Ragdoll Cat Poisoning from Bath and Body Works Wallflower Plug in Air Freshener
I have decided to run this story again because Bath and Body Works Wallflower is still on the market.
“I have a tragic story. We had a beautiful seal mitted ragdoll named Jingles who we loved dearly. She cuddled, followed the kids around, brought us toys to throw, met us at the door and always went to the window at 3 pm to watch for our son come home from school. A few weeks ago she was tragically, accidentally poisoned. I bought a Bath and Body Works plug in air freshener (Bath and Body Works Wallflower) and plugged into an outlet 4 feet up the wall. It was plugged in for one hour and leaked (something it is not suppose to do). I didn’t realize until the next day that it had leaked (a few tablespoons leaked) and it landed in or near her food dish. By then it was too late. I can’t even explain how emotional and horrific it was for our family with two children. The liquid was so toxic that when I washed the area it took the paint of the baseboard. I have sent a letter to the chief executive office of the Ltd Co which is the owner of Bath and Body Works. I don’t want this tragedy to happen to anyone else.”
Bath and Body Works wallflowers toxic for cats.
Read Jingles Ragdoll of the Week story here.
Read more about things that poison cats:
- Ragdoll Cat Poisoning from a snow globe
- Holiday Alert: Watch Out For Plants Poisonous to Your Cat
- Poisonous Holiday Plants and More for Cats by Boris’ Mom
- Ragdoll Cat Poisoning from Bath and Body Works Plug in Air Freshener
- Read more about preventing pet poisoning
Hi, I’m Jenny Dean, creator of Floppycats! Ever since my Aunt got the first Ragdoll cat in our family, I have loved the breed. Inspired by my childhood Ragdoll cat, Rags, I created Floppycats to connect, share and inspire other Ragdoll cat lovers around the world,
Yes, especially for cats and even dogs. The candles are just as bad. I removed all sprays, scented candles, air fresheners from my house and car. Bath and Body works as well as Yankee candles are terrible. I heard from a friend they use old oils, engine oil to make their candles. The essential oils, some of which are supposed to be OK, but now I avoid them all. Unfortunately you never really know what goes in these products completely.
My beautiful baby girl Stuffin suffered the same horrible fate a couple of days ago that Jingles did, though in her case, it was the Better Homes and Garden brand . Somehow the plug in managed to get turned sideways and the oil leaked out, coming into contact with the fur on her face. My vet and I did everything we can to save her but her poor little lungs were too damaged before we realized exactly what had happened. This story about Jingles and the story about what happened to my little Stuffin need to be shared over and over. These oils are extremely dangerous and toxic to animals. Flawed designs, lack of information as to what exactly is in the product, and a lack of what to do in case of an accidental poisoning need to addressed to prevent this from happening to anyone else’s beloved pet or maybe even child. I am so sorry for what happened to Jingles and I first hand know the pain you are going through.
Wow, I am sorry to read this! I am so sorry for your Stuffin!
My heart absolutely breaks for the family of Jingles. He was such a magnificent creature and it’s a terrible loss that he’s gone in such tragic circumstances.
There are always new people here reading these articles and I’m personally very grateful to you for re-running this story. I don’t use the plug-in air fresheners now, but I did use them about 20 years ago. As we become more informed about the dangers of these products, we realise they’re completely unsafe around pets and humans.
I used to use a glass vase filled with coffee beans as a natural air freshener when my darling dog was alive. I would sometimes “refresh” the scent with essential oils like vanilla. But these days I wouldn’t even risk that…
I allow FLUFFY up onto the kitchen benches and he inhabits every part of my life. This story is a real reminder to cautiously consider absolutely EVERYTHING that comes into the house.
If cats ingest these oils, do they always vomit and show other immediate signs?
SUCH A SUPER IMPORTANT RE-POST THAT CANNOT BE RE-SHARED TOO OFTEN, Jenny honey! 🙁 <3
TYSVM for keeping this issue active for people to be aware of!!! <3
Big hugs & lots of love & purrs!
Patti & Miss Pink Sugarbelle <3 <3 <3
I am so sorry! But I also wanted to thank you for this post. For about 3 years I used a wall plug in a few feet from the litter box and food. The cat was constantly vomiting and whenever I would mention it to the vet he didn’t seem concerned. Then I saw that some essential oils, wall plug ins and fragrances can be poisonous to cats. I removed the plug in and the vomiting stopped for over a year. I mentioned this to our vet and he didn’t believe me. He told me the plug ins are fine for households with cats. I was still skeptical though. A few days ago my daughter was given a Bath & Body Works wall plug in for her birthday. I knew she would be sad if I threw it away. I figured the vet said it was safe so we should be fine if I only put it in her bedroom. Nope. We have a ranch and her bedroom is about 15 feet from the cat’s food, water and litter. 2 or 3 days after plugging it in my cat was vomiting all over the house. It was worse than it’s ever been. Immediately I threw the plug in away. I am convinced that these things are unsafe for cats. I don’t know if it’s specific to the Ragdoll breed though. Again I am so sorry for your loss and my heart goes out to you and your family. Will be contacting the company.
Thank you for sharing – I am sorry your vet doesn’t believe you! I wish they would remove this product from the market – if it causes a cat to vomit, over time it will affect the humans too.
Glad you posted this again Jenny. Every time I go to B & B, I shudder when seeing those plug-ins or any for that matter except Feliway. So sorry about Jingles. ♥️
a lady wrote me the other day – she was having trouble with her kitty who wouldn’t stop scratching around her neck…and the fur was getting sparse around her neck. I immediately thought about this story – because as humans, we trust these companies and think these products to “freshen” our home are safe – but really, we have no idea if they are even safe for us to be inhaling.
Actually, I posted about Pet Remedy on YouTube the other day (around the time I re-ran this post) and a guy asked me if I was worried about it at all – and I said, I wasn’t because it was developed to specifically help pets, like Feliway, whereas Bath & Body Works plugins were not designed for that reason.