Essential oil and cats??? need some info

I have been doing some research on the net about essential oils and ...
so far some are not supposed to be used on cats...
and some are not supposed to be diffused into the air...

My question is this:
Is there a difference between an oil being diffused into the air and an oil being used on ME which would mean that the oil can be smelled in the air??

Reason i am asking this is that i have a blend of essential oils mixed into about 400ml of carrier oil... and two of them are toxic to cats. I'm using a couple of drops on my scalp... will the smell of the oil affect my cats?? is that the same as diffusing??

I just can't seem to find any info on this particular issue.
I already wrote to the animal poison control center and they gave me a very vague answer....

I don't really have an answer but would hazard a guess that using the oils is not the same as diffusing, as all the essential oils are eventually evaporated with diffusers, but (you would hope!) that most of the substance would stay on your skin when you use them normally.

Which oils are you referring to? I use a wide range of oils - my precaution is to use these away from the cats, and give it an hour or so before I go near my cats. I don't think enough would reach the cats with this method to be toxic to them..

Sorry I can't be of more help!

If one of those oils you are using is tea tree oil, it is very toxic to cats, up to the point of being lethal in very small amounts. Please do not use it in any method which your cats might be exposed to it. Diffusing oils is much less concentrated, but I am not sure I would do it where my kitties are going to be. Some oils are toxic applied to the skin, and can be toxic if breathed in. I blend oils for massage frequently, and never let the cats anyhwere around any of the oils. I put down an old plastic tablecloth a layer of paper before using any oils, and wrap it all up and throw it away when I am done, and everything is tightly capped. Just me, but if there was nything other than EOs you could use, I would recommend doing that unless you can know for sure that it will not harm your kitties.

Essential oils are in general not very good for cats. However, flower essenses are quite the opposite. Bach flower essenses are commonly used for cats. Essential oils haven't been tested enough in research so procede with extreme caution in that route.

I'm using lavender, thyme, cedar wood and rosemary but NOT ON my cats. Just on my scalp.


I wrote to a guy who has a website that deals with essential oils and cats and he claims that essential oils are too volatile for them to linger in the air long enough to actually be harmful...

But i'm not convinced.

In any case i have only been using them just before i get in the shower... and then i rinse them off....

...

I've read on homeopathic cat sites about the dangers of using EO's around cats as well. One of the sites offered this link, which I found helpful: http://www.thelavendercat.com/generic.html?pid=10

Most of the information I've seen has come from the list at www.holisticat.com. If you can't find a satisfactory answer to your EO questions, post them to the Holisticat list...I've seen many EO discussions there.

Amanda

Thanks.
I just emailed the lavender cats... Hope they can answer my questions

I'd still go for a safer alternative:
Bach Flower Essences For Pets

I'm so glad I caught this thread. I have an oily scalp and face and have been using products for me that contain tea tree oil (though now i'm seriously considering finding something else!). While I always keep my products away from Clinton, he does sometimes like to come give me the big sniff after I get out of the shower. I guess I was just wondering if the threat of essential oils extends to any smell or residue left on us from our bath/facial products?

Originally Posted by danalee2682

I'm so glad I caught this thread. I have an oily scalp and face and have been using products for me that contain tea tree oil (though now i'm seriously considering finding something else!). While I always keep my products away from Clinton, he does sometimes like to come give me the big sniff after I get out of the shower. I guess I was just wondering if the threat of essential oils extends to any smell or residue left on us from our bath/facial products?

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thats exactly what i am wondering. tea tree oil is known for being a very toxic oil for cats... tea tree oil is different from the essential oil of tea tree though...

i'll let you know if i get a reply from the lavender cat

Sorry..I came on here searching for the same answer lol! Just my two cents tho, I know Jackson Galaxy uses oils to calm cats and I've even used a tea tree oil recipie on my cat and she was fine far as I know. I diluted it to like one drop of TTO to like a cup of water. It was to discourage fleas, tho I doubt she ever got them. I found the recipie on YouTube and the lady stated EOs are dangerous for cats but she diluted hers. I recnty got my cat back after losing her and she's an inside cat now so I haven't tried it nor do I have the recipie. Of course ingesting a spill would be bad for human or cat but I read they don't break down oils like we do in our liver. I have a bunch I bought when she was gone and haven't really used them since I got her back last month.

Just pointing out that this thread is 10 years old. The original posters nay not be active anymore

Abbi said:

Sorry..I came on here searching for the same answer lol! Just my two cents tho, I know Jackson Galaxy uses oils to calm cats and I've even used a tea tree oil recipie on my cat and she was fine far as I know. I diluted it to like one drop of TTO to like a cup of water. It was to discourage fleas, tho I doubt she ever got them. I found the recipie on YouTube and the lady stated EOs are dangerous for cats but she diluted hers. I recnty got my cat back after losing her and she's an inside cat now so I haven't tried it nor do I have the recipie. Of course ingesting a spill would be bad for human or cat but I read they don't break down oils like we do in our liver. I have a bunch I bought when she was gone and haven't really used them since I got her back last month.

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I don't think that's very safe, even diluted like that. Essential oils can cause liver damage, and it can take a while of being exposed to even notice. (But they can also be acutely toxic and cause lethal damage with one dose if it's high enough!) It's a bit safer to use a tea instead for most purposes you'd use an essential oil for (for example a strong lavender tea as a bug repellent), but I still would be very cautious of using around a cat.

I doubt the recipe you mentioned would even work as a flea repellent, anyway, without reapplying it constantly. It'd be about equivalent to spraying mosquito repellent on yourself and expecting it to last longer than a couple hours.