10% off one-time candle orders with code LAUNCH10 through Nov 1, except orders with the sampler price. Enter it at checkout. Free shipping on orders of $40 or more

MenuClose
Colorado Candle Co.

Are Candles Safe for Cats and Dogs? What Vet Sources Say

Most pets do fine around a candle burned with care. Cats, birds and pets with breathing problems need more caution, and there is no such thing as a certified pet-safe candle.

Updated

Shop the Unscented candle

Shown: Unscented, 4 oz amber jar, $12

The short answer

No organization certifies candles as pet-safe, so treat that label as marketing. The two real risks are the flame and the scent in the air. The Merck Veterinary Manual groups candles with reed diffusers as passive diffusers: they don't spray droplets, so unless one is knocked over, the main risk is irritation to the airways. For a healthy dog in a ventilated room, a candle kept out of reach is a small risk. Cats, birds and any pet with asthma or another breathing problem need more care.

Why cats and birds are more sensitive

Cats lack a liver enzyme, glucuronyl transferase, that other animals use to break down phenols and similar compounds found in many essential oils. They also groom, so anything that settles on their fur ends up in their mouths. Birds have very sensitive lungs, and the Merck Veterinary Manual counts them as high risk from anything they breathe in. Pet Poison Helpline says cats and birds are at the greatest risk from essential oils.

Scents to be careful with

Pet Poison Helpline lists several essential oils as a concern, including citrus oils (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit), eucalyptus, pine, cedar, clove, tea tree and wintergreen. Concentrated oils, misting diffusers and liquid potpourri worry vets more than a candle does, but the same notes are worth knowing.

Some of our candles have those notes: Fresh Balsam (cedar), Eucalyptus Lavender Herb (eucalyptus), Sea Breeze (citrus, cedar), Pink Grapefruit (grapefruit, citron), Clean Cotton (lemon), Apple Harvest (clove) and White Sage & Lavender (cedar). Our scented candles use fragrance oils from our candle maker, and we don't label any scent pet-safe. If you have cats or birds, burn them in a room the animals can't get into, or choose an unscented candle.

How to burn a candle around pets

  • Keep it where pets can't reach or knock it over. Cats jump onto shelves and counters, and a wagging tail can sweep a coffee table.
  • Never leave a burning candle in a room with a pet and no person.
  • Ventilate the room, and leave a door open so your pet can walk away from the smell.
  • Skip candles in rooms with birds, and around a pet with asthma or another breathing problem.
  • Trim the wick to ¼ inch before each burn. A long wick smokes more; here's how to stop a candle smoking.
  • Once it's out, let the wax cool and harden before it's within reach. Hot wax burns, and some pets lick or chew wax.

Does soy wax make a candle safer for pets?

Not on its own. The scent and the flame matter far more than the wax: a soy candle with eucalyptus fragrance is still a eucalyptus candle.

If you'd rather skip scent

Our Unscented candle has no added fragrance oil, just soy wax and a wick, from $12. It's still an open flame, so the same rules apply. A flameless LED candle removes the flame as well.

Signs to watch for

Drooling, vomiting, coughing, wheezing, fast or labored breathing, a runny nose or watery eyes, or unusual tiredness after a candle has been burning. Put the candle out, move your pet to fresh air, and call your vet or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661, which answers 24/7.

This is general information, not veterinary advice; ask your vet about your own pet. Sources: Merck Veterinary Manual, toxicoses from essential oils in animals and Pet Poison Helpline, essential oils.

Shop the Unscented candle

Your cart