Are essential oils safe for cats and dogs? What to know

Are any essential oils safe for cats?

Cats are the most sensitive. Their livers are short of certain enzymes that break down essential oils, so they struggle to clear them, and they’re very sensitive to phenols, which some oils contain. Source 1 Source 3 Cats and birds are at the greatest risk from essential oils. Source 2 As the Pet Poison Helpline puts it, essential oils and cats “really do not mix.” Source 1

Cats also groom carefully, so oil on their skin or fur is often swallowed, and only a few licks could be harmful, depending on the oil. Source 3

Are essential oils safe for dogs?

Dogs are less at risk than cats, but many oils can still make them sick, on the skin or swallowed. Source 2 Source 4 Their noses are far stronger than ours, so a scent that seems light to you may be overwhelming to them. Source 5 One vet quoted by the American Kennel Club advises avoiding essential oils around dogs unless your vet says otherwise. Source 6

What does “pet-safe” on the label mean?

There’s no official standard behind it that we could find. Essential oils get little oversight in the US for strength, effectiveness or safety. Source 6 Strength and quality vary from bottle to bottle, and concentrated tea tree oil may cause problems with only seven or eight drops. Source 5

Which oils should you avoid?

Vets list the same common oils for cats and dogs: cinnamon, citrus, pennyroyal, peppermint, pine, sweet birch, tea tree, wintergreen and ylang ylang. Source 3 Source 4 Clove, eucalyptus and lavender appear on vets’ lists too. Source 1 Source 6

These lists aren’t complete. How much harm an oil can do depends on the oil, the dose, its strength and whether it’s swallowed, on the skin or breathed in. Source 2

Can you use a diffuser around pets?

Ultrasonic and nebulizing diffusers release tiny droplets of oil, which can settle on a cat’s fur. Reed diffusers and plug-in warmers only evaporate the oil, so unless one tips over, the main concern for cats is breathing irritation. Source 1 There’s more on diffusers in our diffuser fact check.

If you use one, run it for a short time in a room your pet can’t get into, where it can’t be knocked over, and air the room afterwards. Source 5 Source 6 Skip it altogether if you keep birds, or if your pet has breathing problems such as asthma. Source 1 Source 5 Never put concentrated oil on your pet. Source 3

What are the signs, and what should you do?

Watch for drooling, vomiting, wobbliness, tremors or trouble breathing. Source 1 Source 4 In a cat, fast breathing, panting, coughing or wheezing can mean trouble breathing. Source 1

Move your pet into fresh air, and call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 straight away. Source 1 Source 5 If there’s oil on the fur, wash it off with liquid dish soap, and don’t try to make your pet vomit. Source 3 Source 4

What can you use instead?

Open a window or run the fan; it costs nothing. In a room that stays closed, a charcoal bag soaks up smells without adding a scent.

Set the bag in the sun for an hour or two each month to refresh it, as the makers suggest. Essential-oil diffusers aren’t scent-free either: they release the same kind of terpenes. Have a cat? Keep diffusers out of the rooms it uses: many essential oils can be toxic to cats, and droplets settle on fur that cats lick off when they groom.