Updated
Cat home safety
Mothballs are dangerous to cats and should stay out of cat homes; if your cat chewed, licked, inhaled, or had close contact with one, call your veterinarian or pet poison control.
This is not a normal household smell to ignore. Cats can investigate with their paws, mouth, nose, and coat, then groom residue later.
Move mothballs out of the room and keep your cat away from the area. Do not leave them in closets, drawers, basements, garages, or storage spaces your cat can enter.
Exposure questions are about contact, not just ownership. Think about licking, chewing, inhaling, walking through residue, grooming it off paws, or drinking from a container.
A cat may chew a mothball, walk through residue, sniff a strong enclosed space, or rub against stored fabric. Because cats groom their coat and paws, residue can matter after the first contact.
Start by stopping access, then identify the exact product or object. The label, amount, timing, and route of exposure matter more than a general safety guess.
If exposure happened, save the package or take a photo of the label. The product name, ingredient, amount, timing, and your cat's weight help your veterinarian or poison-control specialist guide the next step.
Remove access first, then sort out the exact product, plant, cleaner, scent, or object. Keep labels, photos, and timing notes because small details change the advice.
Call your veterinarian or pet poison control if your cat chewed, licked, swallowed, inhaled, or had close contact with mothballs, especially if there is drooling, vomiting, weakness, tremors, breathing trouble, or behavior that feels wrong.
Call promptly for chemical, scent, medication, plant, cord, or small-object exposure, especially if your cat is coughing, drooling, vomiting, weak, burned, or acting unlike normal.
Mothballs are dangerous to cats and should stay out of cat homes; if your cat chewed, licked, inhaled, or had close contact with one, call your veterinarian or pet poison control.
If your cat chewed, licked, swallowed, inhaled, or walked through a risky product, call your veterinarian or pet poison control with the product name, amount, timing, and your cat's weight.
