Medicines & remedies · cat safety
Are essential oils safe for cats?
Severe
No — essential oils are dangerous for cats. Tea tree, eucalyptus, clove, peppermint, citrus and neem oils soak through the skin and are licked off the fur, causing drooling, tremors, wobbliness and even liver failure. Never put oils on a cat.
Why severe: Cats can't break down the phenols and terpenes in oils — on the skin or licked, they cause tremors and liver failure.
- Name
- Essential oilsalso Tea tree oil, Eucalyptus (nilgiri) oil, Clove (laung) oil, Peppermint oil, Citrus oil, Neem oil
- Hindi
- एसेंशियल ऑयल · essential oil
What counts
Concentrated oils on the skin or swallowed; diffusers carry a lower but real risk.
What's in it
Phenols and monoterpenes, which cats can't break down.
Where it hides
- Diffusers and room fresheners
- 'Natural' or 'herbal' flea sprays
- Ayurvedic massage oils
- Steam-inhalation oils for colds
Symptoms to watch for
- Drooling, vomiting
- Tremors, wobbliness
- Breathing difficulty
- Low body temperature
- Seizures, liver failure
Within 24 hours in most cases; in one ASPCA series signs lasted from 30 minutes to about 6 days.
What to do — now
Go to a vet now if oil was put on your cat or licked.
- If oil is on the fur, wash it off with warm soapy water first (International Cat Care) — then go.
- Take the bottle.
- Don't make your cat vomit at home unless a vet tells you to.
Where Indian cats meet it
Diffusers, Ayurvedic massage oils, eucalyptus oil for colds and 'herbal' flea sprays. In one ASPCA series, botanical flea products harmed 92% of the cats exposed to them.
Myth or fact
Myth“Natural oils are safe home remedies for cats”
Fact'Natural' isn't safe: tea tree oil on the skin causes nervous-system depression, and neem oil has caused seizures in cats. Ask your vet for cat-safe products.
Sources
- Pet Poison Helpline: Updates on essential oils (PDF)
- Genovese et al. 2012: essential-oil flea products in cats and dogs (PubMed)
- Sutton et al. 2009: apparent adverse reactions to neem oil in cats (PubMed)
- International Cat Care: Cats and poisons
- VCA: Essential oil and liquid potpourri poisoning in cats
Facts last checked
General information for cat parents, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. The facts come from ASPCA, Pet Poison Helpline, International Cat Care, the Merck Veterinary Manual and the other sources listed on every page — and we say so when the evidence comes from dogs or people. If your cat may have eaten something harmful, call your vet.