CAT & TOXIC SENSITIVITY

The cat's environment should be examined for the presence of such toxins because the liver of a cat is less effective at detoxification than those of other animals, such as dogs.

Many houseplants are at least somewhat toxic to cat and the consumption of such plants by cats is to be avoided. For example, the leaves of the Easter Lily can cause permanent and life-threatening kidney damage to cats, and Philodendron are also poisonous to cats.

Household substances harmful to areas where cats may be exposed, include :

• Mothballs
• Naphthalene products
• Phenol based products often used for cleaning and disinfecting near cats' feeding areas or litter boxes, such as pine-sol, dettol ( lysol ), hexachlorophene
• Ethylene glycol, often used as an automotive antifreeze, is particularly appealing to cats, and as little as a teaspoonful can be fatal
• Insecticides and weed killers

Many human foods are somewhat toxic to cats, such as : 

• Theobromine in chocolate can cause theobromine poisoning, for instance, although few cats will eat chocolate.
• Onions or garlic can cause toxicity in cats.
• Some drugs are somewhat toxic to cats, such as :
• Acetaminophen or paracetamol ( the common painkiller ) sold under brand names such as Tylenol and Panadol is extremely toxic to cats; because they naturally lack enzymes needed to digest it, even minute portions of doses safe for humans can be fatal.
• Aspirin which is sometimes used to treat arthritis in cats, is much more toxic to them than to humans and must be administered cautiously.
• Minoxidil ( rogaine ) for application to the skin of cats, either accidental or by well-meaning owners attempting to counter loss of fur, has sometimes proved fatal.

Even such seemingly safe items as cat food packaged in pull tab tin cans have been statistically linked to hyperthyroidism, although the connection is far from proved, suspicion has fallen on the use of bisphenol A-based plastics, another phenol based product as discussed above, to seal such cans. 

Posted in: cat,veterinary