Tea Tree Oil!!

[bobbys girl]

Further to a recent thread about Yankee Candles and diffusers - I thought I'd pass this on.

There are a few essential oils that can be applied neat to the skin without irritation - lavender is one. Tea Tree is a wonderful oil with many antibacterial properties. I would never use it neat on myself and would NEVER EVER have used it on the cats. BUT I have just read on a blog about oils that Tea Tree is VERY TOXIC TO CATS. Their livers cannot process it and contact with the skin can be fatal.

Perhaps one oil to leave out of the diffuser?!

[Lilith]

Wow, I didn't know about that!

Being reclusive I'm lucky not to catch colds, but if I did, I'd have set up the new diffuser with TT oil - and a few weeks ago, when my lot came down with a stress cold, I'd have done the same.

Old cat books recommend Friar's Balsam for RIs - not sure what modern views are on that - would be interested to know and in the meantime, thanks

[MarkB]

I don't know the science behind it, but there are a few oils that are toxic to cats for the same reason - possibly phenols, which are found in some disinfectants that cats are unable to break down. I remember there was a case of a woman whose cat died due to her liberal use of Dettol clear kitchen spray - Jeyes fluid is highly toxic for them due to phenols.

This list includes Lavender oil as being toxic for cats.

https://www.thespruce.com/dangers-of-es ... ils-555089

This is more in-depth, but doesn't include Lavender - http://meowlifestyle.com/6-essential-oi ... at-owners/

[bobbys girl]

I have used lavender oil on Bob. But it is the very best, pure oil. I think the problem lies with cheaper, adulterated oils. Also I have seen cats rubbing themselves through my lavender plants (which would explain why the plants don't last long! )

I had a beautiful (and very old) aspidistra that 'developed' holes along the edge of the leaves. One day I caught Willow chomping blissfully on the leaves - not eating them, just perforating them! She has also been caught biting the heads off cyclamen flowers She must know something - she's still with us at 14!

Always best to err on the side of caution, but it did surprise me at how toxic tea tree is. We use it quite a lot in cleaning products. I started using it instead of dettol!

[Lilith]

Ironically, although I mentioned on the Yankee Candle thread about having to be careful with strong scents around snakes, I have some special reptile healing balm that contains ... tea tree oil. And I used it for a pine snake who'd rubbed his nose during mating season, trying to get out to a mate ... sadly, snakes can't be neutered; I think amateur reptile keeping is still in its infancy

So there was I, sticking this stuff on poor Shadrach's nose - and we all know how sensitive a snake's sense of smell is. Fortunately he healed well and survived his ordeal; he was such a gentleman, only fierce around his food.

Of course reptiles are different to cats, but I wouldn't feel very happy about using this stuff again. Except on me maybe Ugh, I too have used Dettol - and Jeyes' Fluid, where cats could wander into the cleaned area, AND I still use bleach, but only down the bog - and the lid is always kept down ... one of the benefits of being a single female maybe

[Janey]

I used to use essential oils but now only the odd drop once a blue moon away from the cats. Although my vet said a small drop of Olbas Oil behind a pillow would help my Schui when he was stuffed up. I never use candles now (as mentioned on the candle thread). And yep some of my cats like the herb patch, my blind cat loved to wander through bless him, but essential oils are much more concentrated. Cat mint never lasts two minutes with the ferals rolling in it lol