Diffusing Essential Oils Danger

I suffer from chronic sinus issues and recently discovered essential oil diffusing (it has helped greatly). However, I have read a ton of (conflicting) articles regarding the danger posed to cats.

Most of the danger seems to come from oils being directly applied to the skin or ingested by the cat. I use the diffuser only at night, in my bedroom. Enzo has free roam of the house and is rarely in my bedroom at night.

There are some oils in the blend that I use that are toxic to cats if ingested or applied topically, but I don't know how to gauge whether or not my diffuser and the limited amount of time that it's run is a threat of any kind to Enzo. I could close the door to ensure he has no access, but he will likely paw at it at some point as he doesn't like being shut out.

Does anyone have an experience or information about this?

I've researched the topic for hours on line searching vet sites and I've gotten conflicting information as well.

I have seen vet sites saying that cats inhaling essential oils can be bad, I've seen some which say the worst they will get is an irritated nose. I've seen sites which state there is a difference between expensive and non expensive oils. The latter being loaded with chemicals.

I used to work in a Biomedical Library at a University and I miss not having access to the research databases. The great part about it is that peer published articles, you don't get opinions, hidden agendas, hearsay etc. I think your best bet is to talk to a switched on vet or research it yourself.  

Thanks so much for replying! He has a checkup next week and I'll ask the vet then. Almost all of what I find pertains to using it topically or it being ingested. To stay on the safe side for now I have closed the doors so he doesn't have access to the bedroom. His normal sleeping spot is far away in the living room, so my guess is that as long as he isn't confined with the diffuser and the diffuser is only on overnight it should be okay. I will definitely ask the vet though. Thank you so much again!

I've been into aromatherapy for over 25 years. I've always used a diffuser, my cats would come into the room with it on & I never gave it much thought until someone else posted something on here which in turn made me dig cause I wanted my kitties to be safe.

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/326833/essential-oils-and-cats

I was interested, so I ran a quick search through google scholar. It appears tube main issue with essential oils is cats cannot process the alcohol contained in them. It obviously states don't put it on topically. As the can ingest it. As far as diffusuon, I only found posts about not doing this with birds or fish. There was no clear answer with cats. I would look at it on a personal level, how long are they in area where using + how heavy of a groomer are they.

I have been trying to research this since my new kitties came home. I have forgotten a bit , side tracked by the vet visit and holiday shopping and need to get back to researching.

I can say from experience, that I use pure EO around my parrots with no issues. 

There are some that are def toxic to parrots and I saw clear of those. but as for all safe ones, I defuse in and around my parrots with no issues. Just mentioning as most say not to use by parrots either.

I use doTerra (pure) EO but can say, it I was using a synthetic laced eo I am sure my story night not be so good.

I will def keep researching and asking around. I know I have asked several people I know who defuse eo and have cats, all say there cats do find but so far, I keep my diffuse away from where the cats stay in the house. 

Thanks so much for all the replies, I'm so grateful! I use only pure oils, right now Plant Therapy. I think the issue occurs over time, where the cat's liver can't filter out the toxins and cancer or organ failure occurs. However after 2 days of research much of what I find is still only on topical use and not diffusing. I think it may be a high danger if the cat is in an enclosed space for lengthy and continuous amounts of time. Since mine is only run at night in a room where he isn't in, I feel relatively safe. However as a precaution I have started closing the door halfway. If anyone finds out anything else, please let me know! Thank you all again!

I got a diffuser recently and have been reading up around this subject too.

I think to be safe avoid those known to be toxic to cats and only use pure oils.

This was a good article with a list like the previous thread here http://meowlifestyle.com/6-essential-oil-safety-tips-for-cat-owners/

My cats keep away from me if I'm using tea tree oil and I've been diffusing rose oil - roses aren't toxic to cats - and they've ignored it except for one who wanted to see if the glowing egg was a new toy or not.

I emailed the company of the oils I use-Eden's Garden-and they confirmed that essential oils, even when pure, are toxic to cats. She said this means diffusing can even be quite harmful, especially if done in an enclosed or small space regardless of whether or not the oil is proven to be harmful, because not enough research has been done to eliminate every oil. The problem occurs over time, as cats livers lack the enzyme to break down the oil and it thus builds up, causing either liver or other organ failure, or cancer. Please be careful with tea tree oil, as that is one that has indeed proven to be very toxic to felines. The synergy blend I use for sinuses contained tea tree oil and she specifically warned me against using it in the diffuser. The bottom line is that unfortunately diffusing will most likely be harmful to cats especially over an extended time frame. I have decided to use a carrier oil (coconut) and add drops of the essential oil to it and apply to my chest before bedtime as a rub. I'll worry less that way.

I recently got into Essential Oils (Young Living) which are pure oils too.  I never thought a lot about it, but something I read somewhere made me wonder.  Like many of you, I found conflicting reports.  I agree that I would never put it directly on a cat or let them ingest it.  But the comments about diffusing are very mixed.  Most of what I read leads me to believe that it wouldn't be an issue on a short term basis - as long as the oil was not toxic to cats - but the long term effect is where the problem lies.  So as much as I love the oils, I decided to err on the side of caution and stop using them altogether until I find something that convinces me that they are safe.  If anyone finds anything, please keep us posted.  I do miss the smells and the effects the oils have on a person - Lavender being my particular favorite, along with a YL blend called Thieves.  But our kitties are too important to take a chance!  Thanks for comments!!!

Thank you for that!  Makes me think that Eden's Garden is a company I need to support because they gave you information that could potentially cost them your business!  I will definitely check them out!!  Thanks!

Yep, the problem is definitely if you diffuse long term, both in time and frequency. The way it was explained was that because the cats liver lacks the correct enzyme, the oils aren't broken down and filtered out by the body. So they begin basically coating the liver and it builds up causing all kinds of very serious and nearly irreparable damage, so I agree, I won't take the chance either. What I have been doing instead is using it as a rub, diluted in franctionated coconut oil with a few drops (depending on the oil) and then placing that on my chest, back of neck, behind ears and sides of nose. I use mine for sinus issues so I'll also dip a cotton swab into the mixture and rub a little on the inside of my nose.

Young Living oils are great, but they are pretty pricey compared to equally effective brands. Plant Therapy and Eden's Garden as I mentioned above are wonderful. I know a seller of YL and she often buys common oils from Plant Therapy and vouches for their quality (as does much of the internet). Same with eden's garden although they aren't as well known. Both companies offer synergy blends that are identical to YL Theives. If I find out anything more I will post. Thanks for all the input!

Do we have any chemists/biologists on here who can weigh in?

I only diffuse pure, organic oil about once a week or less and always have all the doors and windows open in my house. I use rose or lavender or rosemary, the latter is supposed to be cat safe as a floor cleaner, and everything I've read says that's alright, but I'd like some confirmation.

It's all about how much risk you are willing to take. That amount of time and with that type of ventilation may be safe. It may not. I doubt there are any chemists who can weigh in, as the issue is that not enough testing has been done to provide enough specific data. What is known is that diffusing oils, even pure as we all have stated we do, has the potential to cause harm. I guess I would just say it's up to the individual pet owner to decide what risk they're willing to take. My thing is, a company who is in the business of selling pure oils recommends I use a carrier oil to make a rub "to be on the safe side" I'm going to heed that advice. To me, diffusing any amount for any length of time isn't worth it knowing there's even the tiniest risk of health concerns. I'm not a gambler personally, but like I said it's the pet owners call in the end. I just wouldn't ever be able to forgive myself if I was the cause of him getting sick. And it sucks, because I was only doing it for a few hours at night with all doors open and it was greatly improving my symptoms. I would think diffusing once a week with full ventilation probably isn't *too* dangerous, but no one can say for sure. If there is someone out there who can, please comment!

There is plenty of information on essential oil toxicity, but much of the information is behind paywalls - researchers have to be paid for their work - pubmed is also a good source for studies on toxicity, but it too has abstracts that require subscriptions to journals to access the full papers.  Your best source is a veterinary toxicologist.  All animal poison centers also have databases listing essential oil toxicosis in cats AND dogs (birds are vulnerable as well due to their sensitive respiratory systems).

There is only "conflicting information", because pet owners and distributors of essential oils are not properly informed of toxicosis and they propagate so much dangerous information on the net.  Oral, dermal and inhalant toxicity have all been reported and known to cause toxicity in cats and dogs.  Oral ingestion can cause caustic lesions in the mouth, esophagus etc.  Dermal exposure can be absorbed and the liver cannot metabolize it, thereby accumulation in the liver.  Inhalant exposure affects mucous membranes, respiratory tract, lungs.  People often assume that since essential oils are so nice smelling, harmless (they are NOT, not in pets, not in humans, and not in children, there are also case reports of toxicosis in children), that they can use essential oils in any manner they choose. 

There is no established evidence that essential oils are helpful for any health condition.  People mistakenly believe these "cure" their headaches, their sinuses, their psychological distresses, and...mistakenly believe they are effective for flea control in pets, or behavioral issues, etc.  Much like "alternative" medicine, it's hype and it irks me that people propagate bad information to other pet owners.  Distributors are the worst, they don't care to evaluate the evidence, they are also not trained in toxicology to understand how toxic they can be.

Diffusers and burners are no different, they release microscopic compounds into the air, they can cause mucous membrane sensitivity, and pets generally don't care for the multiple scents owners use around their homes.  Burners even leave thin film on the burner, the area close by, and pets are very sensitive to them.

Never apply essential oils on your pets.  Never leave burners, diffusers, bottles etc out in the open where a pet could get to it. Never use essential oil soaps, lotions, etc on yourself and then let your pets lick your skin.  Even when used with carrier oil, pets can still be sensitive.  If you put drops of essential oil into your solutions for floor cleaning and general purpose house cleaners, rinse thoroughly after every use - remember that cats are always at floor levels during the majority of their lives!

If you MUST use essential oils, use them sparingly and dilute them as much as you can, keep away from pets at all times.

Several hours? I only do about half an hour, but I've got a very good sense of smell and that's plenty to freshen up my four cat household.

Have you tried a facial steamer for your sinuses? You don't need to add anything but it may help. I got one for my skin and it really helps when I've got this month's germs from the kids I teach.

Yep, I would run the diffuser for two hours overnight. It only lasted for about a week until I found out about the possible dangers. I can't imagine a half hour once a week would be too detrimental.

Thanks for the steam advice! I haven't tried that yet. I have a humidifier I recently purchased, I've tried the neti pot, bromelain, Flonase, Zyrtec. You make it. I think it's inflammation, not congestion because when I do get the pressure and pain ice packs are all that he'll :-/

Thank you, cat-tech, for your post!  This lets me know I made the right decision to just not use the oils!  I do appreciate your comments very much.