eJuice 101: A Few Things You Should Know About Vaping Around Cats

If you're vaping around cats, you might think it's pretty safe for them.

It's gotta be safer than smoking cigarettes around them, right? At least they're not around smoke.

And how could any cat want vape juice? Isn't that only a problem with dogs?

Unfortunately, it's not quite that clear-cut.

There Are Some Dangers When Vaping around Cats

One of the dangers is nicotine, which is commonly found in cartridges for vaping. And nicotine should be of concern because, for cats, it's very toxic.

Generally, cats can handle 5 mg of nicotine per pound of body weight before it reaches toxic levels. And an e-cigarette cartridge can contain anywhere from 6 mg to 24 mg of nicotine.

Of course, the cat isn't actually vaping with you. But if your cat gets a hold of a cartridge that he or she finds particularly flavorful, it could be very serious.

Ingestion of nicotine should always be considered a medical emergency. But if your cat ingests nicotine through an e-cigarette cartridge, it will need immediate treatment because the nicotine will be absorbed much faster through the mucous membranes.

Along with the chemical nicotine, another big concern is propylene glycol. This is more commonly referred to as PG and in cats, it can lead to a dangerous condition called Heinz body anemia.

What Is Heinz Body Anemia?

Heinz body anemia is a type of anemia that can seriously damage or even destroy oxygen-carrying red blood cells. It is characterized by the presence of Heinz bodies on those red blood cells.

Cats naturally possess more Heinz bodies and are therefore at greater risk of Heinz body anemia. When red blood cells are exposed to oxidative agents such as PG, these bodies form.

Without getting too technical here, Heinz bodies cause changes to the hemoglobin chains within the red blood cells. Then disease-fighting white blood cells clear the affected red blood cells in the spleen.

In the simplest terms, all of this breaks down to decreased availability of oxygen to the tissues.

Keep Your Cat Safe

Of course, the biggest line of defense is to be sure your e-liquids, vaping devices, and any other equipment are out of the reach of your cat. So lock everything up if you need to.

Keep in mind that your cats can use their needle-sharp teeth and claws to pierce through any packaging. So don't leave an e-cigarette charging or even change cartridges when they're around. Cats love to pounce and this could lead to spillage.

By all means, vape away from your cats to that they won't be exposed to second-hand aerosols from the vapor. These particles can come into contact with dust and then settle on your cat. And since cats are groomers, they'll end up ingesting the particles.

And, of course, call your vet IMMEDIATELY if you suspect your pet has ingested nicotine or any other chemical. Otherwise, it could be deadly.

Enjoy Vaping Responsibly

And one way to do that is by not vaping around cats.

But just because your cat can't have vape juice doesn't mean you have to give it up!

So check out our huge selection of vape juices. Then head outside or into another room to enjoy the newest flavor while keeping your cat safe.

Happy vaping!