CIGARETTE SMOKE DOUBLES THE RISK OF CANCER IN CATS

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Second-hand smoke brings about devastating consequences!

Research shows that cat living with smokers are at least twice as likely to acquire malignant lymphoma than those in non-smoking households.  Exposure levels to tobacco smoke in indoor cats might read higher than those of human members of the household who can sped time away from the home.  Cats not only inhale the smoke, they also ingest particulate matter by licking it from their fur while grooming.  Studies show that the relative risk for lymphoma for cats exposed to any household tobacco smoke rated almost 2 1/2 times more than that of cats not exposed.  The risk increased according to the duration and level of the cat's tobacco exposure, leaving those exposed five or more years at more than triple the risk of other cats.  The number of smokers in the household also increases the risk.

Feline lymphoma is the most common cancer in domestic cats, often involving their intestinal tracts or nasal cavities.  The typical treatment is chemotherapy and radiation therapy which can cost from $2,000 to $3,000.  The success rate is 65% of treated cats go into remission; 25% live more than two years.

Contributed by DVM News Magazine, Jennifer Fiala, Associate Editor, September 2002