 In addition to obvious dangers such as rodenticides , insecticides , and herbicides , cats may be poisoned by many chemicals usually considered safe by their human guardians , because their livers are less effective at some forms of detoxification than those of many other animals , including humans and dogs . Some of the most common causes of poisoning in cats are antifreeze and rodent baits . Cats may be particularly sensitive to environmental pollutants . When a cat has a sudden or prolonged serious illness without any obvious cause , it has possibly been exposed to a toxin . 
