Essential oils are beneficial to humans, dogs, horses and goats. Are essential oils harmful to cats or can they be used safely?
Essential Oil Buildup
Most of the essential oils on the market are made of hydrocarbons and terpenoids. In us humans as well as in dogs, horses and goats the terpenoids are transported to the liver to be metabolized. Everything that remains after that is transported out via urine and feces.
The Liver of Cats
First of all: the short answer is, yes, essential oils are harmful to cats.
The body of a cat is build different from our system. Cats lack the liver enzyme to break down these compounds. Everything that doesn’t get broken down in the liver is being stored in the liver to be broken down later when a ‘solution’ has been found for the problem. Unfortunately that solution will never come.
Therefore most essential oils are actually toxic to cats. Their liver cannot handle the terpenoids, which means they get damaged. It is a rather slow process and doesn’t show up until it is too late.
The skin of a cat is very thin and delicate and absorbs fluids rapidly into the bloodstream. Inhalation of essential oil components will also enter the bloodstream via the lungs and then continue towards the liver.
In the same way cats cannot handle chemicals either. A lot of insecticides, weed killers and common household cleaning agents should be used with caution when you got cats in your house. For example mothballs, phenol based antibacterial products (dettol, lysol, pine-sol) can be dangerous to them.
It could even have fatal causes. Ethylene glycol is used in anti freeze for cars. A deadly dose is as little as a teaspoon of anti-freeze.
Tea tree oil and other treatments and shampoos with tea tree oil in it can cause serious illnesses in cats.
A lot of products that we use against ticks and flees for dogs and cats are harmful, not only to your cat/dog but also to us humans (pesticides).
On a side note, many human foods are poisonous to cats, such as theobromine through chocolate and human medicine. There is also a list of plants that are poisonous to cats.
If you do however still want to use a diffuser to spread essential oils, try to follow the following guidelines:
- Do not use excessive amounts of oil
- Use oils that are as low in volatility as possible
- Ensure good air circulation
- No diffusing of oils for 48 hours after last time
No Excessive Amounts
Cats have a stronger sense of smell. We humans get used to smells quickly (adaption) and feel the need to add more oil to the diffuser. Cats however still smell the scent and wonder why it is getting stronger.
Low Volatility Oils
Use oils that are not as strong per ratio. Best is to blend them with a base oil.
Ensure Air Circulation
With that, avoid that cats stay in an area where there is no air circulation and make sure there is a safe haven for them to go to. Also keep the doors open so they don’t get locked in. After a session, you should air the room, for example by opening a window, so the room can fill with fresh air again.
Let House Rest Between Oil Sessions
The feline liver needs usually about 48 hours to process and excrete Terpenes, so avoid any diffusing within the first 48 hours after the last diffusion ended.
Myths Concerning Essential Oils
Essential oils oxygenate your cats blood system to sooth their emotions and nerves
Essential oils do not oxygenate anyone’s blood, cats or humans. It is pure marketing hype.
Essential oils are not against ear mite infestation
Frankincense and Helichrysum are often ‘prescribed’ in these products. But placing the essential oils and vegetable oil in the ear of your cat does actually do more damage than good to the ear organs. It can cause deafness of the ear and the essential oil buildup can cause permanent liver damage causing liver failure and death.
Frankincense and helichrysum are not proven to be helping against mites, but they are toxic to cats.
Peppermint oil can be used against respiratory problems and runny nose in cats
You are better of taking your cat to the veterinary. Some respiratory problems can be life threatening or contagious to other cats. Essential oils, especially peppermint oil will cause irritation and redness on the skin (also in humans) and can cause liver damage in cats.
Hydrosols are water based and are safe to cats
This isn’t proven scientifically and they still contain essential oils, which are bad for cats. It has unknown risks.
Do know this; during my research for writing this article, I figured out that there were many contradictions on the internet. Some said this or that oil was good and a whole list was bad for cats. The different lists had also different names on them. I had nearly written this list here for you, but have decided to vote against all essential oils.
As with most things in life, essential oils were long considered safe until cats started getting sick or died from liver failure.
I got one last note: Even those nice incenses that you can burn often contain essential oils for the scent.
Burning Incenses are bad for your cat too:
1) The smoke is bad for the lungs of you and your cats
2) The essential oils are harmful to your cats liver (as well as that you could get allergic reactions to the oil/scent)
3) Cats are very curious and do not know that a flame is hot – they could burn themselves.
We used to burn a lot of incenses and had oil diffusers running every now and then, but are now considering to stop with this all together or at least keep it to a minimum within a well-ventilated room and possibly only when the cats are not in the main room where the incense or diffuser is placed.
If you were thinking of using essential oil diffusers as a ways to calm your cat, than consider using a pheromone diffuser instead.
Did you know this about essential oils? What is your experience? Share below!
Do you know if boiling whole herbs like cinnamon, cloves, etc. are also bad? Not Essential oils but the actual plant? One more thing, I have a bottle with lavender essential oils in it, sitting on the shelf. I have the reeds that go inside the oil and it just smells up the room, not a diffuser but just a bottle with oil and reeds. Is that also harmful? I don’t want to do anything that will hurt our kitties. Thank you.
Hi Renee,
Boiling whole herbs like Cinnamon, Cloves will not directly affect your cat, because this will be in lower amounts that are less harmful for cats. I do take it that you are referring to boiling these herbs for your own food production. When we are producing food, we generally do this on a cooker with a ventilation system above it to remove most of the gasses and damp. You should not boil the herbs for the effect of smells in your home.
Do know however, that cinnamon and cloves in itself are harmful to your cats when ingested or taken in their mouth. Cinnamon also has substances that are harmful to your cat. Again this has to do with their liver not able to break down the components. Cloves are also harmful. I would generally not use herbs on your animals.
I recently learned that herbs can also be harmful to us humans as they are toxic and irritating to our body, but we humans like the smells, tastes and some of the (side) effects. The true difference is that we got a body that can deal with some of the substances in these herbs and have a way of transporting it out again, while cats will have it accumulating in their body. In the long run that is harmful for them. Some substances are directly dangerous to them.
Lavender essential oil is also an essential oil. Lavender in itself is a toxic plant for cats. Cats usually do leave the lavender plant alone in your garden, so this goes generally very fine, but it is again a dangerous plant and herb/flower.
It really comes down to that we shouldn’t be using any form of air fresheners in our homes, because it will directly harm our cats.
I would follow the advice that the reed pots should be placed in well-ventilated rooms, rooms with air circulation or in a place where your cats aren’t all day, such as a bathroom.
If its really and truly about treating cats with repellants, consult a vet.
If it is about making your get calm, look first at the natural options: removing their triggers of stress or install a (non-natural) pheromone diffuser or spray.
Thanks for your comment!
Steven