Established research has shown that essential oils can be toxic to cats, whether taken internally, applied to the skin, or simply inhaled. Exposure can cause severe liver damage, liver failure, respiratory failure, seizures, and even death. While some holistic veterinarians and alternative medicine professionals may recommend certain essential oils, most veterinary professionals urge pet parents to stay away from them. Cats are particularly sensitive to essential oils due to their unique physiology.
Coming into contact with essential oils in these ways can cause serious damage to the organs of cats, such as liver failure, seizures and even death. You might like to blend a little peppermint essential oil in the morning to cheer up. Then add lavender oil at night to relax before bed. However, you are like many pet parents; you may feel confused about essential oils when it comes to your pets. What are some pet-friendly essential oils for a diffuser? In addition, Malissa says: “Research shows that cats differentiate scents better than dogs.
So, in a way, his sense of smell is more powerful than your puppy's. In short, there is no essential oil safe for cats; they all have the potential to be toxic to your furry baby. In addition to aromatherapy, some essential oils can also act as insect repellents, keeping mosquitoes and other insects at bay. It is best to avoid using diffusers or sprays that cause droplets to come out into the air, as these cats may have difficulty breathing well with essential oils in the air. Essential oils, aromatherapy and potpourri in your home may be pleasant for you, but the natural compounds in these fragrances can be dangerous for your cat.
In addition to pets with respiratory diseases (such as asthma and bronchitis), the use of essential oils should also be avoided around dogs and cats with liver disorders, elderly pets, puppies and kittens, or pregnant or lactating animals. Until recently, the use of essential oils for aromatherapy was limited to devices such as candles, liquid products for potpourri, room sprays, passive diffusers or applying them to the skin as perfume. Passive diffusers include reed diffusers, heaters or plug-ins; all of them diffuse scents of essential oils into a room, which can cause respiratory irritation in dogs and cats. This means that licking a soothing essential oil can cause significant problems such as shortness of breath or shortness of breath for your cat or, even worse, a call to a pet poisoning helpline and an emergency trip to the vet. Before using essential oil products and diffusers in your home, talk to your veterinarian to ensure the health and safety of your furry friend. As a concerned pet parent who wants to spread essential oils, you can always consult with a holistic veterinarian or pet aromatherapist to learn more about how you can safely use pure essential oils with your pets. Drooling, vomiting, tremors, ataxia (staggering), shortness of breath, low heart rate, low body temperature, and liver failure may occur depending on the type of essential oil used and the dose the cat was exposed to.
Cats are also very sensitive to phenols and phenolic compounds, which can be found in some essential oils. Some common essential oils that are SAFE to use for your cat include lavender, copaiba, helichrysum and frankincense. It is important that you only use pure therapeutic grade essential oils when using them around cats. In conclusion, it is important that pet parents understand that there is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to using essential oils around cats.
While some holistic veterinarians and alternative medicine professionals may recommend certain essential oils for cats with certain conditions or illnesses; most veterinary professionals urge pet parents to stay away from them.
