Essential Oils and Cats??

HAPPY CATURDAY!!!

Recently, we've been dabbling in essential oils. At this point, we haven't diffused any in the room with our kitties. I know some are harmful if they ingest them, but I'm trying to see if any are harmful to diffuse in the room with them. I've done a good bit of googling and can't find anything conclusive.

TIA -

Libby (& Hershey, too!)

 

I only use Young Living essential oils because they are certified therapeutic grade, and I diffuse oils all the time in the house. The issue for cats is with the "hot" oils that contain high levels of phenols, such as oregano. Cats could have issues with those oils. I always make sure that cats can get away from the oils if they want to, but they never do. I ordered a book on using essential oils with animals through oilyvet.com if you are interested in additional information. Have fun with the oils!

 

Thanks, Cindy. MY YL oils haven't arrived, yet. The ones I'm currently using are from GNC. The middle of our (small) house is open LR/DR/K and I was wanting to diffuse lemon/peppermint in the morning for maybe :15. The cats could escape to the laundry room or pantry, but you know it's difficult to completely escape the diffuser.

We used lavender/lemon/peppermint in our daughter's room last night for her asthma and my son (22) complained that it permeated the walls into his bedroom. ;-) My GNC diffuser has rotating lights. My son said my husband, daughter and I looked like 'hippy frat guys gathered 'round the bong!" :lol:

 

I've read that Lavendar Oil can be toxic to cats if they breathe it in over time.
http://www.thelavendercat.com/images/PDF-TheLavenderCat_temp_use.pdf

 

I have read that Tree tea oil can be dangerous to cats.

 

I've recently started playing with EOs, too, and there are some that are very toxic to cats. I'm still a newbie, but as Bobbie mentioned tea tree oil is definitely very toxic to cats, as is peppermint. I know others are toxic as well, but I don't remember which off the top of my head. Since I'm a newbie to EOs, I'm extremely cautious with the oils around my cats - I scrub my hands with a brush to be sure my hands are as clean as possible before going near the cats. I have a diffuser as well, but I use it with great caution, at least until I learn more about EOs and cats.

BTW, my understanding is that the term "therapeutic grade" is really nothing more than mumbo-jumbo and doesn't mean anything "real". But, you do want to use responsibly, safely sourced oils.

This is the brand I've been using...high quality, well-prices, always free shipping!

Edens Garden Essential Oils

I haven't been playing around long enough to try anyone else out, but I have been very happy with Edens Garden so far.

 

I use animalEO oils. They're formulated by a veterinarian, and are all safe for animals of all kinds. They make a 'SugarBalance' one that I use on Darwin an alternate between that and a 'KittyBoost' one. He seems to love them!!

 

Amy, the therapeutic grade oil can be a hard one to trust. It’s why I only use Young Living Essential Oils. First, they have a Seed to Seal Guarantee that they follow rigorously. We own or partner with others our own farms. So everything is grown using sustainable, organic processes. All the plants are hand weeded. Then we distill only once and only using surgical steel bats. This means there are no toxins that leach into the oils. There are no additives or preservatives added to our oils. Furthermore, our oils are tested 45 times before they are Sealed in the bottles to be shipped. Also, Young Living makes a whole line of AnimalScents products for your pets that have been tested and proved to be efficacious and get results. So, yes, there is a difference and Young Living provided the highest grade, therapeutic oils in this business...and we’ve been in business over 24 years!

 

Why risk your cats life? I used to sell Essential oils. I don't anymore. My Cats health is more important to me. Inhaling the oils causes damage that takes a long time to show up. Do you really want to risk your cat getting liver damage that you find out about in five or ten years?

There's a ton of information about Essential oils being Toxic to Cats. Some people are still going to sell it & say it's safe but I choose not to take that chance.


Why are essential oils toxic to cats?
Essential oils can pose a toxic risk to household pets, especially to cats. ... Cats lack an essential enzyme in their liver and as such have difficulty metabolizing and eliminating certain toxins like essential oils. Cats are also very sensitive to phenols and phenolic compounds, which can be found in some essential oils.Jan 12, 2018
Essential Oils and Cats |

Pet Poison Helpline
www.petpoisonhelpline.com/blog/essential-oils-cats/

 

I agree with @JoyBee&Ravan ...I discontinued using EOs last year shortly after I posted. The info on safety for cats was just too sketchy and it was not worth the risk.

 

I got two EO diffusers and a variety of oils for Christmas. After I set them up, I noticed my cat sitting near one, sniffing. I went to the computer and googled "are essential oils safe for cats" and what I read there sent me running to unplug the diffusers! They were cleaned out and packed away immediately.

From http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/blog/essential-oils-cats/:

No essential oil is worth risking my cats' health.