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I bought a hair loss shampoo for myself called Nioxin. It does not contain minoxidil but does contain peppermint oil which I’ve read can be toxic to cats. I’m attaching a picture of the ingredients - is this safe for me to use with a cat in the house? I tend to shower before bed, and my cat sometimes likes to sit on my pillow or nuzzle my hair. Another option I have considered is adding a rosemary essential oil to my regular shampoo, but I don’t know if that’s safe near my cat either.

I bought a hair loss shampoo for myself called Nioxin. It does not contain minoxidil but does contain peppermint oil which I’ve read can be toxic to cats. I’m attaching a picture of the ingredients - is this safe for me to use with a cat in the house? I tend to shower before bed, and my cat sometimes likes to sit on my pillow or nuzzle my hair. Another option I have considered is adding a rosemary essential oil to my regular shampoo, but I don’t know if that’s safe near my cat either.

Updated On December 3rd, 2020

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | spayed | 6 years and 3 months old | 11 lbs

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Answered By Debi Matlack

Veterinary Technician

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I would be cautious using this around your cat. Since the shampoo isn't something that will remain on your hair since you rinse it out, the chance of exposure is low, but cats are particularly sensitive to peppermint oil. Even breathing the aroma of peppermint oil can cause shortness of breath and increased heart rate. Again, since you're rinsing it out and it's a very small amount in the shampoo, I feel the chance of there being a problem is small, but I would be careful, maybe changing the time your wash your hair to earlier in the day so the scent will have dissipated by bedtime. Rosemary can also be toxic to cats though I haven't been able to find any further information about how toxic it may be.

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