Static Electricity and Cats

My cat tends to gather up static quite a lot. I don't quite know why, maybe from running a lot around on a carpet.

Anyway she's a very licky cat and sniffs a lot as well so I keep getting sparks from her when she sniffs at my nose or forehead. It's not very comfortable but we both put up with it (as in she hasn't stopped).

Does anyone else have such a "sparky" cat? and do you know if there's a way to try to get the static off her without letting it spark through my face? Heh..

Mine does too sometimes andit is quite ashock to me.She doesnt seem to notice it,then my hair gets all static to and flys around-did somone once suggest rubbing olive oil on the cat?

Both my cats are static magnets especially in the winter time! I bought a humidifier to help the situation... It cut down the static a little but not much! They gather static from our couch and blankets most times!

Both of my cats get it, they really don't seem to notice or care. I'd prefer they wouldn't shock me on the eye lid or lips though.
If it doesn't bother the cats I'm not going to worry about it, a little shock now and then certainly won't hurt me.

Originally Posted by chromodactyl

-did somone once suggest rubbing olive oil on the cat?

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Yup, I "grease" mine up whenever they get really bad. I just use a tiny bit of olive oil and rub it into their fur. They love the way it tastes (or at least seem to by their ecstatic grooming afterwards) and it cuts down on the static for awhile. Just make sure you don't use TOO much oil, or else they really will get all greasy, and no one likes a greasy cat!

Ahh since kitten always trys to lick olive oil from what im making i may try this when the shocks get too heavy

Yes, PHX shocks me allllll the time! I guess I just kind of ignore it... it's so cute though when he shocks me and then looks at me like "HEY!"

maybe its them doing it -saying i want more food and more cuddles

I dont know about the sparks but charlie kept turning my touch lamp on and off with his nose last night!

I run a humidifier all winter long to cut down on the static. It also makes my house feel warmer. I just put mine away for the summer. As soon as I turn the heat back on this winter, out comes the humidifier.

Originally Posted by mybabyphx

Yes, PHX shocks me allllll the time! I guess I just kind of ignore it... it's so cute though when he shocks me and then looks at me like "HEY!"

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This is exactly what Seb does - makes me feel bad! Some days its really bad, others not so much. For some reason, Daphne doesn't have the problem.

Hey everyone. just wanna send you guys well-wishes for "less crackling" cats LOL cuz I know it can be a little annoying and I'm speaking from personal preference. I wonder if a diffuser (aromatherapy diffuser) would help because a diffuser uses oils. I like the humidifier comments

Most of the time I "ground" myself by tapping my hand quickly on something non-metallic like a wood dresser drawer, or even this computer table which is some strange pressed woodchip material with a fake wood veneer LOL Someone I used to work with says he taps things all the time to ground himself to avoid shocks and doing that is actually more helpful than it sounds. So I can thank/blame him for this odd new tapping tick I've adopted, but I've notice much fewer shocks in my life LOL

Oh yeah, our kitties sniff us and we zap their little noses. It's so funny - they shake their head and will give us a dirty look and we try to tell that they chose to sniff us so it's not out fault, but you know cats - never listen.

That's something I certainly suffer with every day at work! The cats run around on a nylon based floor covering all day (bearing in mind we have long and short-haired cats) and part of our uniform is a nylon based fleece jacket. So the potential to build up a static charge is huge. Inevitably they earth themselves on us - noses and fingers and ears - there is a lovely photo somewhere of an inch long spark jumping from one of our cats noses, to my nose!! That was a one in a million shot. I wonder where it is?

And yes, my cats will build up the charge too, but not as often. We're on wooden floors all the way baby!! The carpet in the bedroom is a natural fibre. The kitchen is also nylon based, but they don't spend too much time in there fotunately!

I was trying to find some info on this subject and found this older post. Anyone have any other suggestions for dealing with static electricity? This is my first winter with cats and so far they generate a lot. I can handle it but Greta and Misty seem to be giving me a dirty look when they see my hand coming and cringe away fearing the shock. I try to ground myself before touching them but it happens so often it's just not possible all the time.

Thanks

Scratch, my shaggy boy, has a static problem. So much so that we'll wake up in the middle of the night to a big blue ball of sparks at the end of our bed. It's quite funny.

Ginger and Max shocked each other's noses last night. I had to stifle my laughter at the "shocked" look on Ferris' face.

I thought it was me that was static lol, I didn't realize that it could be mellow....

The best way to cut down on the static electricity problem (and make your heating feel more efficient) is to run a humidifier during the months that you run your heater. It really makes a difference in how warm your house feels, how much static you have, and how many colds you develop in the winter.

I will definitely be getting a humidifier now! When ours shock us they give us this really dirty look and refuse to sit on our laps for the next hour or so. Then they try it again and get shocked again and its a very endless cycle! I think I will be trying the olive oil until I can get a humidifier in my price range!
Where do you put it? Is there a better place? Our upstairs seems to get hotter and a little worse with the static, but we spend more time downstairs... so I dont know!