Attic Insulation: Safe for cats?

Our walkup attic is 90% finished, there are small spaces though where there is no flooring over the pink insulation. Sasha loves to get in those spots to nap. (I would imagine they are toasty warm).

My questions are: Is this safe? Are there any health risks for him to be in/on insulation?

Also, my BF gets a rash when he holds/pets Sasha after he's been in the attic. We are wondering if it is a reaction to the cat ( he has never had a cat allergy, but this is our first longhaired cat), or to something Sasha got into, like the insulation?

I would strongly suggest you keep Sasha away from this stuff. Insulation is spun glass, if she is lying on it, it is getting in her fur and breaking off - which is why your bf got a rash and started itching. If she licks her fur, or god forbid licks the insulation you could have a real mess on your hands, and a very sick cat.

that pink stuff is nasty! It looks soft and fluffy but it is very ouchies! I would try to put up something so she can't get in there. Maybe get he a pink kitty bed to lay on so she doesn't miss it

Yikes!!!

Thanks for that info. We will have to close off the attic until we can get plywood to cover the insulation. Then the cats won't be able to get to it.

Sue I would also suggest you give Sasha a bath and pretty soon too. Make sure you just rinse her off, don't put soap on her because then you will have to rub her and you could grind the stuff farther in her fur.

About the bath thing

Rinsing him, no shampoo, no soap, right?

Should he get completely wet, or just damp?

Should I towel rub him dry, or would that rub it into his fur, too?

I've never encountered a problem like this, and also Sasha's our first longhair.

Thanks again, MaryAnn, much appreciated. Attic is now closed, and we will be off to Home Depot in the AM for plywood and a nail gun.

Rinse only, no rubbing, no towel drying either- she will probably hate it but dry her with the hair dryer- You don't want to rub her in any fashion until that stuff is off her fur.

We now have one very wet, very miffed Ragdoll. He is terrified of the hair dryer and is now hiding under the vanity, about halfway dried.

it took me about a week to get ashton out from under the vanity I can't wait until the little bugger is fixed and back outside! Hope your kitty comes out soon!

We got him out of there and into the computer room. Now bringing hair dryer in here. Getting very un-Ragdoll-like stares from him...

here kitty kitty...CLAWS!!!

LOL! Poor ragdoll kitty- must learn- playing with pink spun glass not a good idea-

I had to learn that too I saw it at homedepot and was thinking ohhh looks soft!! I touched it and then my hubby yelled at me!! i got a glass spliter and it HURT!!!!!! No more touching for me!!

Jules just came by and gave Sasha a look as if to say, "Maaan, what did you DO to get THAT sort of treatment?"

That had to hurt, yikes! I had a glass splinter in my foot once, when I dropped one of those huge candles-in-glass (unlit) and the glass just about exploded when it hit the ground. Owie, owie, owie...

I hate when glass breaks!! Which reminds me I need a new vacum cleaner! The one I have just isn't good enough. Maybe I'll get one tomorrow.

Whew! (Wiping sweat from brow)

It's almost finished! We have about 97% of the insulation covered, we just need to go up there and fill in the nooks and crannies that I KNOW cats can and will find!

When we moved in here we had the 5 cats we brought with us from Alaska. When I finally let them out of the one room they were confined in, Smudge beat it upstairs immediately and found her way into the attic -through a hole we missed. We have that icky vermiculi insulation, and guess what? Smudge thought it was cat litter! LOL It sort of resembles it. Finally got her out of that, sealed the hole and made sure they couldn't open the door to the attic to play- what a mess. It is our last job on our remodeling plan, we are going to bring down the one wall, re-insulate and open it up to make a bigger cat room for the critters. The attic is huge!

Glad Sasha has forgiven you now.

I am glad that they have the run of the attic, it is the size of the house, so about 1000 square feet. Now all the stuff up there is up against the sides, so they have a huge play area in the middle. I am thinking of adding a cat tree up there for them. One of the things we moved was an artificial xmas tree that I haven't used in years, well Lilith jumped right on it and started to climb across! I think we may have to find a way to put that up so there is a "real" tree for them to climb.