Wiley. (2018, September 19). Chemicals linked to endocrine disorder in older pet cats. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 11, 2019 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180919083502.htm

 

A new study based in Northern California has found a link between “higher levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment and higher levels of hyperthyroidism in pet cats”. PFAS are chemicals used in many industrial processes and the production of consumer products, and are more prevalent in urban areas. PFAS are common in household items, for example they can be found in “protective coatings for carpets, furniture and apparel, paper coatings, insecticide formulations” and much more. During the study, researchers tested the blood samples of senior cats and compared the levels of PFAS they came in contact with and if they had hypothyroidism, which is a “very common endocrine disorder in senior cats”. They found a link between a cat’s exposure to certain PFAS and their likelihood to be diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and they say more studies would be helpful to confirm their findings.

 

These findings do not surprise me but they do certainly make me worried for my cats. I have two cats and I worry about the environmental exposure to pollutants being more severe for them because their bodies aren’t equipped to deal with this kind of pollution even more so than ours because they are so small and easily affected by pollution. For example, their lungs are much smaller and when they contract some of the pollution particulates, their reaction is more severe because their lungs are much more sensitive. When the air quality is bad in Menlo Park, we usually don’t let the cats out to avoid the pollution, but it is pretty hard to avoid the households items which bring PFAS pollution, like “protective coatings for carpets, furniture and apparel”. This article touched on the more covert ways that pollution can be present in your life or your animal’s life.