Tea tree oil and cats

On October 15, 2008 in Animals, General

Tea tree oil has been know to have a harmful effect on cats, and in some cases may result in death. Whilst tea tree oil products such as shampoos can be used on dogs, it is not recommended to use tea tree oil on cats.

Here’s an excerpt from Wikipedia:-

Tea tree oil has long been used as a method of all natural effective flea control by adding the oil directly to dogs, horses and sheep fur or their bathing water. Use on cats has been known to make them sick and in some cases kill them, this is due to cats licking their fur and consuming the oil.

Tea tree oil can be toxic for cats

Show Cats Online have issued this warning on their website about tea tree oil being toxic to cats:

Tea Tree Oil poisoning have been reported in both cats and dogs when applied to the skin at too high a dose. If your cat is going to have a reaction to tea tree oil, you will usually see it within 2 to 8 hours following application. Symptoms include:

* loss of muscular coordination
* lethargy
* weakness
* shaking and tremors
* a change in behavior

Why is tea tree oil no good for cats?

Tea Tree Wonders has an article about tea tree oil being toxic to cats - here’s a quote from their website:-

Unfortunately, tea tree oil is not good to use as a flea preventative for cats. There are other essential oils that are just as dangerous, like peppermint and pennyroyal.

The main problem is that because of their small size and body weight, combined with a liver that does not easily process essential oils like tea tree oil, cats can have a severe toxic reaction to amounts that many other animals wouldn’t even notice.

I get questions about using tea tree oil shampoo on both cats and dogs, and although for large dogs it may be great, I would use extreme caution and preferably avoid tea tree oil altogether for small dogs and all cats.

Here’s another warning from the Tea Tree Oil Uses website on why tea tree oil is toxic to cats:-

Along with being an effective remedy for many human skin ailments, Tea Tree Oil is readily available at pet stores for treatment of our furry friends. However, if ingested, this helpful natural product can become the furthest thing from effective, a toxic poison. The use as a flea control on young kittens has been recorded as resulting in death in some cases.

Early in the 1990’s with the suggestion of Tea Tree Oil causing negative effects on cats with nerve disorders, it was recommended that the amount of oil contained in animal products, such as cat shampoo, should not exceed 1%. It was advised to owners of cats with diabetes, epilepsy, metabolic or neurological disorders as well as young kittens not to use products containing this substance on their pets.

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