Are Essential Oils Safe For My Cat
Essential Oils And Cats
The internet would have you believe you cannot ever use essential oils with your cat. I'd say that's true if you're using poor quality, adulterated oils.
Yes! You can use essential oils safely with pets. But there are some important things for you to keep in mind. Much like we'd want to take some added precautions and considerations when using essential oils with babies or other sensitive animals.
Essential Oils Safety With Cats
Many of you may have cats in your home. And there are some special considerations with cats.
Cats are sensitive to household toxins. This even includes candles, air fresheners, candles, and cleaning products. We don't often stop to think about what synthetic products we're using in our homes, and don't give it a second thought. But let someone mention essential oils, and suddenly we think all the cats on the planet are going to be harmed.
You should be much more concerned about harsh cleaning chemicals in your home, synthetic fragrances, and other harsh chemicals and medications in your home. You should be very concerned about the inexpensive, poor quality, and untested brands - for everyone in your home.
Essential Oils In Your Home
Using high-quality essential oils in your home can still be safe. You must do your research on quality, risk of synthetics, risk of adulteration, fragrance/parfum-based oils, etc. There is only one brand I choose for quality and effectiveness.
Use your diffuser for your family in such a way that the cat can exit the room as they choose to. They are pretty smart, and if they don't like something, they will leave. Other times, with some oils, you'll see them seek out the diffuser and sleep next to it for a period of time.
Use intermittent diffusing — 10-15 minutes at a time.
Rotate the Oils in the diffuser frequently.
Skip days between applications when using oils topically.
Monitor your cat for changes in behavior often when you first introduce essential oils into your home, or when you add new oil to your collection.
If he shows signs of concern, turn it off and open a window for fresh air. And perhaps use more dilution (fewer drops of oil in the diffuser at one time).
Consider using gentler oils (lavender, copaiba, frankincense, etc) as a way to start acclimating your cat to the gentle essential oils instead of jumping straight into some of the stronger / hotter oils. in your home.
Go low and slow with your babies & animals.
You act as a human diffuser. If you're wearing essential oils or have on diffuser jewelry, your cat may find this comforting.
Be aware if you have oils applied to your hands or body, when you pet the cat you are transferring some of that oil to the fur. It acts as a wick to pull in essential oils to the skin & body. Cats lick themselves for grooming. So be sure you're not wearing oils and petting the cat with oils not appropriate for the cat.
Avoid Oils on your cat’s feet to avoid contact with the eyes should they groom themselves.
General Essential Oil Use For Your Cat's Health and Wellness
Your Cat’s Liver:
The key issue with cats and essential oils is the liver. Over thousands of years, cats lost the ability to produce an enzyme (UDP) that allows them to metabolize, process and excrete out plant matter through poop and urine. The liver and a system called cytochrome P450 are responsible for making this matter water soluble to be excreted from the body. A build up in the system could cause toxicity. This same issue may may it impossible to metabolize some drugs and medications, or even foods.
It’s also true that your cat’s liver makes it extremely difficult to eliminate synthetic products and fragrances. In fact, that's why it's so problematic with some brands of essential oils. They are filled with synthetic fragrance, alcohol, and solvents. Sometimes even the plant they claim to be in the bottle isn't the appropriate plant species.... Lavender (Lavendula Angustifolia) is often Lavendin. Frankincense is often not Frankincense Boswellia carterii, but a blend of 3 other plants. Read your labels and do your research.
Does this mean, you can’t use essential oils with cats — No. But it does mean using only high quality brands, unadulterated, non-synthetic oils. If you can’t determine authenticity, don’t use them.
Essential Oils Not To Use With A Cat
Oils high in phenols would be one's to consider avoiding with directly with your cat unless you are under the guidance of a veterinary care professional or animal aromatherapy expert
Basil, Clove, Oregano, Melaleuca Quinquenervia. Thyme, Mountain Savory, Tea Tree (Melaleuca Alternifolia), Laurus Nobilis, and Cinnamon Bark
also consider avoidance of peppermint, dill, rosemary, fennel and lavender because of ketone constituents
And yet we can use Oregano, Thyme, Basil in the Animal Raindrop Technique customized for cats with an appropriate dilution and adding in supportive enzymes. I can teach you how to do this for your cat when needed.
Wintergreen is typically one to avoid use with around your cats -- unless you are guided through a health concern with a veterinary practitioner or other experts, in small doses & small time periods.
Diluting Essential Oils For Cats:
We often think more is more. It's not. Essential oils are strong and very effective. Less is more -- go low and slow. Dilute 75-90%. That means 1 drop of oil to 4 drops of carrier, or 1 drop to 10 drops -- and then you use a drop of the new mixture.
For a cat of 15 pounds, you may only need 1/10th of the amount suggested for an adult human. Remember our discussion on dilutions — It’s not a drop with a carrier — but rather a new mix — think a misting spray or making a new dropper bottle!
Consider using the Animal Scents line of products they are already diluted!
Gentler oils may be used in lesser dilutions or even neat -- Lavender, Copaiba, Helichrysum, or Frankincense, in some cases, including perhaps first aid.
Melissa Essential Oil is often referred to as a go-to for cat wellness concerns. Again, discuss with your holistic animal care professional if you're looking to address a health concern in your cat.
Other Oils that may be appropriate in your first aid collection include Melrose, Mountain Savory, Myrrh, Ocotea, Roman Chamomile, Valarian, and Vetiver.
We even do a "Kitten Raindrop" for cats with the Animal Raindrop technique. We use the same traditional oils we use for people and dogs, just diluted significantly more. (Read More About Animal Raindrop)
Some of you by now may be questioning your cleaning products — and you should be. They are probably a greater risk to you and your pet family than properly used, high-quality essential oils. Thieves Household cleaner does contain many phenol oils, and what we would consider a hot oil — and yet — Thieves Household cleaner is used daily in homes, barns, animal clinics, grooming facilities, etc — with no issues! Even diffusing the immunity essential oil blend has not been shown to harm the cats!
Know that many holistic veterinarians, groomers, trainers, kennels & families are using high-quality Essential Oils Safely Around Cats, Birds, and other animals. I recommend getting a copy of the Essential Oil Desk Reference for Animals from Life Science Publishing to further your own education.
Reference: The Essential Oils Animal Desk Reference, Life Science Publishing 2017