Can essential oil diffusers help my cat's asthma, or are they unsafe?

Hello. For the most part, these diffusers are safe for cats, as long as there are regular air exchanges & some fresh air coming in all day. Most HVAC systems have automatic air exchanges, but if the weather is good, keeping a window cracked a bit is perfect. Some cats are very sensitive to odors, some do not care for them at all, so as long as the cats are not confined to a closed in room & can move to a different area, there is no harm in essential oils. One caveat, we have a diffuser mounted on a wall in our clinic & it malfunctioned ( exploded ) sending the contents all over a hallway. Fortunately, none of the office cats seemed to have walked through this, but that would be a concern if a cat ingests any of this. But otherwise, I would just enjoy the fragrance of your choice. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

In most cases, if it is a tiny amount going into the air it isn't problematic, the main concern is if your cat is getting the oils onto their fur and licking it off, or directly inhaling the diffuser.

It’s probably safe to diffuse it for most cats. However, if Tigger has any history of asthma or breathing condition, I do not recommend diffusing anything (or incense or candles or smoking indoors for that matter). Also keep in mind that some essential oils can smell extremely strong to our pets - who have a much better sense of smell. If it smells strong to you, it’s overwhelming to Tigger- so turn it down. Best of luck to you and Tigger!

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Our pets are very sensitive to the chemicals in essential oils (think how much more sensitive their sense of smell is!), and exposure to diffused essential oils can be dangerous. Cats are particularly sensitive, but it's best to avoid diffusing oils around dogs as well. If you must use diffused oils, do so in an enclosed room and keep the pets out to minimize their exposure. Hope this helps!

Tea tree oil is toxic to cats, and I would not use it at all in your home, as there is a chance Poe could lick the oils and become very sick. Lavender is also toxic, as are citrus oils (orange) and eucalyptus. Peppermint and lemongrass are the only safe ones you have to use around Poe, and I would restrict your use to those essential oils only. You can also use cedar wood and rosemary.

My take is that all essential oils are potentially very dangerous for cats so i would never take the chance. in addition and from experience, these products do not work to protect dogs from ticks and fleas so i strongly doubt they would work on cats.