Candles can give you a relaxing fragrance as you enter your home after a long day. They can brighten up romantic evenings with your significant other.
They can add an enriching aroma to your bath time and keep you warm in the winter. Nevertheless, the cat-lovers have always wondered if this little piece of heaven is safe for their cats?
Of course, candles can be a beautiful addition to your home, but you wouldn’t want them to harm your cat?
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Are Candles Safe for Cats?
The short answer is to put all of you responsible cat moms and dads at rest.
No, typically candles do not adversely affect your adorable cats. Of course, that is provided that they do not digest the wax or come into direct physical contact with the flame.
As a general rule, it would be good to ensure that you keep your candles in a place with a well-ventilated environment and make sure your feline friends are not exposed to fragrant candle fumes for long periods of time.
However, despite the fact that candles do not usually bother the cats, there may be certain types of candles that could prove to be troublesome to your cat.
Are Scented Candles Toxic for Cats?
Scented candles aren’t particularly harmful to felines. Aside from the physical aspects of the flame of a general candle, they do not pose immediate threats to your cat.
Of course, much like humans, different cats have different preferences when it comes to scents. Most cats do not like citrus scents, and other than that, you might want to try different candles and see how they like them.
The only rule when it comes to scented candles is that you should not expose your cat to strong scents for long periods of time, or it might cause stress and airway irritations.
Are Soy Candles Safe for Cats?
Similarly, soy candles are lovely for felines. They are manufactured from organic soybeans, which are brilliant fragrance carriers, contain little to no chemicals, and are even renewable.
Soy candles burn for more extended amounts of time, producing no toxic fumes, which makes them perfectly safe for your cats.
Are Paraffin Candles Safe for Cats?
If there is any candle that is actually very harmful to pets, it would be the candles made from paraffin.
Paraffin is a by-product of the production of petroleum, and much like petroleum, burning it gives off multiple chemicals that are toxic to the environment.
Although these candles might save you a few bucks, the released chemicals can be hazardous for you, and even more so for your felines.
Having smaller organs, their system can easily be clogged by the remnants of these fumes, causing problems in breath, and in extreme cases, a coma.
Are Beeswax Candles Safe for Cats?
Yes, much like soy, vegetable, or coconut wax candles, Beeswax candles are also completely organic, environmentally friendly, and safe for your pets. They burn clean and they might even serve as an air purifier for your home.
Can Cats Get Sick From Candles?
Not necessarily, but there may be some ingredients in candles that particular cats are allergic to. You might want to keep an eye out for sneezing or eye-watering as signs of allergy.
Sometimes, cats can be sensitive to certain scents. They have a sense of smell that is fourteen times stronger than that of humans.
In these cases, cats might dry heave or throw up after exposure to the candles. In these cases, you will need to reconsider your choice of candles.
What Candle Smells are Safe for Cats?
Cats are known to get irritated and dislike the smells of citrus and essential oils. They also generally prefer diluted smells to strong ones.
Other than that, the choice of scent really depends on each individual cat. Just like different people, like different fragrances, some cats might like certain smells, while they would completely repel others.
Tips for Burning Candles Around Cats?
When burning candles around your cats, you need to be just as careful as you would be with infants that could hypothetically jump around cabinets and wreck things.
1. Avoid Paraffin
First off, you would need to make sure that you are not using paraffin candles and are instead using soy, beeswax, vegetable, coconut wax, or any other organic environment friendly candle.
2. Observe Your Cat
Then, you would have to make sure that you observe your cat’s behavior closely each time you purchase a new scent or type of candle.
If you have more than one cat, make sure you follow each of them individually and pay close attention to all of them.
Some cats may be heavily bothered by things that are not so troubling for others.
3. Place in Safe Space
Third, you will need to place your candles in a safe space where the cat will not come into physical contact with them. Otherwise, the cat may burn its paw and, in worst cases, set an entire fire by knocking over the candle itself.
Ensure you do not leave candles lit for long periods of time and ensure proper ventilation in your home.
Also, do not leave candles unattended, especially with a cat in your house. You might want to come home to a refreshing scent, but leaving candles alone is a tremendous fire hazard and can be very harmful.
Is it Safer to Use Candle Warmers Instead of Open Flames for Cats?
There is no set rule about using candle warmers instead of open flames.
Yes, using candle warmers reduces the potential fire hazard in case the cat knocks over the candle, but at the same time, candle warmers are very hot too.
They can burn the cat just like an open flame would, which makes it just as dangerous.
Final Remarks
While you wouldn’t say that candles are the end of the world for cats, it would appear that candles are the end of the world.
You can indeed use candles around them without any adverse effects, it is also true that, at the same time, you need to be extremely careful when using candles around them and make sure your cat is not affected by them.
My name is Candice and I have always loved candles since I was a kid. I continue to buy candles and try out new candle brands to this day! I started this blog to share my love of candles so I’m glad you’re here and hope that my content helps you out in some way!
