Chicago has had a smoking ban in "public places" for quite some time now, but smoking in private -- in the home -- can still have significant secondhand smoke effects, particularly for your cat. Recent research shows that secondhand smoke can cause serious health risks and disease in your feline companions.
A study from Tufts University reported that cats in smoking households were in fact at a higher risk of feline lymphoma cancer. These cats have twice the risk of a cat in a nonsmoking household, but if the household has two or more smokers, that risk jumps to four times the risk. Additionally, cats are at an increased risk of oral squamous cell carcinomas. While the exact reason remains unknown, it is possible that it results from smoke and nicotine residue landing on the pet's fur, creating oral exposure during grooming.
Not only revealing in how we may be putting our cats' health at risk, this research might lead to new discoveries in the understanding of what causes feline lymphoma. Dr. Antony Moore told Science Daily that while scientists have long believed the feline leukemia virus is the major cause, in addition "exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke has devastating consequences for cats because it significantly increases their likelihood of contracting lymphoma."
To help minimize your cat's risk, quitting might be the best route. If not, consider at least smoking outside. In some cases, the study found that cats were at higher risk for cancer than the humans living in the same home, as cats continuously kept indoors are unable to spend extended periods outside the home like humans. Moreover, as many of the harmful products in smoke are in gas form, they cannot be entirely filtered out through ventilation systems. Thus, it is also important to brush your cat to help remove residue in the air, and make sure your cat has some smoke-free locations in the home to which he can escape.
For further reading, check out:
Dr. Dawn Ruben: The Risks of Secondhand Smoke in Cats
Comments
I'm a vet tech and I definitely encourage patients who smoke to do so away from their pets!
Just another great reason to quit (or never start) smoking. If you don't care about your own health, at least care about your cat who's a virtual prisoner in a smoke-filled home.
I never thought about how second-hand smoking would effect pets. I guess if I don't like it then why would they!
Very informative!
Wow, my poor cats live in a smokey household, but if my father didn't quit smoking indoors when there were little kids in the house, I doubt he'll quit for the cats... sad :(
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