My cat ate camphor – what should I do?

Updated 2026-09-30 · 1 sources

Based on: Pet Poison Helpline

Call a vet now

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet right now. Camphor is toxic to cats.

What to do now

What to do right now

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet.
Note what, how much and when.
Bring the packaging.
Keep your cat calm.
Remove what is left.

Don't

Do not make your cat vomit unless a vet tells you to.
Do not give any human medicine.

Why it can be dangerous

Camphor is readily absorbed across the skin.^[1] Camphor should never be applied to cats.^[1] Camphor is commonly found in topical pain or arthritis body rubs.^[1]

Signs to watch for

Vomiting
Diarrhea
Seizures
Death
Depression
Skin irritation

Where it is found

Topical pain or arthritis body rubs
Carmex
Tiger Balm
Vicks VapoRub
Campho-Phenique

If your pet is struggling to breathe, has collapsed, is having a seizure or can't stand up: go to the nearest vet now.

Not sure how serious it is?

OkPaw asks a few quick questions about your pet and tells you in 30 seconds whether it can wait. Free on Google Play for Android.

OkPaw is on Android now – an iPhone version is on its way.

Common questions

What should I do now?

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet. Note what, how much and when, and bring the packaging.

Sources

Pet Poison Helpline

How this page was made: written with the help of AI from the sources below, then checked claim by claim against those sources. Urgency levels follow OkPaw’s fixed safety rules. It is guidance, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages

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