Himalayan salt lamps are the latest fad in decorative lighting, and we have to admit, the crystal shape mixed with the pink glow they emanate certainly makes them pretty cool.
Everyone loves how neat the pink rocks look when you put a light or candle inside of them.
Advocates of the lamps can’t stop talking about the supposed health benefits either. The claims are wide-ranging, from helping you fall asleep and boosting your mood, to cleaning the air in your home and helping with allergies.
However, pet owners beware.
While there is definitely some truth to the claims, unfortunately, there is one huge glaring downside that not many people are talking about — Himalayan salt lamps are killing cats!
Vets are warning that all cat owners need to get rid of their Himalayan salt lamps immediately.
The reason being? Cats are really attracted to the salt and can’t resist licking them.
In and of itself, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. A little sodium is a necessary requirement in the diet of both humans and cats. However, the problem comes largely because of our feline friends’ lack of self-control. They will literally keep licking them until they get sodium poisoning. Left unchecked, sodium poisoning can lead to nausea, vomiting, seizures, and in extreme cases, even death!
Take, for example, the story of Maddie Smith, a cat owner from New Zealand.
She discussed her experience with the lamps in an alarming post on the Rose Avenue Vet Hospital Facebook page. Her words will likely make you think twice before purchasing one.
“We woke up on Wednesday morning to our darling Ruby walking really strangely and had her head in an odd position as she walked. We initially thought this was just because she was so cold so we got her nice and toasty and left for work as usual,” Maddie wrote.
However, Ruby’s state quickly deteriorated, and as any responsible pet owner would, Maddie immediately took the cat to go see the vet.
After running some tests, they discovered that Ruby had sodium poisoning.
The excess salt from licking the lamp in Maddie’s home had caused the cat’s brain to swell, resulting in a whole host of neurological problems. None of her senses were working properly. She couldn’t eat, she couldn’t walk, and it turns out, she couldn’t even see!
“Her basic senses and abilities GONE in 12 hours. She was so helpless,” said Maddie.
The vets immediately put Ruby on an IV to get her blood levels back to normal. They also thanked Maddie for bringing the cat in to see them so quickly. Without the IV treatment, it’s likely that Ruby would have died.
While luckily, the cat did eventually make a full recovery, Maddie and the vets felt it was important to warn other people about the Himalayan salt lamps.
“Salt poisoning is EXTREMELY deadly to animals and she is basically a miracle to still be here now. These salt lamps are addictive to animals, and if they get a taste it becomes just like potato chips are to us! So please please keep these out of reach from your fur babies.”
She hopes that other pet owners can learn from her experience so they don’t have to go through something similar. It is such a scary story and we thank Maddie for bringing it to our attention.
While Himalayan salt lamps are cool and all, there is no way they are worth risking the lives of our treasured pets!
Read Maddie’s full Facebook post discussing her traumatic Himalayan salt lamp experience below.
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