My cat licked shampoo with cedar essential oil. Is it safe for cats?

I'm not sure that you're going to be able to find the information that you are looking for, because we're not quite sure what percentage of essential oils are safe for cats. Peppermint and clove oils are both potentially toxic for cats without an established "safe" amount. I can't recommend applying essential oils directly to the fur/skin of a cat because of the potential safety concerns. I am attaching a website with more information about potential toxicity below. http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/blog/essential-oils-cats/ If you are interested in using essential oils in cats, I would recommend using a product by Dr. Shelton. http://www.oilyvet.com/ Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hello. Cats are very curious, but very careful when tasting new things. It is very unlikely that she got more that a small lick begore deciding this was pretty nasty stuff. Essential oils can be toxic to cats, the problem occurs when people mistakenly apply them to a pet, & then a cat is almost forced to lick her coat. So investigating the soap pump will not be harmful to Squishy. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. As long as your cat doesn't eat/drink an excessive amount of this shampoo, she should be just fine. And as long as you didn't get any into her eyes, she should be OK. In the future, it is not recommended to use human shampoos on animals - there are special animal shampoos that are not as irritating if gotten into the eyes, and nontoxic if consumed. I recommend monitoring for any vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, or any neurologic signs such as tremors or seizures. These could indicate a toxicity. If she is squinting her eyes, this could mean you got shampoo in her eyes and caused damage to her corneas. If you see any of these signs, she should be seen by a veterinarian right away. I hope this is helpful!

I would be cautious using this around your cat. Since the shampoo isn't something that will remain on your hair since you rinse it out, the chance of exposure is low, but cats are particularly sensitive to peppermint oil. Even breathing the aroma of peppermint oil can cause shortness of breath and increased heart rate. Again, since you're rinsing it out and it's a very small amount in the shampoo, I feel the chance of there being a problem is small, but I would be careful, maybe changing the time your wash your hair to earlier in the day so the scent will have dissipated by bedtime. Rosemary can also be toxic to cats though I haven't been able to find any further information about how toxic it may be.

You're right that cats can be very sensitive to essential oils, so it's always recommended to be very cautious when using these oils around them. If Odie is acting normal (eating and drinking, active, etc.), it's unlikely that he would have been negatively affected by any essential oils that you may have used in the past. You could take him to your vet for a check-up and blood work to check his liver and kidney function, if you want to be absolutely sure - but if he's clinically doing fine, he's probably okay :) In the future, it would be best to double-check the safety of any oil you are considering for use in your home to avoid problems.

Hello, and thanks for your question about Mandu. Cats can be very sensitive to essential oils, and there is limited data available for many essential oils (as far as how much is required to start seeing symptoms), so you should refrain from putting any on Mandu in the future. For now, if she otherwise seems to be acting normal, I would make sure you get any residue off that's still on her skin, and watch her closely. You can "spot clean" the area with a mild soap (I often recommend Dawn dish soap) and lukewarm water. The most common symptoms of thyme exposure would be GI upset (vomiting, diarrhea), or neurologic disturbances (mentation changes, seizures, etc) so if anything seems "off" with Mandu then a vet visit is warranted. Hope this helps! I bet Mandu will do ok, but it's good to keep an extra close eye on her for the next 48 hours.

Unless she ate a large amount of it (1 tablespoon or more), she should be fine. You can call the poison control hotline ( http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/ ) to confirm as they will have the most up to date information if it would help you. Otherwise, monitor her for vomiting, decreased appetite, lethargy, or diarrhea. I don't expect she'll have any problems. Thanks for using PetCoach and please let know if this was helpful!