Hi, I've just joined and when I have a bit more time I will explore and introduce myself and my pets properly but for now some advice/ thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Jess is a cat of 12 yrs old normally very fit and quite active about 2 months ago she had some dental work done, extraction and scale. All went well, when she came home she decided she wanted to sleep on top of the fridge so I put her bed on top and she made herself at home. Now above the fridge is our gas boiler, regularly serviced and maintained (yearly). Since she has moved there her apetite has decreased, she sleeps more, her fur has become 'lumpy' and she hasn't been so active. Does anybody know whether it could be a small amount of carbon monoxide being expelled which has caused her change of behaviour.
She has now been moved to another area and a visit to the vets is planned for monday. Thanks.

Could be that is causing problem, for her best health and yours as you may also be breathing it in , in small doses i would try go to vets tomorrow, i have gas boiler and cooker i have bought a monoxide alarm it just plugs in a normal plug socket , and will sound an alarm if any is detected.
Hope all works out ok.

Is she drinking more than usual? My first thoughts unfortunately, after having had an anaesthetic would perhaps be some renal damage/insufficiencies - was she on a drip for the GA? did she have blood tests before?

do you have a carbon monoxide detector. If not get one and place it near the boiler.


No idea how carbon monoxide affects cats but I had a carbon monoxide incident last year had been feeling ill for ages but not put it down to anything. Extreme aches, tiredness, stomach pain. Bought a detector and within a day it went off and was down to the back boiler.

Doctor told us he couldn't give much advice on how long the symptoms would last (felt ill for weeks after) as generally he didn't treat the symptoms he just signed the death certificates (not the must reassuring thing to be told).

I would imagine though with small animals that the affects would be must worse than just being off food but any doubts get a detector in fact get one anyway. They are fairly cheap.

I did a bit of research into carbon monoxide a couple of years ago. The main visible signs are ill health and shooty marks around the boiler/flue area. The first signs are often problems with pets as their body mass is less and it affects them quicker.

I bought a cheap detector from Argos, but places like Homebase sell them. Mine is incredibly sensitive and will pick up the tiniest amount even if it's not considered high enough to affect health, so I'd get one today. If you are in any doubt though, perhaps avoid using your boiler today and speak to your engineer tomorrow.

If carbon monoxide isn't the cause, it might be worth having a general health check done at the vets.

Carbon monoxide concentration is higher closer towards the ceiling, so Jess was certainly more vulnerable to it when she was higher up. Like everyone else, I'd suggest getting a detector. Get one of the mains or battery powered ones that makes a noise when it "goes off" rather than the ones that change colour.

We suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a blocked woodburner flue nearly 2 years ago. The symptoms for us were very flu-like - aches and pains, headaches, nausea and general lethargy. The cats didn't seem to be affected, possibly because they are generally at a lower level lying on sofas and chairs, but it was a huge worry. According to research I've done online, the long term effects can appear at any time up to a year after exposure, so I'd monitor her carefully if you do find there's carbon monoxide present in your kitchen.

It's also possible that the changes in her could be completely unrelated, of course.

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If you're worried, you could also get your boiler inspected/serviced.

If it is giving off CO, then you need to get it fixed before your whole family dies in their sleep!

I was going to say exactly what Doolally has said. A vet visit and some full bloodwork. I'd also have her blood pressure checked. Hope she'll be OK. Let us know how the visit goes.