Essential oils!

[Kayeff]

Hi everyone!

I recently have thought about starting candle making as a hobby. However, I’ve heard that essential oils can be harmful to cats. Is this ALL oils or just certain scents or if they’re used a certain way?

The brand I’m looking at is Eternal Essence Oils on Amazon and I’d obviously be burning them as candles, not diffusing them in a humidifier.

 

[Margot Lane]

Oooo. All I can tell you is don’t use lavender and I was warned off of bluebell as well. My cat had an immediate wheezing reaction to lavender, so I’d ask your vet about it. Since then, with the exception of Mrs. Meyers Sage spray, I’ve gone scentless and incense less, just in case. But it could be just my cat, I don’t know.

 

[Kieka]

IMO, all essential oils should be avoided when possible around cats. Cats bodies don't process oils the same way as humans and build up in the liver. While science does know some that absolutely shouldn't be around your cat, there are others that we just don't know what safe amount are. The carrier oil can be just as much of a risk as the specific compound too. This website has a list of some of the known problem oils. Essential Oils and Cats | Pet Poison Helpline The brand of essential oil you mention is synthetic which does increase the risk since there are more chemicals present. Since it is usually a proprietary chemical makeup you can't know if all the compounds are pet safe. Usually, they recommend pure natural essential oils for pet safe products so you know what is in it (unless you are looking at their natural scents, but I can't find specific ingredients on their website so I question what's in them).

It is good you aren't diffusing; diffusing makes the molecules smaller and is more dangerous. Even with candles, you probably should do some serious research into pet safe or cat safe candles (those being different since cats are more sensitive then dogs to chemicals). Essential oils aren't the only danger to your cat (or yourself) when it comes to candle burning. The wax and wick material also play a part in ensuring your cats safety.