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Peppers, Cats & Dogs

OzDragon

OzDragon

I live with someone who has 2 cats. 
Sometimes I toast ghost peppers in the kitchen and it can be very uncomfortable. I lock the cats in her room, open windows, and turn on fans.
 
Now, she's seen a black spot on one cat's nose, she's done Google searches and she discovered a cancer that's associated with "prolonged inhalation of strong odors like cigarette smoke and air fresheners."
 
In 10 minutes her amateur veterinary education has turned me into the feline cancer guy.
 
Any way ...
 
Is there any body of knowledge around pets (cats) and being around capsaicin? Are they especially sensitive? I've read that birds can't taste capsaicin.
 
Surely some of you have cats & dogs. How do they deal when you're cooking peppers? I don't want to kill this lady's cats, but I also don't want to be the blame for everything that's unusual.
 
First and foremost when diagnosing anything always take it to a professional just because wiki says its cancer doesn't mean it is. Secondly I do not think that inhalation of peppers can cause cancer if you did take the measures you said
 
Neither my cat (while she was still alive) nor my son's cat ever experienced any issues with my pepper drying, and I never locked either of them in a separate room. I open a window, but no fans. Hasn't been a problem for the cats, my son (who isn't into peppers like I am), or my neighbors. That said, I suspect cats are no different from animals like us - some of us have allergies and such, and some don't - so it makes sense that different cats could have different sensitivities. But like Nightshade said, take it to a vet. You might find the cat simply got some ink on its nose......
 
I have been around cats my entire life in a non-smoking/can't stand air fresheners environment and I have seen several cats get black spots on their noses before.  My vet has told me numerous times they are just like 'freckles'...
 
So, the cat could have a new freckle.  :lol:
That'd be hilarious if she gets herself all freaked out and it's just a freckle.
 
But sure, if there's an allergy of something serious, I'll respect it.
 
Thanks for bringing some experience and levity. I'm going to chill until some professionalism is brought in.
 
snapshot_1377703590577image.png
 
i used to work for pet shops and remember the statistics about the preservatives in cat foods
BHT
BHA
TBHQ
ETHOXOQUIN
 
these are well known for being carcinogenic also some of the additive in cat littler are also to blame and would be the more likely causes on top of household cleaning product and the like
if anything capsaicin has been proven to be a cancer fighter
i also heard that carpet,foam backing and even the adhesives used are cancer causer and with them being smaller than us they get it sooner than we would, seeing also that there closer to the floor it does make sense
 
i really doubt its your peppers
 
thanks your friend Joe
 
This morning she noticed that the black dot is gone, after having been there for a few days. But she's scheduled a vet appointment--unsure if the dot was food, a scab, ink, or whatever. She's gotten herself all worked up and I've refused to get sucked into her hysteria.
 
The cat is about 15 years old. It's been losing weight, it's voice sounds like a short little chirp, (all before I showed up) and I suspect my friend is really dealing with this cat is frikken old and on the decline--peppers or no peppers.
 
Losing weight - could be kidney or thyroid, both of which are very common in cats, especially older cats. Thyroid is cheap and easy to deal with after the initial tests - wad a pill (or portion of a pill) in a piece of food each day, done. And yeah, 15 years is getting up there for a cat. Just like us, they all have different lifespans. Hopefully calm will reign soon!
 
UPDATE: nothing!
 
Recommendation: he's an old cat and observe to see if the black spot returns.
 
SHEESH!
 
Thanks to everyone here for keeping me relaxed over the past 24 hours. 

geeme said:
Losing weight - could be kidney or thyroid, both of which are very common in cats, especially older cats. Thyroid is cheap and easy to deal with after the initial tests - wad a pill (or portion of a pill) in a piece of food each day, done. And yeah, 15 years is getting up there for a cat. Just like us, they all have different lifespans. Hopefully calm will reign soon!
Click to expand...
I think we'll be calm for a while. There are no ghost peppers in any upcoming recipes and the cat is well into senior citizen status.
 
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