Why it is dangerous to cats
Essential oils contain concentrated substances that a cat's liver cannot break down well. They build up in the body and can damage the liver and the nervous system. Tea tree oil is especially dangerous, but do not think of any essential oil as safe for a cat.
Oil passes into the body through the skin, and the cat also swallows it while grooming. So it is dangerous to drip oil on the coat, to use "natural" flea products with essential oils, or to leave spilled oil about. A diffuser releases fine droplets that settle on the coat, and the smell can irritate the airways.
If your cat drools, vomits, wobbles, trembles or struggles to breathe, contact a vet or an emergency clinic straight away and take the bottle with you.
What to watch out for
- The cat can drool, vomit and paw at its face.
- The nervous system can be affected: the cat wobbles, trembles and becomes dull.
- Breathed-in vapour can irritate the airways and cause coughing or laboured breathing.
- The liver can be damaged.
- Never put essential oils on your cat's coat or skin, and do not use a diffuser where your cat spends time.
The forms it comes in
The same substance can turn up in different places.
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Oil on the coat or skin
DangerousIt passes through the skin, and the cat also swallows it while grooming.
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Spilled oil
DangerousA cat can step in it and lick it off its paws.
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Diffuser
Not safeDroplets settle on the coat and the smell irritates the airways, so do not use one where your cat spends time.
What it can cause
Signs that can appear after eating it. Each page explains what to look out for and when to hurry to a vet.