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I used essential oils before cats. Will past use harm my new cats?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 8 months and 12 days old | 7 lbs

Hi, I used to use grapefruit and orange essential oil around the house... adding it to mop water, burning it, diffusing it in one of those diffusers that mists it out in water, and spraying it with a spray bottle into the air, on blankets, furniture, on tables to wipe them down with... anything. I had never had cats and didn't know citrus is toxic to them. Now I have cats and I am staying up all night wondering if the oil I used in the past will kill them. I didn't know this when I got the ca

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 22nd, 2016

While direct contact with undiluted essential oils can be toxic to cats using a few drops in a spray or diffuser is unlikely to cause any problems. If your cats have asthma you may want to avoid any fragrances but otherwise I think you can continue to use your oils this way. Ask your veterinarian for advice if your cats have any health problems.

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    Answered By Claudia Fioravanti

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    How long in the past ? As long as Kitty seems ok and you stop using citrus fruit essential oil and other essential oils potentially harmful for cats, then kitty should be fine . If you notice any abnormalities , I would suggest to have her checked over.

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