Do Essential Oils Kill Cats? True or False: Aromatherapy Oils Thought to Be Poisonous to Cats

Essential oils kill cats – true or false? It is commonly believed that the concentrated plant essences used in aromatherapy may be toxic to animals, particularly cats. Although poor quality oils pose a risk to felines – and to humans – it is not the essential oil that may cause health problems, but the chemical additives and byproducts of poorly processed oils. Where did the myth about essential oil toxicity originate? What can be done to protect the health of your pets?

What is an Essential Oil?

Essential oils are fragrant liquids pressed or distilled from plants. They are loaded with hundreds of different chemicals with medicinal properties, and can be used for everything from pain relief or easing stomach aches and migraine headaches to assisting with psychotherapy. Essential oils are not oily per se – but they are called oils because they mix easily with oil (massage oil, bath oils) and separate from water.

Essential Oils and Animals

Essential oils can be a powerful tool for healing human people – and animal people, too. Animals are often better able to trust their instinct of what is good and bad for them. Domestic cats and dogs will eat grass and herbs to ease digestive troubles; wild animals will often gravitate toward the plants that have the medicinal properties their bodies most need.

Animals may react positively to essential oils, or they may find the smell too overpowering. Most horses adore being worked on with essential oils. Dogs and cats, on the other hand, may find the aromas too strong to appeal to their sensitive noses. Either way, the oils can be an effective form of natural treatment for pet illnesses and injuries.

“Healing” with Toxic Oils – the Evolution of Aromatherapy

The trouble is that not all essential oils are produced alike. Some essential oils are distilled at low heat and low temperature from plants painstakingly grown without pesticides or other chemicals. These oils are considered “therapeutic-grade”, and will contain all the medicinal properties of the plant in a very concentrated form.

Other oils are produced more rapidly, at high temperatures, using chemical solvents. The plants may not have been grown organically or harvested under optimal conditions. These oils may smell just as good but are considered “perfume grade” – they are not as potent as therapeutic grade oils and may contain toxic components.

Safety note: Even these toxic oils may be labeled “therapeutic-grade”, since there is no regulation on these terms. Please investigate the quality of any oil before applying it to your cat – or using it yourself.

Because many aromatherapists have been trained using only the cheaper, toxic oils, they believe that oils should not be applied directly on the body (for humans) at all, or used on animals or children. This is absolutely untrue – but you need to have the right oils to do so safely.

Cats and Essential Oils

Like their other senses, cats have an acute sense of smell. They are usually not too keen on being treated with essential oils – so it can take some ingenuity to sneak up on them and apply any oils.

Because they are so sensitive, the best way to apply oils to a cat is to rub a drop (or a half drop) of essential oil into your hands until they feel dry – then apply the oil on your hands to the bottoms of their feet. Cats have reflexology points, too! The feet are one of the gentlest and safest ways to apply an oil to any person, be they human, feline, or another animal.

To ensure safety, the only oils safe for feline use are those whose quality you have checked into thoroughly.

How to Find Pure Essential Oils

Oct 20, 2008 7:28 AM

Guest :

Umm, do you really expect us to believe that the ASPCA toxicology department knows less than you?

Honestly, you need to do some fact gathering before publishing damaging "information" like this.

Heidi

Oct 23, 2008 9:30 AM

Victoria Anisman-Reiner :

Hello Heidi,

Thank you for your comment. If you can point me to information - or even personal experience - supporting your claim countering my research, I'll gladly consider it for a future article.

May 19, 2009 5:25 PM

Guest :

Great article! Thanks for the info!

May 26, 2009 12:55 PM

Guest :

who knows more about health? how about a 3k yr. old civilization like China who tend (like other ancient ppl's) to use wise old ways of healing, such as herbs given to us by nature and essential oils. the ancient ppls heal for healing's sake, not to get rich on. listening to only ASPCA, AMA, AMER. CAN. SOC. ETC, yada, yada, is okay for someone that doesn't want to learn and THOROUGHLY research through many ppl's experiences and comments through self education before they find out something is tried and true. putting one's life in the hands of professionals is something to ponder, they are professional and need you to make their Hummer pymt. we are ultimately responsible for our own health. many prescriptions and medicines make these kind of organiz.s big bucks, and they tend to poo poo anything else because it's not in their best interest bank account wise. they might take a case or two of some dingbat who went overboard w/ an herb or something and use it to prove their case that they are the only one's who are right. just because it not on TV or whatever doesn't mean it doesn't work. most all of the medicines give by vets are also toxic. anything can be if gone over board or for too long. you can find just as many ppl giving posit. feed back on natural things, maybe more than neg. stories. my vet finally exclaimed to me, if anything ever happened to him, he would come to me!:) he witnessed extreme examples of healing my pets with items from the HFS. I could tell you story after story of miracle healing w/ simple things such as these. you just have to use something, go slow, watch and gauge carefully and back off when healing is taking place. FUNBYCYNTHIA :)

Jun 25, 2009 7:42 AM

Guest :

ha. you actually think that plants, which I remind you that is where many essential oils come from, are going to hurt pets? no way. just listen before you type this stuff.

Jul 24, 2009 9:27 AM

Guest :

It's very dangerous to assume just because something is "natural" that it is safe. Plus, we do a lot of things to essential oils that actually change the chemical make up of them (such as dilute them in alcohol, add them to oils, etc). Carbon monoxide exists naturally, but it will kill you. Carbon dioxide is natural, but it will kill you. Alligators are natural, but they will eat you - and that's natural too. It's "natural" for an animal to eat something "naturally" toxic and "naturally" die, but that's not exactly what I want for my pets.