IMAGE SOURCE: ©MELANIE NEER~PERSONAL PHOTO
This article was originally written May 17, 2013 at Bubblews, a website that no longer exists.
Beginning around the 1970s a chemical flame retardant was added to vitally everything in our home environment; the idea being that by adding this chemical could greatly reduce the chance of a fire quickly going out of control, the chemical slowed the process down if a fire occurred in one's home. The chemical was added to virtually everything from the foam padding in beds, sofas, electrical wiring and appliances, electronics (including our cell phones), even clothing. Great idea right? Wrong!!
There have been ongoing studies that are linking the connection and showing that cats, especially indoor only cats, are being greatly affected by this flame retardant chemical, it's downright killing them and an alarming growing rate. It affects cats by triggering off hyperthyroidism in which while cats may demonstrate ravenous appetites, and instead of gaining weight, actually waste away until they die. How ironic and pathetically sad. Here we are, those of us keeping our cats indoors to keep them safe, not allowing them to go outdoors as we want to protect them from the dangers of being outdoor cats; that is the possibility of them being run over by a car, or pick up diseases and instead a danger may exist right in one's home and prove deadly to our feline friends. I'm also wondering if those nice expensive cat condos and cozy beds we get for our cats may also have this flame retardant chemical. Of course, it may not be only cats affected by the chemical, but we humans as well, and especially children. Also, how many of you when you get a new set of bed sheets or towels have noticed a rather strange smell to them? I only did recently get new bed sheets and don't ask how many times I had to wash them first before I could use them. Bottom line, our homes are ticking toxic time bombs to our pets, children and ourselves.
Unfortunately, this isn't the only incident where we may be endangering the health and lives of our cats. It's been long known how deadly flea and tick products can be; many cats exposed to flea/tick products can suffer permanent neurological disorders, even death. Another danger to cats are simple household cleaners, especially anything that contains the chemical phenol, and again can also trigger neurological problems and possible death as well. The real irony is that the USA's EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has KNOWN about the dangers of of these chemicals for decades, yet have they banned them? NO!
Other articles related to this issue:
If you wish to read up on the dangers of flea/tick products and household cleaners, I wrote extensive articles about both.
My article about the dangers of flea/tick products:
My article about the dangers of household cleaners:
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