The heated debate over the use of plastic for pet food and water bowls has focused almost exclusively on the direct negative effects of plastic on the animals that use those feeders, particularly in pet water bowls and in the pet drinking area, in particularly in cat drinking fountains.
Plastic water bowls have long been known to cause chin acne in cats, which can manifest symptoms ranging from blackheads to large oozing pustules and full-blown swelling of the lips, but either from the The plastic itself or the fact that the plastic acts as a magnet for Bacteria that accumulate in the scratches that invariably occur in plastic are not clear. The bottom line of most vets is “stay away from plastic water bowls,” and not just because of the possibility of chin acne.
According to the Center for Ecology, an online resource on ecological and community issues, an online resource center, the list of seriously negative effects of direct plastic toxicity is vast and extreme. Some of them are:
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC); Cancer, birth defects, skin diseases, liver dysfunction
From DEHP, DINP and other plastic components; Endocrine dysfunction, asthma, developmental defects
Polycarbonate with Bisphenol A #7; Cancer, immune impairment, diabetes
And the list goes on specifying more than half a dozen other plastic components and their associated negative effects.
But all this is just one aspect of the dangers of plastic and the use of plastic items. “One of the main problems with plastic,” the Ecology Center tells us, “besides there being so much of it, is that it doesn’t biodegrade. No natural process can break it down.”
The negative results of this fact are immeasurable. Marine life is particularly affected (much plastic ends up in the ocean), including albatrosses. “Two hundred thousand albatrosses die every year, many of them because their parents feed them plastic and they mistake it for food,” says a Los Angeles Times article.
The negative effects of plastics begin with their production and the tons of pollutants entering the atmosphere, and continue, potentially, for thousands of years. Plastic is so strong that even burying it deep in the ground doesn’t prevent it from impacting the environment. It currently represents approximately 10 percent of the waste generated, most of which is deposited in landfills. But putting plastics in a landfill can simply be storing up a problem for the future, as chemicals from plastic often sink into nearby soil and contaminate groundwater.
In addition, the production of plastics is a major user of fossil fuels. Eight percent of world oil production goes to the manufacture of plastics.
Of course, plastics have become a necessity and can be a great material for long lasting products, but many plastic items are intended for one-time or short-term use and many items that do not need to be made of plastic (there are other materials available) and better in many ways, have been shown to be harmful to pets and humans. Pet fountains are among them.
In some consumer areas and for many products, we don’t have a choice, but where we do, we must exercise our best judgment and avoid plastics that could harm us or our pets. Plastics Europe’s Neal said consumers, not the industry, are to blame. “From my point of view, the responsibility falls fairly and squarely on the consumer,” he said.
In the realm of pet fountains, there are metal, glass, and ceramic bowls and fountains, any of which is a much healthier option than a plastic pet fountain. Not only will you and your pet be safe from the harmful effects of a plastic fountain, but you won’t be contributing to the pollution of the planet when the plastic fountain stops working and must be disposed of.
Beche’s recommended materials for pet fountains by most veterinarians are ceramics. He listed two sources for ceramic pet fountains, one from Candace McCollough Pottery and one from cat fountains on Etsy.
