Indoor air and surface pollutants pose specific welfare risks to cats through their proximity to floors, grooming behavior, and respiratory physiology.
Indoor pollution welfare is an area where cats bear disproportionate risk relative to their human cohabitants. Their floor-level existence concentrates them near settled pollutants. Their constant grooming means surface chemicals on fur are directly ingested. Their respiratory physiology makes certain volatile compounds — particularly PTFE from overheated non-stick cookware — rapidly fatal. The most impactful protective measures are smoking cessation indoors, avoidance of PTFE cookware at high temperatures, using unscented cleaning products, and adequate ventilation. These changes protect both cat and human health simultaneously.