My cat got thyme essential oil on her. Is it toxic? Should I worry?

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.

The biggest problem with essential oils is not the smell, but when the oil gets onto the cat and they lick it off. This can happen when the oil is aerosolized or if it is sprayed or poured and the cat walks through it since they will then lick their paws. So, if you have sprayed or poured the peppermint oil in an area that Luna may walk through, then make sure you wash the area well. The strong smell is mainly a concern if a cat has asthma and is not associated with the toxicity aspect of essential oils. I am attaching a link to more information about essential oils below for your information. http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/blog/essential-oils-cats/ I have used diluted peppermint oil in my house and my cats have not had any problem, but you need to be careful that they do not have any access to it. I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Alice. You did the right thing by washing her right away. Try to dry her off further to see if that helps with the twitching. Keep her as quiet and comfortable as possible. If by when the vet opens she is still shaking, take her into one right away to get checked out. I hope this helps!

I did research the name, and I could not find any information about it being toxic to cats. I suspect that if it was causing problems, it would have come up on my veterinary database. However, I am not a big fan of essential oils in cats. They do not tolerate them as well as dogs do. So, I would not use it again in my cats to be on the safe side. I think that they are going to be just fine. If they did start to show irritation - you will need to bathe in Dawn dish soap to get the oil off. I don't expect it at all, but just wanted to let you know what to use if they did get irritated. Good luck! Thanks for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Kitty. Because it's a 3% concentration, she should be ok. It's more concerning with higher concentrations. I'd just not use it again in the future. I hope this helps!

While direct contact with undiluted essential oils can be toxic to cats using a few drops in a spray or diffuser is unlikely to cause any problems. If your cats have asthma you may want to avoid any fragrances but otherwise I think you can continue to use your oils this way. Ask your veterinarian for advice if your cats have any health problems.