# Hot teflon kills pet birds!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-teflon-kills-pet-birds/175741>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 16, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-teflon-kills-pet-birds/175741 "2003-05-16T18:44:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-teflon-kills-pet-birds/175741/1 "2003-05-16T18:44:17Z")

</div>

So teflon frying pans are entirely safe, eh?

> **[Teflon Can be Toxic to Birds, How About Humans?](https://www.azom.com/news.aspx?newsID=625)**
>
> May 16 2003 In a report just published by the Environmental Working Group entitled "Canaries in the Kitchen – "Teflon Toxicosis" is Deadly to Pet Birds, Are We at Risk'" , they found that Teflon, if...

They mention that the smoke from overheated teflon MAY affect humans too. Has anyone here ever noticed “Polymer Fume Fever” after leaving a pot on the stove too long?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-teflon-kills-pet-birds/175741/2 "2003-05-16T19:33:12Z")

</div>

It’s been known for a long time that you can’t leave a nonstick coated pan on the stove empty, among bird fanciers. It’s right up there with not letting your birds nibble on most of your houseplants, and not feeding them chocolate. I’ve never noticed myself to be affected by it, and last night I actually did exactly what I’m not supposed to by accident - my parents got a new stove installed, and the burner controls turn in the opposite direction of what I’m used to; I turned the heat all the way UP instead of all the way OFF when I was done grilling a cheese sandwich, and forgot about it for at least half an hour - luckily, the house did not burn down, the pan isn’t damaged and the two African Greys and one miniature macaw who share the house are unharmed, although one of the houseflies that had flown in when I was doing some work on the back porch was found crispy-fried on the surface of the pan when I realized my mistake and ran out to turn the burner off.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-teflon-kills-pet-birds/175741/3 "2003-05-16T19:43:28Z")

</div>

This has been pretty common knowledge in pet-bird circles for a couple of years, I think. Also don’t clean your oven (with the ‘clean oven’ setting), and don’t use the bag things that have come out recently for cooking turkeys. Also no scented candles, etc. Anything that MIGHT be trouble for respiration is a big no-no. Canary in the coal mine. If it’s not good for them it’s not good for you, but you weigh more than 300 grams.