Vet-Backed Advice About Fragrances and Pets

Fragrance Safety Tips for Pet Homes

Throughout this series, we’ve explored how fragranced products, including candles, diffusers, essential oils, perfumes, sprays, and household cleaners, can impact our pets. But what do veterinarians and animal welfare organisations actually recommend?

In this final part, we’re bringing it all together with expert advice from veterinary groups across Australia and around the world. You’ll also find practical, vet-backed tips to help you enjoy a beautifully scented home that’s safe and comfortable for your pets.

Why Are Pets So Sensitive to Fragrances?

While we may enjoy a softly scented room or a spritz of perfume, our pets experience smell on an entirely different scale. Dogs have up to 300 million scent receptors (compared to our 5–6 million), and cats also rely heavily on scent to navigate their world. Even a small amount of fragrance can be intense for them, sometimes even overwhelming.

Birds have a different, but equally important sensitivity. Their lungs are designed for maximum efficiency, which also makes them vulnerable to tiny airborne particles. What might be safe or barely noticeable for a human can have a much stronger effect on a bird or small animal.

Pets are also physically closer to the ground, where heavier scent particles and chemical residues settle, and they often lick their fur or paws, increasing the chance of exposure through ingestion. This combination of heightened sensitivity and close contact means we need to be thoughtful about the products we use in our homes.

What Do Vets and Animal Organisations Recommend?

RSPCA Australia

The RSPCA urges pet owners to be cautious with essential oils, especially around cats and birds. Even so-called “natural” oils like tea tree, eucalyptus, or citrus can cause toxic reactions. Products should be used in well-ventilated areas and kept out of reach. Birds are especially sensitive to inhaled fragrances due to their efficient, but delicate, respiratory systems.

Source: RSPCA South Australia – Pet Safety Guide

ASPCA (USA)

The ASPCA confirms that many essential oils are hazardous if ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin, especially for cats and dogs. They note that even “natural” or plant-based doesn’t mean safe. The organisation suggests that diluted oils used briefly in pet-free areas may be acceptable, but they advise against using strong concentrations around animals with breathing conditions.

Source: ASPCA – Essential Oils & Pets

Cats Protection (UK)

Cats Protection recommends soy or beeswax candles with cotton wicks over paraffin-based ones. Paraffin wax can release toxins when burned (although the difference in VOCs between paraffin and other waxes is minimal, as we’ve discussed in previous blogs), while cotton wicks are a safer choice than those with metal cores. They also recommend good airflow and advise against using essential oils around cats due to how differently cats metabolise many common fragrance compounds.

Source: Cats Protection – Scented Candles & Cats

BC SPCA (Canada)

The BC SPCA highlights the risks associated with paraffin candles, lead-core wicks, and strong synthetic scents. They recommend switching to plant-based waxes (like soy or coconut), avoiding aerosols, and using “pet-conscious” fragrance blends where possible. Cats and birds are particularly sensitive to vapourised oils and synthetic perfumes, which can linger in the air and settle on fur, feathers, and surfaces.

Source: BC SPCA – Aromatherapy & Pets

How Vets Assess Fragrance Exposure in Pets

If your pet starts showing signs like sneezing, watery eyes, coughing, vomiting, excessive grooming, or sudden changes in behaviour, a vet may ask questions about environmental changes, especially any new fragranced products. Scent-related reactions can look a lot like allergies, asthma, or even low-grade poisoning, so vets often diagnose through a process of elimination.

Vets might:

• Review your pet’s recent history, including products used at home
• Ask about candles, sprays, plug-ins, or essential oils
• Recommend removing potential irritants for a short time to see if symptoms improve
• Order bloodwork or perform allergy testing if symptoms persist

Depending on the severity, treatment could include antihistamines, anti-inflammatory medication, or simply eliminating exposure. In cases involving birds or cats, vets often recommend avoiding fragranced products entirely.

FAQ: Common Questions About Fragrance and Pet Safety

Are “fragrance-free” products always safe for pets?

Not always. “Fragrance-free” just means no added scent, but the product could still contain solvents, alcohol, or preservatives. If your pet is sensitive or has a known condition, it’s best to choose vet-approved or pet-specific cleaning products.

Can I use candles or diffusers if my pet has asthma?

Only with your vet’s approval. In general, it’s best to avoid fragranced products around pets with asthma or respiratory conditions. If you do use them, keep the area well ventilated and ensure your pet can leave the space easily.

How can I tell if a product is pet-safe?

Look for candles made with soy or coconut wax, cotton wicks, and phthalate-free fragrance oils. Avoid paraffin, essential oils known to be toxic to pets (like tea tree or clove), and anything labelled “long-lasting” or “intense scent,” which usually means a higher chemical load.

Practical Fragrance Safety Tips for Pet Homes

Candle Safety

• Choose soy, coconut, or beeswax candles with cotton wicks.
• Keep candles in ventilated areas and well away from pets.
• Trim wicks before each burn to reduce soot.
• Avoid candles with strong essential oil blends.
• Never leave a lit candle unattended, especially with pets in the room.

Diffuser Safety

• Avoid oils known to be harmful to pets (including tea tree, eucalyptus, clove, peppermint, citrus, pine).
• Only use diluted oils and never apply them to your pet.
• Run diffusers in pet-free rooms, and limit diffusion time.
• Clean diffusers thoroughly between uses to avoid residue buildup.

Perfume & Spray Use

• Apply personal fragrances away from your pet, and allow them to settle before cuddles.
• Only use air fresheners or sprays in pet-free areas, and ventilate before letting pets back in.
• Avoid using sprays near birds or small animals entirely.

Cleaning Products

• Use pet-specific or unscented cleaners for surfaces your pet touches.
• Avoid bleach, ammonia, or heavily fragranced products.
• Allow rooms to air out completely after cleaning.
• Rinse floors or soft furnishings well if pets come into contact with them.

Storage & Supervision

• Store all candles, sprays, oils, and cleaning products out of reach.
• Wipe up any spills immediately.
• Watch for signs of irritation or behavioural changes.
• Contact your vet if symptoms persist or worsen.

Special Note on Birds

Birds are highly sensitive to scents, smoke, and airborne chemicals. Even a quick spritz of air freshener or lighting a candle can cause respiratory distress. If you have birds at home, it’s best to avoid using fragranced products in their space, and ideally in your home altogether.

Quick-Reference Table On Fragrance Safety for Pet Homes

Product/Practice	Safer Approach	What to Avoid
Candles	Soy, coconut, beeswax; cotton wicks; ventilated rooms	High essential oil content
Diffusers	Diluted oils, brief use in pet-free spaces	Tea tree, eucalyptus, citrus, clove, peppermint (not an exhaustive list)
Perfume/Sprays	Apply away from pets, ventilate space	Spraying near pets, birds, or bedding
Cleaning Products	Unscented or pet-specific; rinse and ventilate	Bleach, ammonia, strong synthetic scents
Storage/Supervision	Store securely; clean spills promptly	Leaving products within pet access
Bird Safety	Avoid all fragranced products	Any aerosols, candles, or oils near birds

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to give up fragrance to live in a pet-friendly home. Just use it thoughtfully. Choose high-quality, cleaner-burning products, avoid known irritants, and pay attention to your pet’s behaviour. They’ll often show you what they’re comfortable with if you know what signs to look for.

At Spirited Flame, we craft our candles with a premium blend CocoSoy wax, cotton wicks, and carefully selected fragrance blends. If you’re ever unsure about a product or want to chat about the best scent options for your home, feel free to reach out.

Thanks for following along with this series. If there’s a topic you’d love us to cover next, whether it’s fragrance, home styling, or pet-safe gifting, drop us a message or leave a comment. We love hearing from you.

 

You might also like this post: https://spiritedflame.com/most-common-mistakes-when-using-scents-around-pets/