22/08/2026
Could smoking around your cat increase their cancer risk? 🐱🚬
Cats can be exposed to both secondhand smoke and thirdhand smoke.
Thirdhand smoke is the to***co residue that settles on surfaces, clothing and fur. Cats can then swallow some of these chemicals when grooming themselves.
Studies have found an association between household to***co smoke exposure and oral squamous cell carcinoma (mouth cancer) in cats. There is also evidence linking smoke exposure with lymphoma (a type of blood cancer), although findings have been less consistent.
Studies have also found signs of increased oxidative stress and inflammation in cats exposed to to***co smoke. These are biological changes that may be relevant to cancer development, but they don't prove definitively that smoke causes cancer.
The cancer evidence is observational, so it cannot prove cause and effect. However, given the potential risks, we recommend keeping pets away from to***co smoke wherever possible — just as you would with a child.
Post inspired by VETed.
