Be Wary of Aromatherapy Claims Made for Cats

By Sue Martin - continued -

Following is only a very small sampling of the many unsafe applications and untrue claims for cats:

1. “Essential Oils are distilled from plants & through their processing & mixing with vegetable oils, they oxygenate your pets’ blood system & soothe their emotions & nerves.”

This statement is untrue, essential oils do not oxygenate an animal’s or a human's blood, yet a certain multi-level marketing company espouses this myth as proven scientific data, whereas it is actually pure sales hype.

2. “This Essential Oils product has been developed for application in the ears of cats and kittens with ear mite infestation. Recommend daily application to both ears in infected pets to kill mites and control infection in ear canal”.

Frankincense and Helichrysum in diluted vegetable oil base, apply several drops to each ear daily for 2 to 4 weeks.

PRECAUTIONS: Discontinue use if redness, swelling, heat or pain result from application of this product. “

They offer precautions, as reactions will most likely occur. They do not tell you that placing the essential oils and vegetable oil in the ear will actually do more damage than good to the internal ear organs. That the oil blend can build up causing deafness and the cat’s system is absorbing enough essential oil compounds to cause permanent liver damage or death.

There is no valid research that shows Frankincense and Helichrysum essential oils kill ear mites in cats, but there is proof essential oils are toxic to cats.

3.  A book on animal aromatherapy recommends using peppermint essential oil on a cat or kitten for respiratory problems and runny nose. 

The owner of a kitten wrote to me about how her kitten even after applying 2 drops of peppermint on its chest, as the book instructed, would not get better. First, I felt a stab of sympathy for the kitten because her owner had read and applied an unsafe application, and secondly, frustration that authors write such unsafe information.  I told her she should have taken the kitten to a veterinarian as some respiratory problems can be life threatening or contagious to other cats. I then suggested she place two drops of peppermint on her cheek, as that is a tender spot but not as tender as the skin of 6-week-old kitten, to feel for herself to a lesser degree what her kitten is feeling.

She wrote me back, “Sue, I thought you were wrong, I placed the two drops and felt nothing, but after about 30 seconds it started to burn and redden my skin, even after trying to wash it off, the burning is terrible. I feel so bad that I did this to my kitten, no wonder he is so upset and meowing so much. I will never put essential oils on my cat again and I am throwing away the book.”

N.B. There are reports of respiratory failure in children when menthol (a major component of peppermint oil) has been applied to the nostrils.