Evamist Spray - photo believed to be in public domain
25th August 2010 - United States: Evamist is a spray that delivers a low dose of estrogen through a woman's skin and thence to the bloodstream, to reduce hot flushes during menopause - not my area of expertise! The spray is used on the inside of either forearm. This is a prime area where cats can cuddle up and then lick themselves.
It has been reported to be harmful to children and pets.
As this is a cat site I am focusing on cats. Cats, as mentioned lick themselves after making contact with us, typically when we stroke them they lick the area we have stroked. This is to taste us and remove our scent from their fur.
In doing this it is possible that some spray might be ingested by the cat.
Alternatively a cat might lick a woman's arm directly. Small cats in particular may be especially sensitive to Evamist.
The advise is to contact a veterinarian if your cat or pet shows any sign of illness, including enlargement of the nipples or vulva. I would have thought that we should bath our cat if he or she shows these signs of having ingested Evamist.
The best solution is prevention and it is also advised that women who use Evamist should wear clothing that covers the arm sprayed with the drug if they cannot prevent accidental contact.
OK - I am simply spreading the word to minimise the possibility of this happening as Evamist can harm cats.
The FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) recently released this important information.
