Indoor sentinel
Cats share household air, dust, floors, plastics, litter and cleaning products, making them relevant sentinels of indoor exposure.
Feline environmental monitoring
Cat Fur Analysis
Explore long-term mineral and household exposure without blood sampling, using ICP-MS and advanced mass spectrometry workflows.
ICP-MS Triple QuadIndependent laboratory100–200 mg sample
No supplement salesControlled washingCoat-colour consideredVeterinary and research use
What the matrix can provide
A complementary view of chronic exposure
Grooming-related exposure
Extensive grooming means substances deposited on the coat may also be ingested, adding a distinctive feline exposure pathway.
Advanced analytical scope
ICP-MS can be combined with targeted and non-targeted mass spectrometry for veterinary exposome studies.
Analytical panel
What can be measured?
Depending on the selected panel and validation status, the elemental profile can cover essential, trace and potentially toxic elements.
Mineral and essential element profile
- Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus
- Sodium and potassium
- Zinc, copper and iron
- Manganese, selenium and iodine
- Selected nutritional trace elements
Toxic and environmental elements
- Lead, mercury and arsenic
- Cadmium and aluminium
- Nickel and chromium
- Tin and antimony
- Barium and other selected elements
Scientific rationale
Why are cats relevant for environmental monitoring?
Cats may be exposed through food, water, litter, household dust, cleaning products, plastics, topical treatments, contaminated prey and fish-rich diets.
Important: Fur analysis complements rather than replaces blood, urine and conventional veterinary assessment.
Potential applications
- Long-term metal exposure investigations
- Indoor environmental studies
- Comparison of indoor and outdoor cats
- Monitoring near industrial or polluted areas
- Longitudinal veterinary follow-up
- Research into chronic exposure and disease risk
- One Health and household exposome projects
- Veterinary epidemiology
Beyond minerals
The FurExposome approach
Selected feline research projects can add organic contaminants and endocrine markers to the elemental profile.
- Pesticides, biocides and antiparasitic products
- PFAS and bisphenols
- Glyphosate and AMPA
- Mycotoxins and environmental alkaloids
- Cortisol, cortisone and steroid hormones
- Non-targeted Orbitrap HRMS screening
Sampling
How to collect a useful sample
Collect clean fur close to the skin from a defined area.
Do not mix different coat colours or different animals.
Avoid sampling immediately after shampooing.
Avoid areas directly treated with topical products.
Record indoor or outdoor lifestyle and diet.
Report litter, medication, supplements and antiparasitic treatments.
Interpretation
A profile, not an isolated number
Results are most informative when the analytical profile is interpreted alongside the animal and its environment.
- Internal incorporation versus external deposition
- Household dust and grooming behaviour
- Coat pigmentation
- Diet and fish consumption
- Topical products and medication
- Age, breed and lifestyle
- Repeated measurements under comparable conditions
Laboratory quality
Why choose Delta-Fur?
Advanced measurement
High-sensitivity ICP-MS with calibration, internal standards, blanks and structured quality controls.
Scientific caution
We distinguish exposure monitoring from diagnosis and communicate the limitations of the matrix.
Animal-specific interpretation
Species, coat colour, lifestyle, diet and longitudinal history are considered where available.
FurExposome capacity
Targeted and high-resolution Orbitrap workflows are available for selected research projects.
Frequently asked questions
Practical questions
Is the test painful?
No. A small quantity of fur is cut close to the skin without pulling it out.
Can flea treatments interfere with the analysis?
Yes. Topical antiparasitic products can strongly affect organic contaminant measurements. The product and application date should always be reported.
Are indoor cats less exposed?
Not necessarily. Indoor cats may be exposed to household dust, cleaning products, tobacco smoke, plastics, litter and other indoor contaminants.
Can fur replace blood or urine?
No. Fur provides different and complementary information and should not replace conventional veterinary testing.
Request a cat fur analysis
Available for individual animals, veterinary practices, breeders, research groups and environmental exposure studies.