People joke that only pampered pets got bottled water. The belief that tap water is not ideal spurred many cat owners to resort to bottled water for their beloved felines. Their fears were based on widely publicized reports of contaminants present in many sources of tap water. But is bottled water an improvement? Is it even a good idea?
Recent studies indicating that bisphenol A (BPA), a compound found in plastics and epoxy products, has been linked to endocrine (glandular) disruption and the thyroid gland is a part of the endocrine system. Some plastic water bottles use BPA to help retain their shape and improve their durability. The BPA molecule itself is chemically similar in structure to the thyroid hormone molecule. 1 It could stand to reason that choosing bottled water is not helpful and could even be harmful to your cat.
Your cat depends on you completely. You want to do what’s best for her. So if you don’t prefer tap water for her and now you are afraid to give her bottled water. What do you do?
The answer seems to lie in a compromise.
Filtered tap water might be the best choice for your cat. It is fairly easy and affordable to filter tap water for you and for your cat. There are a variety of filters. Some attach directly to your faucet and some are a pitcher that filters as it pours.
Since you don’t know for sure all intricacies of your individual tap water and different brands of bottled water could have different amounts of the harmful chemicals, it may be safer to filter your tap water as a good habit to promote health for your cat. Who knows, it is probably a good idea for you too!
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1. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, November 2012; vol. 14, 11: pp. 804–818. Hyperthyroidism in Cats: What’s causing this epidemic of thyroid disease and can we prevent it? M Peterson,