Spoiler alert … essential oils can be safe for animals, including cats.
When I see definitive statements that “essential oils are not safe for cats,” it really irks me! And when it’s coming from people or organizations with ZERO credentials in this area, that speak up in my loud lawyer voice.
When I teach my essential oils for pet classes (I’ve taught over 100 of them), I recommend to never ever ever Google search for “essential oils for animals.” You will be stunned at what you see, almost all of it is inaccurate, and sadly most people believe what they are seeing.
I recently looked on Google to see just how bad the misinformation is about this topic. And what content was coming up first because that’s what people click on. I was STUNNED and ANGRY at the results!
Here are the top results on Google.
Top article = Check out this bold statement below from a PET FOOD COMPANY! The author she labels herself as “a writer, mom, and long-time cat parent.” No offense, but that is not sufficient to make bold statements like you’ll see below. If you have no education, experience or credentials involving essential oils for pets then you should not be writing content on a topic you are not skilled in for a national company that can pay a lot of money to get the article at the top of a Google search. For example, I’m not giving you advice on how to replace a catalytic converter in your car because I don’t know the first thing about them. This article was inaccurate, incomplete and deceptive because it broad brushed all essential oils into the no-no category.
Can I address the national animal protection organization cited in the article? They are known for their pet poison control hotline and combating animal cruelty and I respect them for that. As an internationally-recognized award winning animal protection attorney & former prosecutor, I spent years collaborating with this organization and I am unaware of any expertise they have with essential oils. They may have veterinarians on staff, but almost all veterinarians are untrained in essential oils. The DVM should not give them license to form opinions on which they have no knowledge. And this organization puts ALL essential oils into the no-no category which is categorically wrong.
2nd article = The screenshot below is from WebMD. What does WebMD have to do with animal health? The veterinarian who reviewed the article lists no essential oil expertise in her bio. And while the article gives a few good cautions, it broadly paints essential oils in a bad light. Just because you work with animals and have letters behind your name does not make you an animal essential oil expert. This is one snippet from the article.
5th article = Finally, someone who is an expert in essential oils. Robert Tisserand has been researching and teaching about essential oils since the 1970’s. He wrote a thoughtful article explaining how essential oils can be safely used with cats. He cites to a 1988 article called “Australian tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil poisoning in three purebred cats“ that declared Tea Tree essential oils as deadly to cats. People generally read a title or believe other people’s interpretations of this article and then stop doing further research. The article discussed 3 cats who received a topical application of Tea Tree (brand unknown) for flea treatment. The article says. “The product contained 100% oil of Melaleuca alternifolia. The oil was applied directly to the cats’ skin, and 2 1-oz (approximately 60 ml) bottles were used on the 3 cats. *** The cats were bathed in warm water and a mild detergent to remove any remaining oil from the skin.”
If you have no education in essential oils that article would no doubt cause you to never want to use essential oils with your cats. However, I started my essential oil education in the science, biology and chemistry back in 2013 and here are just 2 problems with this article:
- 60ml of a straight (neat) essential oil of ANY type is WAY TOO MUCH for a human and especially a cat. We use 1 drop at a time. Do you know how many drops are in 60ml? About 1100!!! I and other expert educators recommend using 5-8 drops of a carrier oil to 1 drop of essential oil when topically applying on cats. Less is more! So hence, common sense was seriously lacking and this article failed to recognize that. The article failed to mention the brand of the essential oil and I can guarantee that there was no information on the essential oil bottle about use with cat. So this was human error now blamed on Tea Tree.
- Water drives essential oils deeper into the body which is why I teach everyone to dilute a topical application with a carrier (nut) oil which acts like a time release for slower absorption. So rinsing the cats with water made this situation worse.
Two of the cats survived and one sadly passed. Articles like this caused a broad condemnation of ALL essential oils for cats in particular. And rather than become educated about safe use of essential oils with cats, people just keep misrepresenting and regurgitating articles like this. It is particularly shameful when animal professionals (like veterinarians, vet techs, animal protection organizations) make bold statements without proper education.
So what’s the concern about cats?
Let’s look at the science first. The concern is primarily because cats are deficient (not missing) in the cytochrome p450 liver metabolism pathway that helps the liver to metabolize to excrete compounds, including medications, toxins and essential oils. This is unique to felines and it’s why people are nervous to use essential oils with cats.
Some people think cats cannot excrete oils but a study found that they excrete differently (more in line with how plants excrete) but they do it. Slower elimination can result in build up. We give our cats medications and they can pass that thru their liver. Some cats are surrounded by toxic cleaners, plugins, candles and aerosols and are able to excrete those. Even some of the adulterated essential oil brands out there are not hurting cats in mass quantities.
It is also because of online and social media content that continues to spread inaccurate, misleading and deceptive information, like the 1988 article listed above, without doing their research. They rely on scary (and sometimes untrue) social media stories about how a pet was harmed or killed due to an essential oil. And when I see these, I think:
- We don’t know the backstory on these posts
- We don’t know if or how many health issues these pets already had
- We don’t know what food they were eating
- We don’t know if they had toxic pet toys that created toxic overload in their body
- We don’t know if or how many toxins are present in the home (candles, plug ins, sprays, aerosols, cleaners) to create toxic overload
- We don’t know which essential oils were used with those pets/animals
- We don’t know how the essential oils were used or how much was used
What essential oils are safe for cats?
In my personal and legal opinion, it depends on the brand. Let me explain.
- A company either has safe and pure processing of growing and harvesting plant-material to become essential oils, or they don’t. Period! If a brand grows lavender with pesticides and harmful chemicals like glyphosate, those chemicals will be in the essential oil and should never be used around animals. If the essential oil company does not have their own farms, do they know safe practices are in place? They don’t. The brand I work with has their own farms and a very strict Seed to Seal® process that is the highest industry standard.
Distillation of the plant material is also important to make sure that all constituents (the plant compounds) are drawn out so that the essential oil is balanced. When distillers take short cuts to sell cheaper oils, they are not getting all the compounds out. When distillation is done fully and properly, it is bioavailable (fully active and balanced) and that is another factor that makes it safe for pets. The brand I work with has their own distilleries with onsite testing every 15 minutes and 3rd party testing for purity. No other essential oil company tests at this level.- What is the essential oil company saying about animals? Most essential oil BRANDS have no mention of animals or pets on their websites. Most brands do not promote or label their essential oils to be used with animals. By that omission they are telling you to NOT use their products with or around pets. So please do not diffuse or topically apply these brands on your pet. The absence of information on a label is as important as what IS on the label. For example, a popular fiber laxative product is not appropriate for a newborn baby because that product is not labeled to be used with newborns. It is marketed for older people. Common sense, right? The brand I use promotes their essential oils for animals on their website, they have articles on their website about safe practices, they host an Essential Oils for Animals conference, and have an animal-specific line of products. This company is putting their name behind their products for animals. If a company does not do that, they will not have your back if something goes wrong.
In The Oily Pet book I provide a test so that you can figure out whether your essential oil brand is safe. I have looked at other brands for years and only one brand passes the test. Too often I hear people say “you cannot use Tea Tree with cats” or “you cannot diffuse citrus oils around cats.” With a brand that is not labeled to be used with pets, that would be accurate.
With the brand that I use, I have diffused citrus oils almost daily for over a decade and my 3 cats liver values are healthy. I have annual testing done and it amazes me that as my cats age their liver values get healthier. Interesting, eh? The brand I use also puts Tea Tree essential oil in one of their topical animal-specific ointment. How is this possible? It’s because of their Seed to Seal® process of growing, harvesting & distilling the plant-matter to fully extract all of the constituents so that the essential oil is truly pure, balanced, bioavailable, and not just a word on a label.
Since 2013, this is why I only promote one brand, Young Living Essential Oils, because it’s about safety for you and your 4-legged family. This is not a sales pitch … it’s an education pitch because I want you to spend your money wisely and use the best wellness products for your pets.
And this is why I get frustrated when I see the ignorant definitive statements that essential oils cannot be used with cats because I have daily essential oil use with my cats since February 2013 and have helped them through several health issues with the essential oils.
Who should you learn from about essential oils for pets?
Be very cautious in who you learn from (on any topic) and always check their credentials. If someone has the education, certifications, and experience in a particular area they will tell you. Look for these qualifications:
- (Important) Someone who works or volunteers with animals = this is someone who will have broad experience with animals and not just offering essential oils to their family pet.
- (Important) Someone who is trained in essential oils specifically for animals = just because a veterinarian, animal worker or animal organization posts an article about essential oils for pets does not mean that person/organization is properly educated. Look for how long they have been working with essential oils and the education they received. If the author has the proper credentials, they will tell you. If they don’t, they will be silent. Avoid learning from those who list NO credentials.
- (Important) Someone who has hands-on experience with essential oils for animals = you want someone who not only has the education but has the hands-on experience because that is where the real learning happens. I have extensive hands-on oily experience with my cats and pet clients after diligent research and have never had a negative reaction.
- (Bonus) Someone with credentials who teaches classes and/or publishes online content and/or books about essential oils for animals = this person is bold enough to share accurate information that flies in the face of the majority of inaccurate online information.
I have been an animal protection attorney since 1994, I have volunteered with shelter and rescue animals (primarily cats) since 2000, I have been highly educated in essential oils biology, chemistry and working with animals since 2013, I wrote The Oily Pet book and have sold thousands of copies, I have been invited by Young Living corporate and other essential oil leaders to present on essential oils for pets, shelter pets & rescue pets, and I have hands-on experience with my own felines and pet clients.
Where can you find accurate information?
First – Watch this class that I taught online about safe essential oil practices for cats and dogs.
Second – Grab a copy of The Oily Pet book so that you have a handy reference.
Third – Like my social media pages (listed below) where I post content on how to safely use essential oils with your cats, dogs and other animals.
Fourth – Check out a few of my favorite animal essential oil experts who happen to be veterinarians, who teach at national conferences, are highly respected in this field, and use Young Living essential oils in their veterinary practices:
Be well,
