# Is moth ball ODOR bad for my cat?



## hal1 (Jul 16, 2011)

I've got these neighborhood cats roaming around and they come up to my front door. I put some moth ball in jars, because I know they're toxic, and placed them by my front door to keep them away.

I can smell the odor, which I can deal with them, and let Toby sit at the front door - I guess the odor isn't bothering him too much.

But, is the odor by itself dangerous to him if he sits there too long?


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## ibbica (Jul 28, 2010)

hal1 said:


> I've got these neighborhood cats roaming around and they come up to my front door. I put some moth ball in jars, because I know they're toxic, and placed them by my front door to keep them away.
> 
> I can smell the odor, which I can deal with them, and let Toby sit at the front door - *I guess the odor isn't bothering him too much*.
> 
> But, is the odor by itself dangerous to him if he sits there too long?



I'd wonder what that says about the efficacy of moth balls at keeping cats away... ;-)

Yes, the chemicals (naphthalene in older versions, now 1,4-dichlorobenzene/paradichlorobenzene, sometimes with added camphor) are indeed toxic in their gaseous form; that's how they kill moths, after all (the chemicals sublimate and are breathed in). 

Yes, that's _kill_, not 'repel'. I think it's a common misconception, so it's worth repeating: mothballs are not repellants, they are pesticides.

A faint smell occasionally is unlikely to kill you or even do noticeable lasting damage. But of course it's up to you to decide how much of a risk you're willing to take.


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## hal1 (Jul 16, 2011)

I appreciate the information. I'll probably move the moth balls further from my front door.


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