The sweet floral scent and flavor with rosemary tones, citrus, and mint make lavender a valued aromatic culinary herb. It is also a lovely ornamental plant and landscaping plant besides extracting the lavender essential oil. Is lavender safe or poisonous to cats?
Lavender is a common name given to about 47 known genus Lavandula species, cultivated mainly in temperate regions as an ornamental and landscape plant and has uses in culinary (cooking herb) and in the extraction of lavender essential oil. The term may also mean Lavandula angustifolia (English lavender), the most commonly grown species of Lavandula
This herb is a member of the sage, mint, deadnettle family Lamiaceae with other aromatic culinary herbs like basil, sage, oregano, rosemary, mentha, savory, marjoram, among others.
Is it toxic for cats?
Yes. Lavender is toxic or poisonous to cats, dogs, or even horses since it has linalool and linalyl acetate, responsible for its toxicity for these pets. All parts of the plant (flowers, flower buds, and leaves) are poisonous because a cat’s liver doesn’t have the right enzymes to metabolize these compounds, making them toxic.
Therefore, if you use fresh leaves or dried lavender spice or condiment in your pasta, dressing desserts, or salads, use the lavender buds in your teas or savory dishes or even the lavender greens in spicy meat and vegetable dishes, ensure your cat doesn’t eat these foods. Anything with lavender is a big no to cats.
Similarly, it would help if you were more worried about lavender essential oil as it is more toxic to cats. It has a higher concentration of toxic compounds and can cause toxicity if inhaled or comes in contact with the skin (it will be rapidly be absorbed through the skin).
Therefore, diffusing lavender oil isn’t safe for cats, and don’t even touch this essential oil before washing your hands. Also, avoid cosmetics, sprays, perfumes, and any other product, including those for a topical application with lavender essential oil.
Finally, if you grow lavender as an ornamental plant for lovely purple flowers, ensure your felines don’t have access to them. We will give you some ways to protect them later in the discussion.
Signs of toxicity
According to ASPCA, some of the lavender toxicity signs include nausea, reduced appetite, and vomiting. Also, the essential oil makes your kitty to following symptoms:
- Breathing difficulties (if they inhale fumes)
- Lethargy
- Mouth and face pawing
- Drooling
- Uncoordinated gait
- Muscle tremors
- Burns or redness on skin, lip, tongue, gums, or mouth
If you suspect that your cat has eaten lavender, ingested or inhaled lavender oil and liquid extracts, has any of the above symptoms, talk to your vet or call any Animal Poisoning helpline near you for further diagnosis and treatment.
Protecting cats from lavender
Since the essential oil, liquid extract, dried lavender, and lavender plant are harmful to cats, they take many precautions to ensure toxicity doesn’t occur. We will look at lavender essential oil and toxicity in cats in detail in a different post.
Some of the ways to protect your kitties from lavender, including the plant, include the following:
Spices, herbs, and leftovers
Always keep the spices in tightly closed containers and ensure your cat doesn’t eat food lavender, including from your plate, leftover, those discarded in your dustbin, and so on. A pet-proof dustbin like iTouchless13 Gallon Pet-Proof Sensor Trash will help very much.
Besides eating toxic substances, your cats shouldn’t eat any leftovers, including from your trashcan, since it may cause nutritional imbalance. Remember, even for the healthy treats. They shouldn’t account for over 10% of their daily calorific intake.
Teas
Lavender tea has been approved in German as a supplement for managing restlessness, stomach irritation, and sleep disruption. You need to ensure you don’t leave it unattended as your feline accidentally ingests it.
Therefore, it joins tea and coffee drinks unsafe to your feline pal since they have caffeine.
Protect lavender plants
If you have ornamental, while cats are not likely to eat lavender due to its strong aroma and flavor, there is a possibility they may want to try it. Ways to stop it from happening to include the following:
- Cat-proof your garden with a 6 ft high fence with an overhanging mesh to prevent cats from climbing over it.
- Use various deterrents to scare them away. Our favorite is Orbit 62100 Yard Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler with Day & Night Detection Modes, Black or Llfaiww Dog Repellent, Ultrasonic Animal Repellent with Motion Sensor, and Flashing Lights.
- Make the plants less appealing using various commercially available cat repellents or homemade ones, including cayenne peppers.
- Train your cat not to eat any garden plants. When doing so, ensure you have limited access to any ornamentals that may be toxic.
Besides lavender, these strategies may help prevent your cat from eating other deadly plants such as yew, tomato, daffodil, azalea, lilies, philodendron, mistletoe, among many others.
Other toxic herbs and spices
Besides the lavender plant, there are many other herbs and spices which are dangerous to your cat, and they include but not limited to, the following:
- Oregano (Origanum vulgare hirtum)
- Marjoram, knotted marjoram, or pot marjoram (Origanum majorana)
- Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)
- Bay Laurel, bay tree, laurel tree, laurel, and sweet bag (Laurus nobilis)
- Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
- Epazote, Wormseed, Mexican Tea, Jusuit’s Tea, Paico (Chenopodium ambrosioides)
- Dock or sorrel (Rumex sp.)
- Chamomile (ground apple, garden chamomile or Roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis)
- Lemongrass or grass oil (Cymbopogon citratus)
- Borage or starflower (Borage officinalis)
- Garlic (Allium sativum)
- Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
- Scallions, sibies, spring or green onion (Allium fistulosum)
The list is not conclusive. Unless you are sure they are safe, always avoid giving your cat any spices or herbs.
Conclusion
We hope you now know why fresh or dried lavender is bad for your cats, including the dried buds, leaves. Also, its essential oil is more lethal or dangerous. Ensure you don’t give your cat any food that has this herb and store it well.