Melodi
Disaster Cat
0)Nightwolf says the only safe essential oils to use around cats are:
1. Lavender
2. Chamomile (both Roman and German)
3. Cannabis
These oils all have incredibly low toxicity (we can't even find an LD50 for any of the cannabinoids yet...occasionally a number is suggested, but it always comes down to, "if you want to kill a small animal with cannabis, compress twenty pounds into a brick and drop it on the animal's head from a great height". Lavender and the chamomiles are considered safe to use undiluted on human infants (if they do not show signs of allergy by 3 successive patch tests; note that chamomiles are cross-reactive with ragwort allergy in some people). Cannabis is not directly toxic, but some questions remain regarding neurological/developmental effects, and it is therefore not advised for pre-adults unless there is pressing cause such as intractable epilepsy. Cats respond extremely well to cannabis, although oversedation (unconscious for >24 hours) with extremely high dosage presents dangers of dehydration and protein-deficiency liver damage if not supported.
If you must decontaminate or for other reasons use area-effect diffusion of non cat-safe oils (nearly all; cat metabolism is extremely sensitive to these powerful concentrates) around cats:
1) Give a few hours clearance between the diffusion of the oil and the presence of the cat in the room. We have occasionally used mixtures that I would not be happy using in the direct presence of a cat in order to deal with bacteria, fungi, u.s.w. - but we move the cats until we can't really detect the scent any longer.
2) Ensure that the cat can freely leave the room or area as it pleases. Usually the cat will find the aroma of a potential toxin noxious long before it is actually in danger.
3) If spraying as a mist emulsion or otherwise putting the oil onto surfaces in any concentration higher than might be delivered to walls or floor by a few drops in an essential oil water-"burner" in a medium-sized room...well, keep the spray to places where the cat will not walk or rub.
Anything that gets onto a cat, will get into a cat in short order!
1. Lavender
2. Chamomile (both Roman and German)
3. Cannabis
These oils all have incredibly low toxicity (we can't even find an LD50 for any of the cannabinoids yet...occasionally a number is suggested, but it always comes down to, "if you want to kill a small animal with cannabis, compress twenty pounds into a brick and drop it on the animal's head from a great height". Lavender and the chamomiles are considered safe to use undiluted on human infants (if they do not show signs of allergy by 3 successive patch tests; note that chamomiles are cross-reactive with ragwort allergy in some people). Cannabis is not directly toxic, but some questions remain regarding neurological/developmental effects, and it is therefore not advised for pre-adults unless there is pressing cause such as intractable epilepsy. Cats respond extremely well to cannabis, although oversedation (unconscious for >24 hours) with extremely high dosage presents dangers of dehydration and protein-deficiency liver damage if not supported.
If you must decontaminate or for other reasons use area-effect diffusion of non cat-safe oils (nearly all; cat metabolism is extremely sensitive to these powerful concentrates) around cats:
1) Give a few hours clearance between the diffusion of the oil and the presence of the cat in the room. We have occasionally used mixtures that I would not be happy using in the direct presence of a cat in order to deal with bacteria, fungi, u.s.w. - but we move the cats until we can't really detect the scent any longer.
2) Ensure that the cat can freely leave the room or area as it pleases. Usually the cat will find the aroma of a potential toxin noxious long before it is actually in danger.
3) If spraying as a mist emulsion or otherwise putting the oil onto surfaces in any concentration higher than might be delivered to walls or floor by a few drops in an essential oil water-"burner" in a medium-sized room...well, keep the spray to places where the cat will not walk or rub.
Anything that gets onto a cat, will get into a cat in short order!