Your Furniture May Be Killing Your Cat

Cats who are not declawed have long been known for their destructive behaviors toward household furniture. Many products, websites, and books will contain information that will let the homeowner known various ways to stop this behavior which are met with varying degrees of success. However, hyperthyroidism once rare in cats and potentially lethal to our purring companions has been on the rise since the 1980s. In what amounts to an ironic twist, a chemical found in furniture may be literally killing your cat.

The change effects mostly indoor cats and is linked to flame retardants used in furniture. No link has been found between polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PDBE) in humans but a definite link has been sown between PDBEs in indoor cats, especially indoor cats who eat high quantities of fish flavored food and over active thyroids. The study conducted by the Environmental protection agency shows a link between PDBEs and hyperthyroidism in cats, but further studies will be needed to determine the exact cause. Whether or not the chemicals affect only cats or may apply to humans eventually as well has yet to be determined.

While the exact cause may not yet be known, the PBDE molecules are similar to a thyroid hormone and may be interpreted the wrong way by the body of a cat. If you are worried about the chemicals in the furniture that have also built up outdoors over the years may be killing your kitten, there are ways you can minimize the exposure of the cat. The best way is to eliminate moist food, especially moist fish flavored foods from the cat's diet. Felines fed primarily on dry food are unlikely to develop the condition. Although most exposure for cats and humans comes from dust, the PBDE chemicals more easily build up in the ocean and get absorbed by fish.

Catsare more likely to inhale the dust or ingest it during the excessive time they spend grooming contain higher levels of this chemical than adull humans. Toddlers who crawl and put many things in their mouths were also found to contain higher levels of the chemical in their bodies. The next time Fluffy or Mittens seems to take it out on the furniture, perhaps you should be a little more understanding. It may not be an act of spite or intended to get there scent on something, it may be instead an act of self-protection

Sources:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-cats16aug16,0,6221636.story?coll=la-home-center