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My son has been into burning incense. No he is not on drugs or anything, believe me, would know, so no worry about that. Anyway I decided since he likes fragrance in his room I got him a ultra sonic diffuser and one small vial of essential oil. He is just crazy about it. He ordered some stuff additional on line also.
He just saw something online that all , if not most, essential oils of can be toxic for cats. Our cat hangs out with him in his room all the time so he is very concerned about her exposure to it since he had been running it constantly since I gave it to him at Christmas. He does keep his door closed when in use since my husband is sensitive to fragrances but the diffuser seems to not be as overwhelming for husband as the incense was. My son said he was going to limit his use and keep cat out of room when in use and for a while after using.
Has anyone here had issues or heard of issues with diffusers and cats?
Or is this fear mongering?
FYI: I have been keeping a close eye on cat and have not observed any issues at this point.
Essential oils are toxic to cats. Should not be used around cats. The fumes the cats breathe, the droplets in the air that land on fur..all pose a risk.
Incense should also not be used around cats. Same reasons.
I think it's kind of funny how people will say, "Essential oils around your pets?! You're going to kill your pet!" but some don't think twice about artificially scented candles with petroleum, household cleaners, or scent plug ins, which can be dangerous to both people and pets.
Either way, I feel the biggest thing is to take caution with cats and essential oils. Definitely look up the ones you're getting and if they are potentially toxic to cats. I've used some essential oils with cats without an issue and have known others that if they diffuse oils, they do the same thing - kick the cat out of the room until they are done and the air has cleared.
It's important to understand that the liver in cats doesn't break down certain compounds like ours does. They can get a buildup of toxins in their systems and it can make them sick or kill them. They metabolize things differently than we do.
Definitely take precautions with all essential oils whether for people or used around pets. Supposedly cats are sensitive to phenols, ketones, d-limonene, and alpha-piene and I found a good list on an article that lets you know what these oils that contain those compounds are:
Examples of Phenols – Wintergreen, Anise, Birch, Clove, Basil, Tarragon, Fennel, Oregano, Thyme, Mountain Savory, Peppermint, Tea Tree, Calamus, Cinnamon Bark, Citronella, Marjoram, Nutmeg, Eucalyptus citriodora, Parsley, Ylang Ylang. These all contain greater than 8% phenols.
Examples of Ketones – Western Red Cedar, Idaho Tansy, Marigold, Spearmint, Thuja, Hyssop, Davana, Sage, Dill, Yarrow, Peppermint. All these oils contain greater than 20% ketones.
Example of Oils containing D-Limonene - Grapefruit, Bitter Orange, Orange, Tangerine, Mandarin, Lemon, Celery Seed, Lime, Bergamot, Angelica, Dill, Neroli, Blue Tansy, Citronella and Nutmeg.
Examples of Oils containing Alpha-pinene – Cypress, Cistus, Pine, Douglas fir, Juniper, Myrtle, Rosemary Verbenon, Silver Fir, Angelica, Nutmeg, Eucalyptus, Dill, Spruce. These are all monoterpenes that have alpha-pinene concentrations greater than 15%.
Ones that have been considered safe for use on/around cats are cedarwood, frankinscence, geranium, helichrysum, clargy sage, elemi, roman chamomile, and lavender. This is assuming they are real essential oils and do not have any synthetic ingredients. Always make sure they are responsibly produced therapeutic grade oils.
Always be on the lookout for changes in their behavior like sleeping habits, eating habits, playing habits, or if they are vomiting and have constipation/diarrhea. Make sure the dilution of water/essential oils is high (maybe 1 drop essential oil per 100mL of water) in your son's diffuser. If you notice an essential oil that may be bothering your cat, stop use immediately.
Since your son is taking precautions and such and the cat seems to be okay then there's probably no worries about it. Although, do be aware he isn't using any toxic essential oils to the cat on a regular basis.
I think it's kind of funny how people will say, "Essential oils around your pets?! You're going to kill your pet!" but some don't think twice about artificially scented candles with petroleum, household cleaners, or scent plug ins, which can be dangerous to both people and pets.
Either way, I feel the biggest thing is to take caution with cats and essential oils. Definitely look up the ones you're getting and if they are potentially toxic to cats. I've used some essential oils with cats without an issue and have known others that if they diffuse oils, they do the same thing - kick the cat out of the room until they are done and the air has cleared.
It's important to understand that the liver in cats doesn't break down certain compounds like ours does. They can get a buildup of toxins in their systems and it can make them sick or kill them. They metabolize things differently than we do.
Definitely take precautions with all essential oils whether for people or used around pets. Supposedly cats are sensitive to phenols, ketones, d-limonene, and alpha-piene and I found a good list on an article that lets you know what these oils that contain those compounds are:
Examples of Phenols – Wintergreen, Anise, Birch, Clove, Basil, Tarragon, Fennel, Oregano, Thyme, Mountain Savory, Peppermint, Tea Tree, Calamus, Cinnamon Bark, Citronella, Marjoram, Nutmeg, Eucalyptus citriodora, Parsley, Ylang Ylang. These all contain greater than 8% phenols.
Examples of Ketones – Western Red Cedar, Idaho Tansy, Marigold, Spearmint, Thuja, Hyssop, Davana, Sage, Dill, Yarrow, Peppermint. All these oils contain greater than 20% ketones.
Example of Oils containing D-Limonene - Grapefruit, Bitter Orange, Orange, Tangerine, Mandarin, Lemon, Celery Seed, Lime, Bergamot, Angelica, Dill, Neroli, Blue Tansy, Citronella and Nutmeg.
Examples of Oils containing Alpha-pinene – Cypress, Cistus, Pine, Douglas fir, Juniper, Myrtle, Rosemary Verbenon, Silver Fir, Angelica, Nutmeg, Eucalyptus, Dill, Spruce. These are all monoterpenes that have alpha-pinene concentrations greater than 15%.
Ones that have been considered safe for use on/around cats are cedarwood, frankinscence, geranium, helichrysum, clargy sage, elemi, roman chamomile, and lavender. This is assuming they are real essential oils and do not have any synthetic ingredients. Always make sure they are responsibly produced therapeutic grade oils.
Always be on the lookout for changes in their behavior like sleeping habits, eating habits, playing habits, or if they are vomiting and have constipation/diarrhea. Make sure the dilution of water/essential oils is high (maybe 1 drop essential oil per 100mL of water) in your son's diffuser. If you notice an essential oil that may be bothering your cat, stop use immediately.
Since your son is taking precautions and such and the cat seems to be okay then there's probably no worries about it. Although, do be aware he isn't using any toxic essential oils to the cat on a regular basis.
Plug ins, candles, toxic cleaners and all the rest are just as harmful..to humans as well as pets. ALL of it should be avoided.
As for your last sentence, this is not an indication that the EO or incense are not harming the cat. Long term effects are also an issue.
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