Best Humidifiers for Cats with Asthma (2024)

The other night we were lying in bed when we heard a strange, wheezing sort of sound on the other side of the room. We got up and saw that it was our younger cat, Cookie. (see photo above)

It was a strange kind of cough that we had never heard before, and not the kind of cough a cat makes when he’s trying to cough up a hairball.

So we took him to the vet, and it turns out that he may have asthma.

I did some research and discovered that not only does dry air encourage asthma attacks, but that cats are more susceptible to colds and nasal congestion than dogs are.

And a humidifier can help with all of this.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Table of Contents

What is a Humidifier?

Humidifiers are machines that give out water vapor or steam to increase the moisture levels in the air. They’re particularly helpful in the winter. (Winters are extra dry because cold air holds less moisture than warm air and meanwhile your furnace is creating hot dry air. This is why a lot of us spend half the winter months battling runny noses and/or dry skin.)

The most common type of humidifier is an evaporative humidifier, which uses a fan to disperse moisture throughout the space. Evaporative humidifiers can be either cool mist, warm mist, or one that offers both. Because warm-mist machines heat water and send it into the air as steam, a cool-mist humidifier is a better choice for pet owners.

✅ What kind of humidifier is best for cats?

According to Everlasting Comfort, a cat-friendly humidifier should be:

Quiet, so the noise doesn’t make your cat stressed
As small as possible without comprising quality, since your kitty is sure to check it out and you don’t want him knocking it over
Sturdy (see above)
Cold mist instead of warm mist, so there’s no risk of the hot water burning your kitty
Programmable, especially if your cat is regularly home alone during certain times of the day

Here are some of the humidifiers I found that are great choices for you and your furry friend.

Everlasting Comfort Cool Mist Humidifier

If you need a humidifier for a large room, then check out this large capacity humidifier, which works for areas up to 500 square feet.

With a water capacity of 6 liters (or 1.6 gallons), one tank of water lasts 50 hours, which means you can use it all night every night for almost a full week without having to refill the tank.

With the 360 degree nozzle, you can choose direction so you can aim the mist towards your bed for better sleeping

There’s also a built-in essential oil tray so you can use it like an aromatherapy diffuser. You can buy their essential oils set separately. [But be careful because some essential oils are dangerous for cats; see more on that below.]

Pros:

The LED lit water level window, which makes it easy to see when it’s time for a refill
The “whisper quiet” sound
The auto-off feature, which turns the unit off when it’s out of water
Great value
Two different nozzles that let you choose which direction to spray the mist

Cons:

There is handle on the tank, making it awkward and cumbersome when you carry a full tank from the sink to the unit.
It’s difficult to clean under the float and in the mist column. One review said they soaked the base with vinegar and used a toothbrush to get in the nook and crannies. They also found humidifier cleaning balls to be helpful.

One reviewer said this humidifier was great for her sick cat:

… My 5 year old cat has had some pretty bad congestion with his Sinuses, sneezing, and a hard time sleeping the past week … Holy moly I’m so glad I got this!

The first full night after using this I set it to medium-high (about 2/3 turned on the knob) and I woke up to the whole main level of my open concept home looking like a freaking Willie Nelson concert! I thought my glasses were smudged since it was so hazy but nope! My kitty was sitting about 3 feet away from the humidifier as the moisture from the top of this bathed over him like a blanket and I could tell it was helping him breathe SO much better.

Over the last few days I’ve kept it at about 75-100% output and this doesn’t disappoint, we have a 1400 SQ/ft home just off lake St Clair in Michigan and this humidifier has gotten all the way upstairs (we keep all our doors open). I’ve slept better and my husbands snoring has lessened with this as well … a great product without breaking the bank!!

GENIANI Top Fill Cool Mist Humidifier

This humidifier covers up to 220 square feet and has a sleek design that not only looks nice, but won’t take up too much space or easily get tipped over by you-know-who.

You can manually adjust the humidity to one of four different settings. It has an essential oils tray so it doubles as a diffuser. It has a top-fill design that makes it easy to fill, transport, and clean.

It has an LED night light with a turn-off option, so if you’re not in the mood for light on some nights, you can use the humidifier without it.

This Amazon reviewer discusses, point by point, why he likes this humidifier so much:

How easy is it to refill?
Other humidifiers have to be filled upside down! I was not gonna go through the hassle of having to bring it to the sink and disassemble it every time I wanted to fill it. This one fills by just pouring water on the top. It has a little slit for small fills but if you want to fill the whole thing, just take the top part off, very easy.

Size: This one holds a gallon of water and lasts me a few days of it running for hours each day. I’d say if it was constantly running it would last a night of sleep plus a half.

Timer: This one unfortunately does not have a timer. I kinda wish I bought the one with the timer but it is not a big deal. This one claims that it will turn off if it gets too humid but I haven’t noticed that to be true. It does shut off automatically when it runs out of water though

Visible fill line: I wanted to be able to see what level the water is at so I can expect when it will need a refill. This basin is not see through but it does have a fill line that is lit up when on.

Essential oils: I didn’t buy this for the essential oil slot but it is a nice addition. When I want to freshen up my room from the stale air I just dab some essential oils onto the pad in the pop-out plastic tray. One small con is that the tray gets kind of stuck after you click it to open. I have to tug on it a little but not a big deal.

Mist height and direction: This one shoots up pretty high and has 3 different height settings. The mist also seems to fall on my left when I am sitting below it. I have it on top of my bedframe.

Noise level: This thing is so quiet, it does make some water noises with a very small whirring sound but it is pretty peaceful

Pure Enrichment® MistAire™ Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

This humidifier quickly moisturizes dry air for up to 25 hours in areas of up to 250 square feet.

Measuing 8 by 6 by 9 inches, it has a compact design doesn’t take up too much table space. It also has an automatic shut-off feature that turns the humidifier off when either the water level is low or the tank is removed.

Tap the machine a certain number of times to get one of the various settings:

- Low mist setting without night light
- Low mist setting with night light
- Hight mist setting without night light
- High mist setting with night light
- Off setting

Click here to see a video that demonstrates all the different modes and night light settings.

AquaOasis™ Quiet Cool Mist Humidifier

This humidifier is available in two different sizes and has multiple mist settings and a nozzle that rotates a full 360 degrees, so you can really focus the mist to go exactly where you want it to.

This Amazon reviewer goes into details about why they think the AquaOasis is “the best in the biz”:

It is compact and easy to move around, however there are still some nooks and crannies that look hard to clean. Luckily it came with a little brush for that.

Holds a medium capacity of water, I love that it ran through the night and automatically turns off when the water gets too low.

It’s so quiet I would forget that it’s on! And that’s a miracle in itself, there was one instance where I put too much water in it and it started to spit so as long as you don’t overfill it you will be Gucci.

I also really loved the directional nozzle piece at the top so you can aim the mist in whatever direction you prefer. I would say it’s good for babies and adults for sure.

The biggest downside for me is the little green light that remains on while the humidifier is turned on. It becomes red when the water is too low and turns off but I just don’t like having lights of any kind while I sleep. This would be perfect if you like a little light.

Click here to watch a short video review of this humidifier.

Levoit Hybrid Ultrasonic Humidifier

Don’t you hate getting out of bed to have to go turn off a light or adjust the thermostat or — well, anything?

That’s just one of the great things about the Levoit Hybrid Humidifier — it comes with a remote control, so you can make any adjustments from the comfort of your bed during the night.

Advertised as a high efficiency whole home humidifier, it has a large tank that hold 6 liters of water. It covers areas as large as 753 square feet and can last up to 50 hours.

This reviewer points out the Levoit’s one flaw:

It’s silent, looks nice, and works well. but cleaning is a headache. the little brush it comes with doesn’t do anything. i had to buy a set of straw cleaners in various sizes in order to reach all the hidden areas that were growing mold after just a couple of days. after just one use, the water looks murky. the manual recommends cleaning every 3 days. cleaning takes 15 mins. so maintaining this thing is a commitment. at the lowest power setting, one tank lasts less than a day. at the highest, lasts less than one night.

Pure Enrichment MistAire Cloud – Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

If you like the idea of a cute humidifier, look no further!

Not only is this small size humidifier shaped like a cloud, but it also rotates through 8 rainbow-spectrum colors. Alternatively, you can your favorite color and just leave it there. So not only is a humidifier, but it also makes a great night light.

Reviewers like how this humidifier doesn’t look like an appliance, and that its design was stable enough that it couldn’t be knocked over (by, say, your cat).

This reviewer says it’s exactly what they needed:

… I have eczema and it’s gotten worse as I have gotten older and I knew the humidifier was doing its job because after a week my skin improved dramatically. The mist flow doesn’t go any higher in the air when I turn the dial up… it doesn’t appear to change at all, actually… but I know it is outputting more because the tank depletes faster. Given the kinds of damage a humidifier can do if it is overhumidifying your space, I think I prefer a weaker one to a stronger one anyway. If I keep it set at about a quarter power I can get it to go for a full 24 hours before I need to refill it.

It is super easy to use. I have only filled it with distilled water, which I keep a gallon jug of by the bed for, and it beats hauling a tank back and forth from the tub like I have done with past humidifiers I have owned. I love how easy it is to get into the tank to clean. I can fit my whole forearm in there and reach everything. There aren’t any mechanical parts of the heating element that can make unreachable places for mildew to breed.

It is whisper quiet, but one thing that could be a pro or a con is that is does drop the temperature around the humidifier by a noticeable amount. This is a pro for me. I am always hot … This humidifier has been doubling as a tiny swamp cooler, and that has made a huge difference in my sleep quality, in addition to not being stuffy in the morning, and my skin not constantly looking like I have shingles … Well worth the money.

Air Innovations Top Fill Large Capacity Humidifier

If you want a humidifier that really lasts a long time, then check out this one from Air Innovations. It covers up to 700 square feet for up to 100 hours.

Customers love how the top-fill tank means you don’t have to haul anything to your sink or bathtub; just pour in a pitcher of water.

They were also impressed how quiet this humidifier is and how easy it is to clean.

✅ What type of water should I use in a humidifier?

Distilled water is the best type of water to use in a humidifier because it’s been treated to remove minerals and bacteria. This keeps your humidifier clean, prevents mold growth, and improves the air quality in your home.

✅ Are essential oils safe for cats?

If you’re like me and love things like scented candles and scented lotions, you might like the idea of having your humidifier double as an essential oil diffuser. (This brand has a special tray for exactly that purpose.)

Unfortunately, essential oils can be potentially toxic to your kitty.

So does this mean that cat owners can never use essential oil diffusers?

Not necessarily.

According to Iowa Veterinary Wellness Center, diffusing oils in your home shouldn’t cause a problem for your cat, since the oil is highly diluted.

However, you shouldn’t leave your cat confined to a space where oils are being diffused, and you should always make sure that the cat can leave the room to get away from the diffuser.

✅ Is Vicks VapoSteam safe for cats?

Vicks VapoSteam as a “medicated steam” that you use with warm mist humidifiers. Since the ingredient camphor can be toxic to cats, this products should be avoided if you are a cat owner.