Is incense safe around pets?
You can burn incense around dogs and cats with care, but not around birds. No "pet safe" label makes a stick safe on its own: burn it in a well-ventilated room, keep pets out of the immediate area, never leave it unattended, and stop at any sign of irritation.
You can burn incense around dogs and cats with care, but not around birds, and no "pet safe" label makes a stick safe on its own. Burn it in a well-ventilated room, keep pets out of the immediate area, never leave it unattended, and stop at the first sign of irritation. Looshi makes artisanal incense, rolled by hand with real ingredients, with grounding scents from across the world.
What burning incense puts in the air
Incense is smoke, and the smoke is what reaches your pet. Floré, a Canadian incense maker, says burning anything releases particles into the air, whether it's incense, candles or wood in a fireplace, and the air you breathe is the air your pet breathes.
The incense brand inflowence says what that smoke does: incense smoke contains particulate matter, which, when inhaled, can irritate respiratory systems. That's why a "pet safe" label settles nothing on its own, since a label speaks to what's in the stick and the smoke comes from burning it.
Incense around pets is a question of air and distance, and both are yours to control.
Why pets feel it more than you do
A dog smells incense far more strongly than you do: the incense brand inflowence says a dog's sense of smell is hundreds to thousands of times more powerful than ours, and that a scent we find mild can be intensely irritating to a dog.
The same guide says many essential oils, though natural, are concentrated plant extracts containing compounds dogs metabolize differently or poorly. Floré gives cats their own caution: cats can be sensitive to certain scents.
The signs of irritation are what to watch for. In dogs, inflowence lists frequent sneezing, coughing, reverse sneezing and watery eyes, and any one of them means the stick goes out.
Birds and small caged pets
Birds and small caged pets need the most care, and birds shouldn't be around incense at all. Floré names birds, hamsters, rabbits and guinea pigs as the pets most sensitive to incense, with very delicate respiratory systems, and says a caged pet can't get away from scents it doesn't enjoy.
Floré also says birds, in particular, are highly sensitive to airborne particles. A dog can walk out of a smoky room and a bird in a cage can't, so Looshi's line is plain: don't burn incense around birds.
For a hamster, rabbit or guinea pig, the stick burns well away from the cage, and you stay with it until it's out.
How to burn incense around a dog or cat
Around a dog or cat, take the four steps at the top of this page, then secure the stick in a holder, or upright in something heatproof with a plate underneath to catch the ash.
For that step there are two holders, the round Looshi Ring Of Serenity and the Looshi Wave Of Senses, and which one you choose is a matter of taste. Both are food-grade ceramic, safe under a burning stick and made to catch its ash, though a draught can carry ash past any holder. You can see both in the Incense Holders collection.
If you share a small apartment with your pet, the next question is whether you can burn incense in an apartment at all.
Frequently asked questions
Can I burn incense in a house with cats?
You can burn incense in a house with cats as long as your cat gets fresh air and distance. Floré says cats can be sensitive to certain scents, so burn it in a well-ventilated room, keep your cat out of the immediate area and stop at any sign of irritation.
Are incense sticks safe for dogs?
Incense sticks are safe around dogs only with care, because both the smoke and the scent reach a dog's nose. Burn one in a well-ventilated room, keep your dog out of the immediate area, and put it out at signs the incense brand inflowence lists, such as sneezing, coughing or watery eyes.
Are there any pet friendly incense?
No incense is pet friendly just because the box says so. The incense brand inflowence sets the test: safe incense for dogs is one that causes no observable reaction when used moderately and with proper ventilation. That makes your own pet the judge, so stop at any sign of irritation.
Are incense toxic for pets?
The concern with incense around pets is its smoke, which the incense brand inflowence says contains particulate matter that can irritate respiratory systems when inhaled. Floré says birds are highly sensitive to airborne particles, so keep incense away from birds entirely, and burn it around dogs and cats only with fresh air and distance.
Sources
The Discovery Set
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