Indoor and outdoor air quality significantly affects companion animal respiratory health, with tobacco smoke, air fresheners, and wildfire smoke creating welfare-relevant exposures that owners can largely manage.
Companion animal air quality welfare is dominated by owner behavior and household management. Tobacco smoke exposure is entirely preventable through smoking outdoors or cessation; aerosol chemical exposures are preventable through product substitution and ventilation; wildfire smoke is manageable through indoor air filtration and limited outdoor time during events. The particular sensitivity of birds to airborne toxicants including PTFE fumes from non-stick cookware has killed companion birds rapidly and represents a welfare emergency that can be prevented through product awareness. Owners who understand their specific companion species sensitivities to airborne exposures can substantially reduce preventable air quality welfare harms.