Which Essential Oils Are Safe for Dogs and Cats | Full List

As an aromatherapist, the question I'm asked most by pet owners is simple: can I still enjoy essential oils at home without putting my dog or cat at risk?

The honest answer is yes, with care. Some oils are best avoided altogether in a pet home, cats need more caution than dogs, and how scent reaches the air matters as much as which oil it is. Below you'll find the oils to avoid, the ones generally considered lower risk, and the Tyler scents I'd choose for a home with pets.

The quick answer

• Never put essential oils on your pet's skin or fur, or in their food or water.
• Avoid tea tree, pennyroyal, wintergreen, sweet birch, pine, cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, peppermint, citrus and ylang ylang as neat oils around pets.
• Cats are more sensitive than dogs. No essential oil is guaranteed safe for cats, so keep exposure light and always give them a way out of the room.
• Gentle, ambient scent is lower risk than concentrated oils or misting diffusers, especially in a well-ventilated room.

Essential oils are concentrated extracts derived from plants, typically through steam distillation or cold pressing. They capture the natural aromatic compounds responsible for a plant’s scent and many of its active constituents.

These oils don't appear on the main veterinary warning lists. That doesn't make any oil risk-free, but in a diluted candle, burned in a ventilated room your pet can leave, they're the ones I reach for.

Whatever the oil, never apply it to your pet, and keep bottles of neat oil well out of reach.

Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts. Our bodies process them easily in small amounts, but animals don't always.

Cats lack a liver enzyme that helps break down certain compounds found in essential oils, so those compounds can build up in their system. They're also very sensitive to phenols, which some oils contain. And because cats groom constantly, oil that settles on their fur ends up being swallowed.

Dogs don't have the same enzyme gap, but they can still be harmed, particularly puppies and dogs with liver problems. Most serious cases happen when a well-meaning owner applies neat oil, often tea tree for fleas or itchy skin.

The three main ways pets are exposed:

1. Skin contact. Oil applied directly, or walked through after a spill, is absorbed quickly and can irritate or burn.
2. Swallowing. Licking spills, chewing a bottle or grooming oil off fur is the highest-risk route.
3. Breathing it in. Strong scent in a small, closed room can irritate airways, especially in pets with asthma or breathing problems. Birds are particularly at risk, so avoid diffusing oils in a home with birds altogether.

How the scent gets into the air changes the risk as much as which oil you choose.

Whichever you choose, the same rules apply: keep products out of reach, don't scent a small closed room, and make sure your pet can always leave.

• Burn candles in larger rooms with a window or door open.
• Always leave your pet a way out to a scent-free room.
• Keep candles, diffusers and oil bottles well out of reach of paws, tails and noses.
• Never leave a lit candle unattended in a room with a pet.
• Keep scent out of the rooms where your pet sleeps, eats or grooms.
• Store oils securely and wipe up any spills straight away.
• Start with short burns and watch how your pet reacts.

Creating a calming home means considering everyone who lives in it - including your pets.

At Tyler Aromatherapy, we’re deeply aware of how important safety and wellbeing are for animal-loving households. Our candles are carefully formulated for ambient scenting, with essential oils blended into wax rather than applied directly or dispersed in concentrated form.

When used as directed - in a well-ventilated space, allowing pets to move freely - this type of fragrance is considered low risk for healthy adult dogs and cats based on current veterinary guidance.

We believe beautiful scent and responsible pet ownership can comfortably coexist with a little common sense and care.

Please note that a small number of our blends contain essential oils that are more commonly associated with sensitivity in dogs. If you’d like guidance on which scents may be more suitable for your home, feel free to email us at hello@tyleraromatherapy.com - we’re always happy to help.