Using Essential Oils In A Shot Glass?

[desktop]

I know that certain essential oils can help deter bugs and since I live in a basement I want to be able to use them. I was going to use a couple oil diffusers until I found out that these could cause harm to my furry kids. But now I'm wondering, can I use these same oils in a shot glass?

I don't think this would be as bad as using a diffuser. The smell would still deter the pests, but would it be bad on my cats?

 

[arouetta]

Essential oils are harmful to cats, even the fumes. The skin soaks them up and the liver can't handle them. I wouldn't risk it.

 

[margd]

You're absolutely right to stay away from the diffusers but I'm not sure if the shot glasses will be any better. Would you be able to prevent the shot glasses from being knocked over? What about cats licking the inside of the glass? And there would still be some fumes, even if less than produced by a diffuser. arouetta is absolutely right that essential oils can be very toxic to cats and that many people recommend just eliminating them from your home completely.

Just out of curiosity, what oils did you have in mind? To confirm they're not considered poisonous to pests, refer to Animal Poison Control and to Essential Oils and Cats | Pet Poison Helpline . Even then, it seems that determining whether or not an oil is toxic is complicated - check out this article by the ASPCA for more detail: Trending Now: Are Essential Oils Dangerous to Pets?

Before checking its toxicity, first confirm that the oil(s) you have in mind are effective against insects. Check out this article: Plant-based insect repellents: a review of their efficacy, development and testing It's pretty technical but there is a lot of good information in there - see Section #7 (Essential Oils) for info specific to essential oils.

You might look into using Diatomaceous earth for insect control. It contains no toxins - its action is mechanical. This FAQ page put out by diatomaceousearth.com has answers to many of the questions you might have about it. Two other possibilities are Borax and boric acid. They are less toxic than many other insect repellents but can still be harmful to cats. If you try them, be sure to only use them in places where you cats can't come into contact with them.

Good luck! I hope you find a solution.

 

[desktop]

I have had eucalyptus in shot glasses placed up near the ceiling on a rafter for a while now and I've never noticed any ill effects on the cats. That's why I thought I would try something else, namely peppermint, since I've read that is a real deterrent against creepy crawlies. The shot glasses would be placed up and away so the cats could not get to them.

We do have Diatomaceous earth placed around the basement, mainly up against the walls and along the higher cement baseboards near the floor. I have some up in the rafters, too. Never noticed any ill effects on the cats from that, either.

 

[margd]

Yes, the kitties will be fine around Diatomaceous earth and it sounds like you've got the shot glasses totally out of their reach, so that's been working out fine as well. Has the eucalyptus been effective against the pests? (That's just my natural nosiness curiosity asking).

Peppermint oils are highly toxic to cats so many vets recommend that they be eliminated from cats' environments. Unfortunately, since peppermint is related to catnip, there is a chance that your cats may try to find the source of that delightful scent drifting down from the rafters. And they are especially vulnerable to any droplets that land on their coat because those droplets may be ingested during normal grooming.

That doesn't answer your question, though. Just guessing here, I imagine the safety would really depend on the concentration of the oil , the temperature and airflow in the room and how much distance there is between the rafters and the highest place your cats can reach. When it comes to answering your question, it seems that all that I can tell you is a definitive "maybe". Big help, huh?

If you decide to try it, keep a lookout for any of these symptoms in your cats and seek veterinary assistance if any show up.

drooling
sneezing
vomiting
diarrhea
lethargy
uneven bodily movements
muscle weakness
changes in behavior
depression


Again, best of luck! I hope you can safely get rid of those creepy crawlies!

 

[desktop]

I don't want to harm the kids if I can help it, so if the peppermint is going to be more of an issue than the eucalyptus then I might just stick with the eucalyptus (or check out some other ones, providing they're safe). I had ordered two diffusers along with some essential oils, but something made me check on Google about this and sure enough I discovered these could harm the brats. So I returned them.

It's such a pain with this whole essential oil thing and cats.