Bathroom is dangerous for dogs and cats says veterinarian

I think this veterinarian has made an extreme statement but I understand where they are coming from. They specifically issued a warning to dog owners about their pets entering the bathroom. But they also add that it applies to cats as well. They said dogs should be banned from bathrooms.

The reason is that dogs tend to, or they might, drink water from the toilet bowl which is water that might be contaminated to a certain extent both from the faeces of their owner and from the chemicals used to clean the bowl. I have seen cats drink water from the toilet bowl probably because they were neglected and no water was left out for them.

Veterinarian says that dogs and cats shouldn't go in the bathroom because it's too dangerous. Image: MikeB

Fair point but that problem can be resolved by keeping the toilet seat down which I think is a better solution because domestic cats like to be in the bathroom particularly when their owner is in the bathroom on the toilet! This is because of the smell they produce which cats find reassuring but which people don't like. The problem there is that a lot of people don't keep the bathroom seat closed. Simple!

RELATED: Many articles on 'toxic to cats'.

Also, sometimes people store bathroom cleaning products in a careless way which might allow dogs to have access to them. A lot of cleaning products are dangerous to pets because they contain chemicals which are toxic. That issue applies to many chemicals in many cleaning substances anywhere in the home including of course in the kitchen.

There are, perhaps surprisingly, a large number of toxic chemicals in household products in homes where there are companion animals. More should be done by the manufacturers to make these products less toxic but of course in doing that they would become less effective and therefore the manufacturers won't entertain that thought.

Infographic on 5 categories of hazard in the home for domestic cats

It is my belief that a lot more domestic cats are being quietly and unknowingly harmed inside the family home than we imagine because a lot of cat caregivers are unaware of the full range of hazards that are dangerous to cats. I have a page in fact on a full list of cat poisons which you can see by clicking on the link below:

230 cat poisons (list) - a very long list as you can see.

Probably the most poisonous item in a home are lilies of the Lilium species as one drop or two of pollen from the stamen can kill a cat if it lands on a cat's fur and is subsequently ingested. Although some lilies are safe for cats it is wise to avoid lilies entirely if you have a cat. No risks should be taken as they are potential killers.

There are many pages on PoC concerning items that are toxic to cats. Please click on the link below to see the full list of articles:

Toxic to cats

Hidden chemicals that are potentially toxic are fire retardants and carpet chemicals which are designed to extend carpet life. There are many household cleaners and disinfectants which can poison cats such as products containing phenol.

The list is extensive. 

Phthalates in vinyl flooring a danger to domestic cats?

This is a cross post. If you would like to read the original article please click here. I am constantly made aware of the potential chemical hazards in a typical home. These are invisible and as such they are insidious and they can take effect over a long period of time. I am also acutely aware that some diseases in domestic cats are idiopathic, which means that the veterinarians do not know what causes them. And it is these two thoughts which may come together. Is it chemicals in vinyl flooring, sofas, and carpets that are harming domestic cats sometimes in some places and to a certain extent?

Picture: Pixabay.

In this instance my research indicates that phthalates are incorporated into vinyl flooring i.e. the type of flooring which looks like wood, to make it more pliable. Through wear and tear and perhaps just during normal use, or even without use, science has determined that phthalates migrate from viny into the atmosphere in the home.

We know that domestic cats spend a lot of time on the floor and on sofas and carpets. We often see domestic cats lying on kitchen floors or walking on them. It is not be beyond the bounds of possibility that domestic cats are being slightly poisoned by phthalates in those homes where there is vinyl flooring.

This chemical is not put into water bottles and food containers. I believe the reason for this is that the manufacturers know it is unsuitable for those products. However, scientific studies tell us that phthalates migrate from flooring to the atmosphere and therefore there is a real danger there. Phthalates are described as endocrine disruptors. In other words they disrupt the production of hormones.

Further, in the past few years research has indicated that there is a link between phthalates and asthma in humans and in addition to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, breast cancer, obesity and type type II diabetes and low IQ and neurodevelopmental issues. You can go on to male fertility issues and autism spectrum disorders. There is a long long list and we know that doctors are still scratching their heads about some of these disorders so I would like to point the finger at phthalates as a possibility.

If these chemicals affect people in this way then surely it is reasonable to presume that they present a danger to domestic cats as well. And we know that hardwood flooring or fake hardwood flooring is very popular at the moment. I wonder if this trend to this type of flooring has inadvertently led to cat illnesses which veterinarians are finding hard to diagnose. I don't have the statistics but it is worth at least flagging up this potential.

I wrote about chemicals in carpets and fire retardants in furniture some years ago. The links take you to pages on those topics.