Jan 23 2007
Fun With Cat Piss.
The only reason I passed chemistry in high school is because Mr. Murray didn’t want to look at me for another year. That having been said, short of mixing up a glass of Tang, my lab skills and knowhow are extremely limited. But I made some magic happen last night.
Admittedly, I was a little remiss in my cat box cleaning duties this past week. I tore out Boss’ corner - swept, mopped and then disassembled his covered litter box. After dumping out the good stuff, there was a large clump of wet mud near the bottom I had to break apart with a scraper I keep handy for just this purpose. Just call me Mr. Boston construction. I got most of it out, but the stench of ammonia was unusually bad. Dave Pye the Science Guy decided it would be a good idea to dump a few capfulls of straight bleach into the mix.
I knew right away that there was something special taking place. The bottom of the box started to hiss and fizzle straight away. I think I may have giggled - until the vapors hit my nose. By the time I realized I needed to get the hell out of the area, I’d inhaled a good quantity of a vapor I can only describe as overpowering. I opened my replacement windows but the strong, medicinal smell hung in the area for about an hour. I can still feel a little burn in my lungs as I type.
Eventually the smoke cleared, and I was able to rinse everything and put it back together. Boss’ poops and peeps palace potential are squared away. I wonder what I created for that brief moment. Perhaps I may have inadvertently cured cancer, or immunized myself forever from the common cold. But I’m probably just a lazy retard who should take better care of his cat.
ammonia + bleach = chlorine gas
good thing you didn’t breathe in too much or Boss would have been looking for a new owner
My chest cold is gone. Can’t have been all bad. That’s the closest I’ve come to chemistry in a long time. And it was with urine.
I was horrible in science as well throughout school but never mixing ammonia and bleach has always stuck with me. Big no no!! But, admittedly, I never knew why. And now thanks to you, my guinea pig friend, I do.