Microplastics are being detected in companion animal bodies at increasing concentrations, raising welfare questions about chronic health impacts as yet incompletely understood.
Microplastic exposure in companion animals represents an emerging welfare concern whose significance is incompletely understood. The concentrations detected in pet tissues are concerning but the physiological consequences remain under investigation. What is clear is that companion animals are exposed through multiple routes — food, water, grooming, indoor air — and that some of these routes are reducible through owner behaviour changes. The precautionary principle suggests reducing avoidable microplastic exposure in pets while the evidence base develops, particularly for cats whose intensive grooming behaviour appears to concentrate their exposure.