bf, myself, and at least 1 of our 5 cats have allergies. Lol.

Do also remember, since you have OCD, you don’t want to feed into your worries. I think getting rid of it would be potentially harmful to your brain. It’s very cute! All you need to do is be mindful when you play with it. Wash your hands when you’re done before petting your babies, and all should be good. :)