When a cat is sick or abnormally smelly, a pet owner might look for the cause in everything from food and water issues to pesticides, plants, cleaning products, or air fresheners.
Unfortunately, these last few possibilities are an often-overlooked source of harmful toxicity, but they can be dangerous to pets' health in the short and long term.
While air fresheners might seem like an excellent way to make your house smell nice, particularly around a cat's litter box, air freshener toxic chemicals can cause serious health problems for your cat.
The chemicals irritate the mucus membranes and breathing passages of your kitty. They can cause even more serious long-term problems if they contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Some long-term effects of exposure to VOCs include liver or kidney damage, cancer, and nervous system problems. Short-term effects include vomiting, breathing issues, dizziness, and eye/mouth/nose irritation.
Potpourri oils can also be dangerous from an air freshener – a cat might rub against a leaky bottle or spill the bottle on itself, which can result in skin irritation and internal problems if the cat licks the oil while grooming itself.