Q: I would really like to try Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day products. The scents sound heavenly and I like the eco-friendly part. But their formulas contain essential oils, and I have read in numerous places that those are toxic to cats. I have three kitties, so this concerns me, even though I realize there is probably only a very small amount of EO in a bottle of product. Can anyone tell me whether my concern is/is not justified?
Sent by Allison
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hey there! i've heard that tea tree oil can be toxic to pets. i haven't heard any other info about other essential oils. i'd like some more complete information on this too. we just got a cat and i use a lot of essential oils for homemade cleaning products.
http://cats.about.com/od/housekeeping/a/aromatherapy.htm
There is also a list of ones that pregnant women shouldn't use.
I know tea tree oil is toxic to cats. Also some people can have allergic reactions to some essentials and not others.
Why don't you contact Mrs. Meyers and ask them if their product is safe to use around your cat?
According to the company's website, their products are safe to use around pets and pregnant women. You can read more about it here.
My guess is that it's so diluted that it's nothing to worry about. I have a cat and I've used Mrs. Meyers in the past without any problems. I make my own cleaning products now and all of them use essential oils and still, no issues. I know that's not a "scientific" study but from everything I've read it's just a handful of oils that are harmful and even those would need to be applied at full strength to do damage. You could always ask your vet, too.
All essential oils are toxic to cats. No matter how diluted they are, cats cannot metabolize them, they build up in their system, often causing liver failure.
Actually it is an urban legend that all essential oils are toxic to cats. Some are. It is also true that the manufacture of commercial essential oils is not always closely regulated and it is possible for some products to contain chemicals that are harmful to cats (or people).
Cats may be especially sensitive to some essential oils; peppermint, pine and fir oils, etc. There are huge numbers of plants that are toxic to cats and that toxicity is sometimes the result of an essential oil. Nevertheless claiming that all essential oils are toxic to cats is no more accurate than claiming that all plants are toxic to cats.
The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center has excellent information on whether or not specific products are toxic to pets. Small animal veterinarians often consult them when dealing with unusual exposures.
:) love it, krm
I know you like the scents, and I agree that some of the cleaning products out there smell so good you want to eat it. But for your pets and for yourself, why not get used to cleaning with vinegar? You can wash your floors with vinegar and water. It's effective and safe, and your kittens will NOT want to lick it because of the smell. (And, the smell does go way very quickly.)
"The Lavender Cat" has a lot of information about cats and essential oils.
Basically, cats *can* process the compounds in essential oils — they just do it a lot slower because they lack a certain liver enzyme. This means you should avoid using them in high concentrations or undiluted, and if you diffuse them make sure it's in a well-ventilated area so they don't build up in the air.
The oils in cleaners are so diluted that the biggest concern you'd probably have would be that your cat might be bothered by the smell. If your cats are anything like the one I live with then there are probably some places they go which you'd like to keep them away from, and in this case it might be good to have cleaning products that smell nice to you but unpleasant to them.
Thanks for this question. I had never thought of this before. I add tea tree oil to my homemade all-purpose vinegar cleaner. I will look into this further.