By Dial A Vet Veterinary Team
Eucalyptus is so much a part of Australian life that it is easy to forget it can be harmful. The smell of a gum tree after rain is harmless enough. The concentrated oil is another matter. It turns up in floor cleaners, wool washes, laundry soakers, chest rubs, bath products and diffusers, and cats are particularly poor at breaking it down. A few drops licked off a paw or groomed out of fur can make a cat seriously unwell.
Key takeaways
- The ASPCA lists eucalyptus as toxic to cats. The main concern is concentrated eucalyptus oil.
- Cats lack some of the liver pathways other species use to clear compounds found in essential oils, so small amounts can cause harm.
- Exposure happens through licking, grooming oil off fur, skin contact and breathing in droplets from diffusers.
- Signs include drooling, vomiting, wobbliness, weakness, breathing trouble and a slow heart rate.
- Never apply eucalyptus or other essential oils to a cat. Call your vet or the Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738 if you suspect exposure.
- Related: signs of poisoning in cats, tea tree oil and fleas, toxic and safe plants.
Why cats are so sensitive
Eucalyptus oil is rich in eucalyptol (also called 1,8-cineole) and other compounds that the body has to process in the liver. Cats have low activity of an enzyme system called glucuronidation, which many animals use to clear substances like these. That is the same reason paracetamol and many essential oils are dangerous to cats. Compounds build up and affect the nervous system, gut, liver and breathing.
Oils also cling to fur. Cats groom constantly, so a spill on a paw or a coat exposed to diffuser droplets becomes a dose they swallow over the following hours.
Where cats meet eucalyptus at home
- Eucalyptus oil bottles and drops on tissues
- Floor, bathroom and multipurpose cleaners with eucalyptus oil
- Wool washes and laundry soakers
- Chest rubs, inhalants and vapour products for colds
- Ultrasonic and nebulising diffusers
- Candles, room sprays and liquid potpourri
- Some older "natural" pet rinses and flea washes
- Fresh eucalyptus bunches in vases
Leaves versus oil
Chewing a fresh gum leaf or a stem from a bouquet usually causes, at most, drooling or a mild upset stomach, because the oil content is low and leaves taste unpleasant. That is still worth a call to your vet, especially if your cat ate a lot or seems unwell. Concentrated oil is far more dangerous. Even a small spill on the fur or a lick from an open bottle is reason to act.
Signs of eucalyptus poisoning
- Drooling or foaming at the mouth
- Pawing at the mouth
- Vomiting or diarrhoea
- Wobbliness or walking as if drunk
- Weakness, lethargy or hiding
- Fast or laboured breathing, coughing
- Slow heart rate or low body temperature
- Tremors or seizures
- Redness or irritation where oil touched the skin
Signs can start within minutes to hours.
What to do straight away
- Move your cat to fresh air and away from the source.
- If oil is on the fur or skin, prevent grooming and call your vet. They may advise washing with a mild dishwashing liquid and lukewarm water, but only if your cat is calm and you can do it safely.
- Do not try to make your cat vomit.
- Do not give milk, food or home remedies.
- Call your vet or the Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738 with the product in hand.
When it is an emergency
Go to a vet immediately if your cat licked or swallowed eucalyptus oil, has oil on its coat, or shows any breathing difficulty, wobbliness, collapse, tremors or seizures. Prompt care makes a real difference.
How vets treat it
Treatment depends on how much and how long ago. Vets may bathe the cat to remove oil, give fluids, support breathing with oxygen, keep the cat warm, treat vomiting and seizures, and run blood tests to check the liver. Most cats treated early recover well.
Making your home safer
- Do not use eucalyptus oil diffusers in homes with cats. If you use any diffuser, keep it out of rooms your cat uses and ventilate well.
- Store oils and eucalyptus cleaners in closed cupboards.
- Let floors dry fully and keep cats out until they do.
- Wash your hands after using chest rubs before handling your cat.
- Use pet-safe cleaning products where possible.
- Never apply eucalyptus, tea tree or other essential oils to cats for fleas or "calming".
FAQ
My cat walked through a freshly mopped eucalyptus floor. Is that dangerous?
Diluted cleaner on a dry floor is lower risk, but wet floors can leave residue on paws that cats lick off. Wipe paws with a damp cloth and watch for drooling or vomiting. Call your vet if you notice anything.
Is a passive reed diffuser safer?
Passive diffusers release less into the air, but cats can knock them over or brush against the reeds. They are best kept out of reach or not used.
Is eucalyptus safe for dogs?
Concentrated oil is also harmful to dogs, though cats are more sensitive. Keep oils away from all pets.
Talk with a vet
If your cat has come into contact with eucalyptus oil or a cleaning product and you are worried, a Dial A Vet veterinarian can help you decide how urgent it is and what to do next. Book a Dial A Vet consult.
References
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. Toxic and non-toxic plants: Eucalyptus.
- Pet Poison Helpline. Essential oils and cats.
- Merck Veterinary Manual. Toxicoses from household cleaners and personal care products in animals.
- Animal Poisons Helpline (Australia). 1300 869 738.
Disclaimer: Educational only. This page does not replace an examination or advice from your own veterinarian. If you are worried about your pet right now, contact your local vet or nearest emergency animal hospital.