Are Humidifiers Safe for Cats? – A COMPLETE Guide

Are Humidifiers Safe for Cats? – A COMPLETE Guide

Are humidifiers safe for cats?

Cats are delightful little fur balls, providing us companionship and even vermin extermination.

Throw in a toy or two and you’ve also got an endless source of entertainment to regale your social media contacts with.

However, cat colds and congestion are one of the most common health problems of kittens and cat adults.

Feline upper respiratory diseases often affect shelter and rescue cats!

While there are preventive vaccinations available to help protect your cats, many kittens and cats become infected very early before vaccinations can be given.

Once infected, a cat may develop sniffles whenever they are stressed. 

Can humidifiers help with this? Why is your feline stalking and pawing at that brand new humidifier all of a sudden?

Does your cat perceive it as vermin, a toy or just entertainment?

How do cats perceive humidifiers? 

To put it bluntly – Are humidifiers safe for cats?

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Cat behavior

Cat behaviour

Big or small, feral or tame, all cats like to groom.

In fact, all animals spend an inordinate amount of their time grooming and taking care of themselves.

Cats in particular like to groom themselves, and that’s not just vanity.

The cat’s saliva plays an important part in maintaining their lush fur coat.

In dryer regions and during the winter, excessively dry air coupled with heating dries out a cat’s skin and fur coat, no matter the amount of grooming.

When this happens, cats are liable to get a bacterial skin infection, unless a humidifier is used to remedy the issue.

What makes a humidifier safe for cats?

What makes a humidifier safe for cats?

In general, humidifiers do the job in helping to increase the amount of moisture in the environment.

By turning water into water vapor and then blowing it out, this increases the relative humidity in a room.

This makes a humidifier as beneficial for cats as it is for humans! 

By helping to alleviate dry, itchy, airways, your cat can breathe easier and more comfortably.

Moreover, just as your own skin gets cracked, itchy, and dry when the temperature starts to drop, the same can happen for your feline!

However, take note of the following when getting a humidifier for your cat:

  • Small size – you might need to move the humidifier quite a bit before finding a place where it suits you and the cat.
  • Low noise – especially if you’re intending on keeping the humidifier and the cat in the bedroom at night.
  • No hot mist – humidifiers that produce warm or hot mist might lead to playful cats scalding themselves.
  • Programmable – if you plan on leaving the cat alone, a programmable humidifier will add a lot of flexibility to your schedule.
  • Sturdy – Cats are curious creatures and it is likely your cat will interact with the humidifier. They can also attack the humidifier out of playfulness or even if it is causing them distress.

Ideal type of humidifier for cats

cats looking at humidifier

Cool mist, evaporative, ultrasonic, the list goes on.

There are several ways to make water vapor but the main distinction depends on whether the humidifier is ultrasonic or not. 

However, if you;re going to use a humidifier for your cat, a cool mist option is best since they are safer to use. 

Simply run the humidifier in a room where your little monster(s) usually hangs out and let them reap the benefits.

You'll notice a huge difference in their comfort, skin, and coat after a few days of using a humidifier!

Once you know what should and shouldn’t be avoided, you can pick some of the best humidifiers for cats, such as the Venta LW15 Humidifier & Air Purifier.

Humidifiers like the Venta LW15 are known to be easily portable and safe for cats!

Ultrasonic humidifiers for cats

The answer to this lies in the question: Can cats hear ultrasonic humidifiers?


Ultrasound is defined as anything above what humans can hear.


We hear from 20 to 20,000 hertz but cats hear even better, from 55 to 79,000 hertz.


Ultrasonic humidifiers work at a frequency way beyond what humans or even cats can hear – 1.7 million hertz, or about 20 times higher than what cats can hear.


However, there’s often a small fan motor inside the humidifier spinning at a much lower speed that cats might hear and want to investigate.


Besides the small fan motor, the sound changes as it travels through water.


To a cat, that kind of novel sound can be enough to trigger the cat’s curiosity.


One StackExchange user reports his cat curiously investigating and pushing the ultrasonic humidifier off the nightstand when it’s active but not actively avoiding it.


Sound familiar?


This anecdote does show that cats may hear something out of an ultrasonic humidifier, which is also supported by the existence of ultrasonic cat repellents.


Ultrasonic cat repellents do exist, and they trigger and scare away cats within a few seconds.


As a rule of thumb, an ultrasonic humidifier is not recommended for very young or very curious cats that might push it off the nightstand.

Are essential oils safe for cats?

are essential oils safe for cats?

Essential oils help us relax and de-stress BUT they might not work the same for cats.

In fact, essential oils might be annoying or harmful to cats.

Cats have a keen sense of smell – which is about 14 times stronger than a human’s.

A smell that humans might barely notice could be overwhelmingly powerful to cats. 

Two compounds commonly found in essential oils, Monoterpene hydrocarbon & Phenols, can be toxic to cats.

These two compounds can build up in cat’s liver and cause health issues over time.

This is because both types of essential oils typically have additives that can trigger a reaction in either or both cats and humans.

Additives are commonly added to prolong shelf life, reduce cost or otherwise make the product easier to use.

In short, essential oils can be potentially toxic for them and should be avoided!

Conclusion: Are humidifiers safe for cats?

are humidifiers safe for cats?

Once a kitty sinks its claws into your heart, it won’t be letting go.

Making life choices becomes impossible without considering our little purrball.

We care for our cats and want the best for them.

Even something as simple as getting the right humidifier makes you research the matter to find out – are humidifiers safe for cats?

From what we’ve seen in this article, humidifiers are safe for cats.

Cats are curious and spontaneous, reacting in the moment to entertainment and threats.

If the humidifier sounds or smells entertaining or threatening to the cat, expect the purrball to show it immediately with behavior.

Observe the purrball’s behavior and try to figure out if it’s upset by the humidifier or not.

If so, try moving the humidifier and observe the cat’s reaction.

The cat might still react to a humidifier but it’s unlikely it’s the ultrasound that’s stirring up trouble.

Avoid using essential oils whenever possible for just in case.

No matter which humidifier you end up buying, your kitty and it will be happily purring along ~