A few common essential oils that are SAFE to use for your cat include lavender, copaiba, helichrysum, and frankincense. If you diffuse oils in your home, it should not cause a problem for your cat, as oil used in a diffuser is highly diluted (versus direct topical application or dietary supplementation).
It's best to avoid using diffusers or sprays that make the droplets airborne, since these cats may have difficulty breathing well with essential oils in the air.
Essential oils that are unsafe for cats:
Citrus oils (bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, tangerine) Birch. Cinnamon.
Lemongrass oil is most often found in the form of a hydrosol, a 100% non-alcoholic aroma that is made by steam-distilling or hydro-distilling plant matter. Lemongrass is a safe essential oil to use around cats at a low concentration. It should not, however, be ingested by cats or directly applied to their skin.
Peppermint oil, listed in some products as menthol, is toxic to cats when ingested or inhaled. Of note, some formulations (like wintergreen oil) may contain aspirin derivatives, making them even more dangerous for cats. Birds are also indicated for this toxicity.
Essential Oils Dangerous for Cats
As mentioned above, citrus is a problem for kitties. Malissa says, “Do not use citrus oils with felines ever — they lack an enzyme to break down citrus. The cat might start panting heavily, which means they're trying to process, but it's too much. They might drool or vomit.
It's best to avoid diffusing essential oils around dogs and cats. In addition to inhalation exposure to potentially toxic essential oils, microdroplets of oils could collect on your pet's fur. This exposure could lead to dermal absorption or eventual ingestion once your pet grooms or licks itself.
While you might like the smell, eucalyptus isn't safe to keep around cats — whether it's dried or fresh. “Eucalyptus is poisonous to cats,” Dr. Bustamante told The Dodo. “Cats are not able to metabolize chemicals found in the plant; therefore, those chemicals can damage your cat's internal organs.”
Even though tea tree oil is very toxic to cats and dogs it can still be found in a variety of pet products. Claims that it repels fleas and ticks, cures allergies and soothes skin are very common. As little as 7 drops of 100% tea tree oil have been known to cause severe toxicity, and 10-20ml can easily cause death.
To be on the safe side, it is best to avoid using essential oils around your cat or in areas where your cat frequents. While the essential oils used in toiletries, cosmetics, and diffusers are usually diluted, the carrier oil that is used to dilute the essential oil is not entirely safe for your cat.
Peppermint oil is highly toxic to cats.
They are typically strong-smelling and make up the active ingredient in many essential oils, such as peppermint oil. Without the enzymes required to break down phenols, cats exposed to peppermint oil can experience: Liver damage. Breathing difficulties.
Cats dislike eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass, and peppermint – just choose the ones you don't mind the scent of yourself.
While it is not deadly, lavender is toxic for cats. Lavender contains linalool and linalyl acetate, which cats cannot process in their livers.
Burning incense produces smoke, which is not healthy for your cat's respiratory system. The smoke can act as an irritant, which may cause your cat to cough or have an allergic reaction. Rarely, this can happen in people, too. Increased smoke in the home puts your cat at risk for developing asthma.
Eucalyptus is one of the plants new cat owners should stay away from. Exposure to the plant in whichever form can cause symptoms ranging from nausea and vomiting, to "seizures and collapse," per an article by Tuxedo Cat.
Unfortunately, lavender oil is not safe for cats. In fact, it can be very toxic for their health.
According to APCC, not necessarily. Using an oil diffuser for a short time period in a secured area—one that your dog or cat cannot access—is not likely to be an issue. However, if your pet has a history of breathing problems, it may be best to avoid using one altogether.
Rosemary oil is considered toxic to cats and should not be used on or near them. Rosemary oil may increase a pet's risk for seizures, says Dr. Jacqueline Brister, D.V.M., veterinarian and consultant for Embrace Pet Insurance.
Frankincense is an essential oil safe for cats that is commonly used to help with emotional health. It can even be used to support the body if a cat has cancer. This is an essential oil of choice for cats since it is very safe when used appropriately.
If you live with a cat but want to keep your house smelling fresh, you can use scented candles or a diffuser with cat-safe essential oils.
Many essential oils, such as eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, cinnamon, citrus, peppermint, pine, wintergreen, and ylang ylang are straight up toxic to pets. These are toxic whether they are applied to the skin, used in diffusers or licked up in the case of a spill.
Lemon essential oil is not safe for cats. Citrus essential oils are hazardous to them. Essential oils are rapidly absorbed both orally and topically, then metabolized in the liver. Cats are especially sensitive to phenols and phenolic compounds, which can be found in some essential oils.
Think about how your cat responds to the smell of anything citrus. It may pull back and run to another area of your home as cats find any citrusy scent offensive. All citrus fruits (grapefruit, oranges, limes and lemons) are mildly toxic to cats.