>Hasn't happened for a long time until tonight.  I washed his favourite
>towel and dried it with a new fabric softener sheet.  Very shortly after,
>he started the panting thing.  I took away the towel and replaced it with
>something not freshly washed and he seemed to improve - although he did do
>it a couple of more times.  He seems fine now - about an hour later.
 
I've been meaning to write about fabric softener for a few weeks now, but
hadn't remembered while at the computer until reading this post.  I adopted
(well, I'm supposed to be fostering them, but it looks like I can keep them)
four fuzzies lately from a wonderful, caring home.  They came with all the
best food and supplies, including blankets and hammocks and sleep sacks that
reeked of fabric softener perfume.  Now, to someone else I'm sure it would
have smelled great, but I am sensitive to perfume, so I washed everything.
Then I washed it again.  Then I washed it again.  The sweet odor was finally
pretty well gone in three washes.
 
Before the washings, my lungs felt irritated and I wanted to cough when I
was around the bedding.  ALSO, the four new ferrets itched and scratched and
leapt out of deep sleep very frequently.  After the washings, I could
breathe normally and the ferrets only scratched the normal itchy fuzzy
amount.  I do not think the stuff was good for their skin, and I doubt it
was all that great for their lungs.  We are so careful to keep our little
guys out of cedar and Lysol and all manner of bad things.  I think people
should consider not using perfumed fabric softeners too.  It really does
fill the lungs, and it coated the fabric very thoroughly, so I'm sure it
affects the ferrets.
[Posted in FML issue 1716]