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Is eucalyptus oil toxic for cats, especially when used for fleas?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Bombay | Male | neutered | 2 years and 2 months old | 14 lbs

I read online that eucalyptus oil kills fleas so I bathed my cat in it, about half a cup to 10 gallons of water. I then heard it's very toxic to cats...but other vets say it isn't..should I be concerned??

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on September 30th, 2019

These oils are known to contain phenols and may be toxic to cats. I would recommend not use them also because they are not completely effective against fleas as well. I would recommend to use a prescription product taken from your local veterinarian. Bravecto or stronghold or comfortis are all safe and excellent products with tested efficacy.

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    Answered By Jeffrey Milner

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 19th, 2017

    Hi, sorry to hear about the fleas. You need to wash everything fabric in bleach or a strong detergent. Bleach is best. I do not recommend eucalyptus to kill fleas. Loki also needs to be on a monthly flea and tick preventative in order to stop this from happening. Some suggestions are Frontline, Advantix, or Vectra. Get a good quality preventative from a vet or pet store. Also, vacuum everything in your house. Good luck, I hope this helps!

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