Are Essential Oils and Diffusers Dangerous for Cats?

In this guide

Essential oils have become a fixture of Indian homes, used in diffusers for relaxation, in cleaning products, and in balms for everyday aches. Cats process these compounds very differently from people and dogs, and several popular oils are genuinely hazardous to them.

Why cats react so badly to essential oils

Most essential oils contain phenols and related compounds. A cat's liver lacks sufficient quantities of an enzyme called UGT that is needed to break these compounds down safely, so they build up in the bloodstream rather than being cleared. Because cats also groom themselves constantly, oil that settles on their fur from a diffuser or a spill is often ingested during a normal grooming session, adding an extra route of exposure that dogs and people do not share.

Oils to avoid completely

• Tea tree (melaleuca)
• Eucalyptus
• Clove
• Cinnamon
• Citrus oils such as lemon, orange and lime
• Peppermint and wintergreen
• Pine
• Ylang ylang
• Oregano and thyme

Symptoms of essential oil poisoning

• Drooling and pawing at the mouth
• Vomiting
• Tremors or wobbliness
• Difficulty breathing
• Low body temperature
• Lethargy progressing to liver related symptoms in severe cases

Using oils safely if you keep a cat

If you use a diffuser, run it in a room your cat can freely leave, never in a closed space, and avoid the oils listed above entirely. Never apply any essential oil directly to a cat's skin or fur, no matter how diluted, and store bottles capped and out of paw's reach. If your cat shows any of the symptoms above after being near a diffuser or a spilled oil, move it to fresh air immediately and contact a veterinarian.

Article content © Ravi Teja. All rights reserved.