Kitten found barely breathing after inhaling essential oils

Essential oils may smell like a dream, but they’re a nightmare for cats and their owners.

The trendy elixir, often used as a form of aromatherapy, is landing cats in the emergency room as the substance can cause shortness of breath, skin rashes and even liver failure, according to veterinarians.

RELATED: Calming aromatherapy for cats

Sadly, experts say that the rise in the oils’ popularity comes with an uptick in pets getting sick and even dying.

A Canadian pet owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, shared her story on the internet to raise awareness:

She left her furbaby home alone for three hours and came back to find her kitten almost dead, acting limp and barely breathing.

RELATED: Paracetamol poisoning in cats

It is believed the kitten may have gotten too close or even eaten some residue around the diffuser.

“It was so scary,” she said. “It was horrible! I felt so guilty.”

After she rushed her kitten to the vet’s office, vets had to administer an IV and hook her up to a ventilator.

RELATED: Vodka drip saves Missey’s life

It remains unclear whether the kitten was able to pull through.

Now, the cat mom who had 18 different types of essential oils in her home knows one thing is for sure: “I’m done with essential oils!”

Inhaling the oils can cause significant lung damage for pets, with the worst-case scenario being that they stop breathing and go into respiratory arrest, vets say.

Other issues can include burns to the respiratory tract, coughing, watery eyes and runny nose.