Essential oils for cats

Make a flea collar

Most commercially available flea collars contain highly toxic products that can only be harmful to your cat in the long term. To make a collar with natural products that are safe for your cat, use a strong fabric (to form a band that you can put around his neck) and pour onto this band a mixture of the following essential oils: True lavender (2 drops), Tea tree (2 drops) and Cinnamon (1 drop). Leave to impregnate the fabric collar for several hours.

Environmental flea spray (dogs and cats)

In a 100 ml bottle, combine the following essential oils: Tea Tree 15 ml + Lemon Lime 10 ml + Lavandin 5 ml + Clove 5 ml. Top up with alcohol or perfume base
Spray regularly in places where your cat stays and where fleas may be found: carpet, litter box, basket, blanket, cushions, etc.

Flea lotion for cats

Mix the following ingredients in a spray bottle: Tea tree 15 ml + Lemongrass 10 ml + Peppermint 5 ml + Solub HE3 ml + perfume base17 ml + Lavender hydrosol 50 ml.
Spray the lotion onto the cat's coat, working backwards and forwards, paying particular attention to the eyes.

Cat ear ulcers

These ulcers can be common in cats. They may be caused by eczema or be parasitic in origin. If your cat scratches its ears, this only aggravates the situation, and you need to act sooner rather than later.

To do this, warm a little vegetable oil in a tablespoon and mix in chamomile and lavender essential oils (1 drop of each). Using a dropper, draw up the lotion and place one drop in the ear orifice. Use the rest of the lotion to massage around the ear to prevent the ulcer from spreading.

Scabies treatment

In a bowl of warm water, add 1 drop of lavender essential oil and 1 drop of tea tree essential oil. Soak a glove and run it over the hair (ideally on the wrong side if your cat can stand it). Don't forget to change your cat's diaper (or spray it with the same lotion).

Precautions for use

For animals, the precautions for use are broadly the same as those for humans.

• Scrupulously respect recommended dosages and directions for use, which may differ according to the routes of absorption indicated by your veterinarian/aromatherapist.
• Do not administer essential oils to a baby animal.
• If your animal is expecting or breast-feeding: we recommend not using essential oils during this period. Some essential oils may have an abortifacient or milk-suppressing effect, even when diffused in the air.
• Do not use essential oils on epileptic, asthmatic or allergic animals > Never inject essential oils intravenously or through the muscle.
• Allergy: It is advisable to carry out an allergy test before using an essential oil. To do this, apply a drop of essential oil (mixed with a drop of vegetable oil) to the crease of the elbow. If there is no reaction after 24 hours, you can use the essential oil. Particular attention should be paid to the following essential oils: Ceylon cinnamon, Mint, Litsée and Lemon balm.
• Respiratory allergies, asthma: The use of essential oils for atmospheric diffusion is contraindicated. > Never apply essential oils to the eyes, ear, nose or ano-genital mucous membranes.
• Accidental eye splashes: Wipe the eye with absorbent cotton soaked in pure vegetable oil, or apply one or more drops of vegetable oil to the eyeball. Do not wash with water!
• Essential oils are not water-soluble. If you pour them into a bath or dish, they float to the surface and may cause skin irritation or burns. Always dilute them beforehand (p.ex. in neutral liquid soap, vegetable oil, honey, liquid cream, Solub-HE).
• Avoid skin and coat contact with essential oils of Cinnamon, Exotic Basil, Mint, Clove, Niaouli, Thyme, Scots Pine, Marjoram, Savory, Lemon Grass. They are dermo-caustic. Used undiluted, they can irritate or even burn your pet's skin.
• A veterinarian is irreplaceable in cases of serious illness or prolonged use.