I read with great disappointment the article about air pollution and breathing problems in Malta (‘Owning a cat increases breathing problem risk’, October 30).

I feel it was a very insensitive and inaccurate report which not only hurts the feelings of all cat lovers but could also needlessly hurt the helpless cats who might be thrown out by some insensitive families with children.

As has been rightly admitted, there could be many other causes for allergies and breathing problems besides the presence of cats and dogs.

How about the Marsa power plant, exhaust fumes from traffic, ships, planes, construction dust, fuel and paint manufacture and storage plants, paint spraying, sewage and farm odours, abusive bakeries and tobacco smoking especially?

Why did Times of Malta have to plaster a page with a large picture of two cats and not show us the main culprit, namely the outdated power station? I myself have lived harmoniously with several cats for the last 15 years, with some of them sometimes sleeping right on my pillow next to my mouth and nostrils, without ever having to sneeze or complain about any wheezing allergies.

It must be remembered that cats are among the cleanest of animals. They continuously wash their coat by licking it and if the litter box is not kept in order, they refuse to use it.

According to a University of Malta study (Think magazine), some 30,000 ships yearly pass between Malta and Sicily, and the emissions that pass over Malta include the hydrocarbons of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, plus the heavy metal pollutant vanadium which all together can cause cancer.

About 60,000 people die worldwide every year due to ship emissions.

Next time readers should be presented with the real pollution culprits and not the innocent and helpless cats and dogs.

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