Important but strange question: film toxicity

Klainmeister · Apr 17, 2013

I had some Foma 4x5 film that I was using to practice loading sheets lying on my desk and my cat licked the emulsion side clean...like, it's all smeared. No worries....ummm...right?!

Worker 11811 · Apr 17, 2013

Film emulsion is made from gelatin. By itself, gelatin is not harmful. It's the other chemicals in it that can cause problems.

Cats licking film is actually pretty common! Believe it or not!
I had a cat that licked a picture clean when I was in college. I told my photography teacher and he said that his cat had done the same. I've heard that story from several different people. It's not as strange as you think.

From my experience and from the experience of my teacher and other people I have talked to, film emulsion isn't "toxic" per se. It can make a cat sick if he gets too much but, unless he licks a whole roll of film, I don't think it will do much more than make him puke.

Moral of the story: Keep your film away from your cat!
I guess they like the taste of it.

noacronym · Apr 17, 2013

Well, be glad it wasn't your homework.

Dr Croubie · Apr 17, 2013

I'd be more concerned about losing a good frame than the cat, if it's bad for them they'll probably just chuck it up...

Klainmeister · Apr 17, 2013

Hmmm, didn't know this was so common. Good to know. There must be something that smells enticing on there. She really didn't hesitate and just went to town on it.

Prof_Pixel · Apr 17, 2013

Klainmeister said:
She really didn't hesitate and just went to town on it.

Typical cat behavior; just making sure you know who is really in charge in your home.

Klainmeister · Apr 17, 2013

Prof_Pixel said:
Typical cat behavior; just making sure you know who is really in charge in your home.

Very true. This is also coming from a cat that sleeps like this:

lxdude · Apr 17, 2013

I had a kitten get into some photo chemicals once. She developed normally, and it turned out I no longer had to worry about having her fixed.
You know how cats are about water, so it was hard to wash her thoroughly. She had been black and white but shortly afterward was Calico.

Truzi · Apr 17, 2013

How else will she know whether it's food? Makes you wonder what she licks/eats when you're not around.

Worker 11811 · Apr 17, 2013

What brand of film was it? Foma. Right? Maybe Foma is made from fish gelatin instead of cow gelatin?
I don't know... Just spitballing.

P.S. Great cat picture! Does he sleep like that all the time?

Klainmeister · Apr 17, 2013

Worker 11811 said:
.S. Great cat picture! Does he sleep like that all the time?

Most the time. Unfortunately she steals my pillow at night and sprawls accordingly to ensure I have no place for me head.

StoneNYC · Apr 17, 2013

Klainmeister said:
Most the time. Unfortunately she steals my pillow at night and sprawls accordingly to ensure I have no place for me head.

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OMG that's so funny! I've never seen a cat lay like that haha, precious!

So I hang my film in my tub, and my cat liked to drink the squeegee water that comes off the film, so my cat is a fotoflow addict... Probably a lot worse than the emulsion... I try really hard to keep him away, but I need to leave the door open for airflow :/

~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

lxdude · Apr 17, 2013

Those pictures are hilarious!

edcculus · Apr 17, 2013

Never had that happen, but I did have a Jack Russell that liked to drink paint. We couldn't leave her in the room with wet paint because she'd lick it all off the walls.

Poisson Du Jour · Apr 17, 2013

I LOVE CATS!
I want this one!! Just soooo cute I could lick my film dry for it. Sweet moggie...
And the question? <*shrugs*> Kitty No. 1 here has a regular diet of mice and rats that have come into contact with God knows what. She's thriving (presently in rehab in the country at the moment).

Klainmeister · Apr 17, 2013

Alright, two more just for good measure. Cats like warm laundry, and for some reason, when we're working on the mountain bikes...

Poisson Du Jour · Apr 17, 2013

Klainmeister said:
Alright, two more just for good measure. Cats like warm laundry, and for some reason, when we're working on the mountain bikes...

As you fume away trying to extricate the rear wheel from the derailleur's and freewheel's clutches, pheremones from the sweat are like catnip: a real turn-on. Take a sweaty shirt off and give it to Kitty and see what happens. Mine was unwearable after she'd chewed it to pieces. Bang goes $100...

The other oddity about this moggie is the way she lies down like that. Why? I don't see that very often at all, not even with Russian Blues that tend to contort themselves into all sorts of funny positions in the name of comfort, but not splayed out like this.

Worker 11811 · Apr 17, 2013

I'm sure you know Salvador Dali's painting "Persistence of Memory."

I think you ought to do a series of photos of that cat sleeping in all sorts of positions.
You can call it "Persistence of Cat."

StoneNYC · Apr 17, 2013

Worker 11811 said:
I'm sure you know Salvador Dali's painting "Persistence of Memory."

I think you ought to do a series of photos of that cat sleeping in all sorts of positions.
You can call it "Persistence of Cat."

I like this

~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

Worker 11811 · Apr 18, 2013

Klainmeister, you have my okay to use this idea if the muse visits.
I don't have any cats to take photos of. Neither have I ever had a cat that lays around like that.
I would probably never have the opportunity to take photos like that but somebody ought to use the idea.

Dr Croubie · Apr 18, 2013

Worker 11811 said:
I would probably never have the opportunity to take photos like that but somebody ought to use the idea.

I'd run with it if I had a cat.
How about a Group Project? Makes exhibiting harder though, unless it's all scanned and uploaded.
(because you know, the internet needs more groups dedicated to pictures of cats in funny poses)

Worker 11811 · Apr 18, 2013

A group project would be neat.

Anybody who gets inspired can use the idea.
Just be sure to share the results.

pentaxuser · Apr 18, 2013

Licking film, sleeping in a splayed out fashion and living in NM? I blame those atomic tests back in the 40s . You have a "character" for a cat

pentaxuser

lxdude · Apr 18, 2013

Just tell visitors you wanted a bearskin rug but couldn't afford one...

Toffle · Apr 18, 2013

The one place I could go on the internet and not be bombarded by cat pictures... and now this.
(all in fun, just no "can has cheesburger?" captions please)

Important but strange question: film toxicity

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