Long term use of phenols can cause liver damage in cats. Click on this Lavender Cats for more information on what NOT to use for your cats.
Our cat is 10 years old and a very healthy agile looking cat you have yet to find. However I have only used tea tree on the cat intermittantly when I ran out of blue spot and the cat was looking particularly dull. I am confident that the odd couple of tea tree treatments will not have harmed the cat. Dogs are more robust and can tolerate essential oils better but one still needs to be careful.
I have always had a gripe with the easy availability of purchasing essential oils. These are powerful substances and in the hands of a novice have the potential to cause toxicity and burns to humans or animals. They should not be for sale to the layperson. They should only be purchased from a fully qualified aromatherapist and that aromatherapist should provide full instructions on how and where to use them.
However what can be used to treat fleas and parasites that is safe and natural? Try this: Colloidal silver my cure all, my favourite. I have used the last tiny squirt out of my colloidal silver spray on my dog when her itchy skin was erupting again due to some chews I had given her and was amazed when next day the sore patch had totally gone.
Colloidal silver will also help keep your animal healthy as well as yourself. It is antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal and is very safe with almost no side-effects apart from the obvious one of serious overdosing.
Healthy Pets no fleas has some interesting information
However one does have to be pragmatic. Chemicals used in flea collars are even more harmful than essential oils to animals and humans so where does one draw the line? Or do we put up with fleas and parasites? Which is worse? This is why I will not beat myself up over the odd usage of tea-tree on animals because the chemicals in most veterinary products are harmful anyway.
Click here for more information on the exerpt below:
Did you know that your dog’s liver and kidneys are adversely affected by the use of flea collars, chemical de-wormers, and even heartworm drugs? These toxic chemicals, sooner or later, result in renal failure (kidney failure) and liver damage to the point of the liver becoming unable to filter the blood and then complete liver failure. Contaminated blood circulating throughout the body day after day will most definitely contribute to other more complicated health issues, such as diabetes and arthritis to name two of the most common long-term side effects.
A healthy animal will also give it a strong immune system so that it can fight parasites itself. My dog has food allergies (what a surprise!) so avoiding these (I use James Wellbeloved) have truly helped this stray that I picked up at the Blue Cross animal rescue centre. Aloe vera in the drinking water or food also supports the immune system with its many nutrients and has some anti-microbial activity. She is showered using a NEEM shampoo alternately with home-made castille soap and tea-tree shampoo. Her fur has grown back and she is looking like a totally different dog to the one I picked up 3 months ago.