Cleaning products with essential oil - safe for cats?

Babypinkweeb

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Hi! I'd like to learn a bit about what are safe and not safe on regards to essential oils and cats.

I do not use essential oils at all because I dislike scents anyway. However these days it's hard to find products that don't add it in. I know essential oil diffusers are a def no-no, but how much harm (if any) do they pose in a normal cleanser, like a multi purpose cleanser spray for counters or floors? I'd love some suggestions as well for more natural yet effective cleanser suggestions like seventh generation, ideally without any scent or essential oils.
 

nurseangel

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Hi, I don't think I would risk it. I once contacted a company regarding a product containing essential oil and if it was safe to use around my cats. They couldn't provide me with an answer and suggested I contact our vet. Instead, I just didn't purchase their product. :)
 

Bri5

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I have used EOs for many years and have only seen some recommended for use on or around dogs. Never cats.
 

Margot Lane

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I learned the hard way don’t use lavender. Mine started drooling and frothing w/ even a bit of lavender oil around. I tossed it. He does however like herby things like Mrs. Meyer’s basil.
 
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Babypinkweeb

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Does anyone have any recommendations then? Just need simple general cleaner spray for stuff like counters, tables, floors. I don't aim for any scents but it seems even unscented ones these days have essential oils on them already.
 

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sidneykitty

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I wouldn't risk it either! I'm also sensitive and allergic to some botanical scents and EOs (which for some reason get labeled as "all natural" but can still cause allergies and irritation and it drives me crazy when I can't find products without them added and they seem to be increasing in popularity, which frustrates me)!

For general surfaces, I use Simple Green All Purpose Cleaner: Simple Green Household Cleaning Products Line it does not smell too strongly or badly

Floors, I just use water and unscented dish soap with a mop.
 

Alldara

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As a pagan home we have always used essential oils. We've also always had cats. We have always made sure to dilute our essential oils and ALWAYS washed our hands well before touching our cats.



I find it very interesting that once essential oils became a fad, cats began to get sick and research has insisted that it's due to them smelling it. But my cat's and other people's cats in our pagan community regularly get blood work and have normal kidney and liver values.



So, for me, yes it's safe, however your essential oils should be kept away from pets and children. Never apply undiluted essential oils to yourself and never ever to pets. If you use essential oils, wash your hands afterwards before touching your pets so they aren't licking trace amounts of essential oils off their fur.
 

Caspers Human

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We use Dr. Bronner's products to clean house with.

Some of them have peppermint oil, lavender or eucalyptus but there are several kinds to choose from so you can pick the one that you think is best to use around your cat. They even have an unscented version that's just soap with no scents or essential oils.

Dr. Bronner also sells a product called "Sal Suds." It's not a "soap" like the others. It's a biodegradable all-purpose cleaner.
It does have spruce and fir oils in it but those are generally not harmful to cats. Consider that a Christmas tree is usually a type of fir or spruce. If a spruce Christmas tree is okay to have in your house with a cat, spruce oil should also be okay. Right?

Anyhow, we use Dr. Bronner's soaps for bathing and washing and we use Sal Suds for general cleaning.
You can use it to clean up messes. You can use it to clean floors and to clean up spilled drinks and food. We even use it to clean up cat puke. We've never had a problem with Casper getting sick from it. Believe you, me! If something like that made Casper sick, his Girl-Human would let me know about it! In spades!

But, also... You don't use most cleaning products without dilution.
We use Sal Suds diluted with water, about one or two tablespoons per gallon. That's not very much at all. I can't imagine the stuff harming a cat.

Further, you're supposed to keep all of your household cleaners, no matter what they are, out of reach of children and pets. It says so, right on the bottle!

If you keep things out of reach, dilute properly and wait until the area that's been cleaned has had a chance to dry before letting your cat get near, you shouldn't have any problems.

Bottom line: Read the label and follow the instructions. Dilute properly. Keep your bottles out of reach. Let common sense prevail.
 
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