Essential oils are becoming a part of almost everyone’s home because of their benefits to the health and well being of humans. But cats aren’t human. (Please don’t be insensitive and share this fact with your kitty.) Our bodies and kitty bodies react differently to oils, primarily because feline livers don’t have the same enzymes that detox the blood.
As a result, essential oils can poison your cat, especially lavender, wintergreen, sweet birch, citrus, pine, Ylang Ylang, peppermint, cinnamon, pennyroyal, clove, eucalyptus, and tea tree. Your cat could be exposed to these in several ways:
- Licking or rubbing oils on your skin.
- Inhalation of strong odors through a passive diffuser.
- Contact with or ingestion of items containing oils, such as cotton balls, sticks, candles, or the dried herbs themselves.
- Droplets from active essential oil diffusers.
With non-toxic essential oils, diffusing oils is typically safe as long as the cats and dogs have the ability to “escape” the diffuser in a different room. Always follow dilution recommendations.
The essential facts are these: Be careful using essential oils around your cat, and never apply essential oils directly to your cat!
If you think your cat has been exposed, or if you have questions or concerns, please give us a call. We’ll help you find the correct way to use essential oils so that you and your cat are healthy and happy.
