Bonding With Our Feline Friends
Sarah Hale
Cats are a woman’s best friend. If that statement resonates with your heart and soul, then this blog is definitely for you. Have you ever heard the statement that you should surround yourself with people and things that influence your happiness and mood? Well, the nature of cats is very warm, inviting, kind, cuddly, playful, and adventurous – why wouldn’t you want to emulate those traits as well? Studies have shown, that owning a pet is linked to many health benefits such as decreased blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and loneliness. We want to specifically highlight on the health benefits that cats bring to us and how to reciprocate the love and care that they bring us by carefully using essential oils around your cat.
Reduces stress and anxiety: Their calming, warm, and welcoming demeanor allow you to let go of the worries you have and just relax. Their inviting spirits help you rest your mind and chill, as they do best. Cats also do not require as much attention or maintenance, which is one less thing on your to do list.
Reduces loneliness: This goes back to reducing stress and anxiety because social isolation can bring upon those two things. Cats are loyal and know who their owners are. Though they are usually independent creatures, they have a special and unique bond with their owners and that in itself creates companionship and gives the owner a proud sense of identity and belonging. Being a cat owner also helps create bonds with other owners. Owning a cat is a nice conversation piece and way to relate to others because they understand the love and friendship that cats bring to their lives.
Boosts your immune system: With all that cat fluff and fur floating around the house, your immune system becomes familiar with and resistant to allergens.
Reduces risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, and strokes: Studies have shown that having a cat around reduces the levels of stress and lowers blood pressure, which in turn reduces the risk for heart disease or a stroke. Once again, because of their low maintenance nature and warm spirits, they provide a tranquil and comforting environment to be able to destress and decompress.
While essential oils bring us many health benefits and our bodies seem to react well to them, cats don’t always have the same reaction to them as we do. Their bodies don’t seem to metabolize them as well as other animals or humans do. While this is the case, this does not mean you have to eliminate the use of essential oils, it just means that you need to be a little more mindful and careful so that your cat can be happy too. Here are some ways to safely use your oils:
Mix up the oils you use: You probably are already doing this, but if you aren’t, this would be so helpful to your sweet cat. Switching up the oils you use frequently is great so you don’t create frequent exposure to a certain oil. If you have the time, coming up with a schedule of oils/oil blends to diffuse or use could be fun and helpful to not only your cat, but to yourself as well. We know that with the busyness of life, sometimes things like what oil you used today can totally slip your mind. A schedule is so very helpful so that you have it handy to remember.
Making sure there is always a way out of the room where there is a diffuser on. Since cats can’t speak and verbally tell you if the oils are bothering them, allowing them to leave when they please will be best for them.
Though it’s so nice to have the constant stream of oils diffusing in the house, we would suggest diffusing intermittently around your cat. Giving your cat a break from the oils will be so helpful since they don’t have the same ability to metabolize oils.
Only use the best oils that are organic and 100% pure. We love and are huge advocates for Young Living because they guarantee that and hold true to producing high quality products. Learn more about their Seed-to-Seal on Young Living's website.
Dilute oils in water or other carrier oils are helpful since cats are much smaller than we are.
Avoid oils that are high in phenols and monoterpenes like cassia, thyme, oregano, citrus oils, pine, spruce, fir, clove, and mountain savory around cats.
Research, research, research. Before you apply any oils topically to your cat, do your due diligence to make sure it's a safe oil for them.
We're big fans of cats and we believe they bring a lot of good and love into this world, so we want to be sure we love and care for them well. One of the best ways to love your cat is to use your essential oils with mindfulness so that you can protect your cat’s health. We hope all the information we provided was helpful and informative. We’d also love to hear more about why you love cats and what you do to love them best!