I think we can finally lay this to rest. Permanently. Cedar (ie: western red), and particularly aromatic cedar (aka juniper) is a skin irritant, lung irritant, and a proven carcinogen in long term exposures with people. As in, cedar sawdust with woodworkers who don't use dust masks. While short term exposures will probably not lead to long term damage, anyone who's inhaled cedar dust (like me) will attest it *hurts* for several days. Cedar oil is essentially a preservative. It kills fungi and other rotting organisms - which is part of the reason for its popularity as litter - it kills some of the breakdown bacteria that cause the smells. Is it any wonder it can do damage to bigger creatures? There is an article in Better Homes and Gardens WOOD in the last year that discusses cedar under the subject of "Toxic woods". Cedar is classified as the most toxic of the common domestic lumber species, and the risk of exposure is listed as just below "high". The only other domestic woods listed that are worse than cedar are Oleander and Mimosa. I will try to find the exact reference. I imagine that OSHA will also have "material safety" sheets on it too. The smelly cedar chips you encounter are most often juniper, because ordinary cedar doesn't smell that strong. If you want to test the toxicity yourself, go out and find an ornamental juniper in a garden nearby. Rub the foliage on some tender skin. Say, the inside of your wrist. You will get a rash, and it'll sting like crazy for several days. [Posted in FML issue 0665]