Is It Safe to Use Mosquito Repellent Candles with Cats?
Which perspective is correct, then? Let's delve into the matter.
Firstly, it's crucial to understand that any safety assessment for mosquito coils is conducted with humans in mind. Since cats have vastly different body weights and metabolic characteristics compared to humans, these safety evaluations are not applicable to felines.
With this in mind, let's examine the primary ingredients of mosquito coils.
These coils are primarily made up of organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethrins. Many commercially available mosquito coils also include lemon eucalyptus extracts and DEET (a repellent), among other substances. Among these, polyester compounds are the cheapest and most toxic (the higher the toxicity, the better the mosquitorepelling effect), and they are almost universally used as the main ingredients in both traditional and electronic mosquito coils.
There are many types of polyesters, such as pyrethrin, permethrin (also known as Baygon), allethrin, and cypermethrin (also known as Dursban). These are all components that the World Health Organization has recommended for use in mosquito coils.
Therefore, as long as they are used according to the instructions, these coils have little impact on humans, as the human liver can metabolize these compounds into nontoxic or lowtoxic substances and excrete them. However, cats lack the ability to metabolize polyesters!
This means that while humans can gradually eliminate small amounts of pyrethrins from their bodies without harm, cats, even with minimal exposure, will find it difficult to metabolize these pyrethrins, leading to a series of physiological changes such as protein denaturation, damage to the central nervous system, organ failure, and even death.
Cat polyester poisoning is similar to the discomfort caused by humans inhaling excessive amounts of mosquito coils, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe:
1. Drooling
2. Loss of balance when walking
3. Overexcitement, followed by seizures
4. Vomiting
5. Loss of appetite
Can reducing the use of mosquito coils help achieve both mosquito control and safety?
Actually, reducing the use of mosquito coils only converts the cat's acute poisoning to chronic poisoning, and does not have much practical significance. If the cat's health is already poor, it could even die immediately.
It's important to note that cats have limited abilities to metabolize many toxic substances. While substances containing DEET or lemon eucalyptus oil can be used as alternatives to pyrethrins, if cats accidentally ingest these substances, they can still cause poisoning.
If a cat exhibits the above symptoms, pet owners should immediately take the cat to a veterinarian for emergency treatment. Failure to do so can result in irreversible damage to the cat's body, kidney failure, and even death. Even the most professional treatment can only temporarily alleviate the symptoms of poisoning, and longterm detoxification requires multiple dialysis sessions, causing immense physical and emotional harm to both the cat and the owner.
Therefore, it is essential to prevent exposure at the source:
1. Avoid using products containing pyrethrins, and opt for physical methods of mosquito control, such as electronic bug zappers, mosquito nets, and window screens.
2. After applying mosquito repellents, wash your hands and maintain a distance from your cat to prevent them from getting the medication on their fur.
In summary, it is crucial to avoid direct contact between cats and mosquito repellents containing polyesters to prevent poisoning.
I hope that all pet owners can take this as a lesson and avoid causing irreparable consequences for the sake of a little personal gain.