my understanding is that cats aren't able to break down the actual oils themselves in the same manner that other species are, so that they act as much more powerful concentrates--there are safe and effective ways to dilute the oils into various forms that aren't harmful (they've been years for centuries, after all, especially for pest-relief), but you can't just assume that one form will work for each oil.
so i'd go with the no direct contact, and look information on the specific oil before making it into any sort of a topical (the new line of paul mitchell flea shampoos contains tea tree oil, which is considered toxic to cats--in a higher than, i think, 1% concentration...... so you really DO need to look around.) i'd check out WELL-ESTABLISHED herbalist sites, or someplace like www.holisticat.com, rather than any place that SELLS the products. just my bias. and then do a search for "lavender essential oil toxicity in felines" or something similar, just to see what comes up. i've never, however, heard that the diffused oils are harmful, tho there is always the question of the plug-in diffusers and whether THEY are safe. MC On Fri, Oct 31, 2008 at 9:56 AM, Sharyl <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I would never put a drop of essential oil on a cat. There probably are > safe ones to use but the majority are harmful. I don't know about using a > diffuser. Some cats are sensitive/allergic to fragrances. It would depend > on your cat. > Sharyl > > --- On Fri, 10/31/08, MacKenzie, Kerry N. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > From: MacKenzie, Kerry N. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [Felvtalk] Essential oil for calming cats > To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org, "felvpositivecats" < > [EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Friday, October 31, 2008, 9:29 AM > > Dear all > > Does anyone know anything about the safety of using essential oils in a > kitty household? My aromatherapist friend says: > > >>>>There seem to be two schools of thought, one of which > (internet) is > that essential oils in a diffuser can be too strong for cats, but that > hydrosols (also called hydrolats or floral waters) are safe to use, > simply sprayed into the air. > The other source said that a single drop of essential oil [sweet orange] > in a diffuser was useful to calm cats. > > I don't think myself that a drop of essential oil in a diffuser could do > cats much harm. If this was harmful, I'm sure it would be well known. > I've never seen any warning about not using a diffuser if you have a cat > - or two!<<<< > > Thanks! Kerry M. > > > _____________________________________________________________________________ > > IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE. Any tax advice expressed above by Mayer Brown LLP > was > not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by any taxpayer to > avoid > U.S. federal tax penalties. If such advice was written or used to support > the > promotion or marketing of the matter addressed above, then each offeree > should > seek advice from an independent tax advisor. > This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the > use of > the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received > this > email in error please notify the system manager. If you are not the named > addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. > > _______________________________________________ > Felvtalk mailing list > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Felvtalk mailing list > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org > -- Spay & Neuter Your Neighbors! Maybe That'll Make The Difference.... MaryChristine Special-Needs Coordinator, Purebred Cat Breed Rescue (www.purebredcats.org) Member, SCAT (Special-Cat Action Team) _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
