I’m So Sorry to Tell You This, But Your Rogaine Could Kill Your Cat
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Source image: Getty; Illustration: Ingrid Fowler
Cat people such as myself will sacrifice anything for their pet. We give up fresh flowers (too many are toxic to cats), candles (the house will burn down when they get knocked over), and even a good night’s sleep (those midnight hunting meows can get loud). These sacrifices are well worth it for the love we get in exchange. Thanks to a few viral TikToks, cat owners are learning of yet another thing they might have to sacrifice to keep their cats safe: minoxidil, the over-the-counter hair loss treatment—and one of the mere two FDA-approved solutions clinically proven to promote hair growth. Now, some of these viral videos rely on fearmongering more than facts, but there’s real truth to the concern. Said plainly: Exposure to Rogaine could kill your cat.
I first learned of minoxidil’s toxicity in 2020 when I adopted my cat, Buffy Summers, from a rescue in Los Angeles. I grew up with cats, but this was the first time I was solely responsible for one, so I made a list of anything and everything that could make her sick upon bringing her home. I wasn’t surprised to see lilies and chocolate on the list, but minoxidil shocked and even angered me, especially given my own history with hair loss.
Though I never actually used it, minoxidil-based products like Rogaine had been on my radar for quite some time prior to adopting Buffy. In 2019, I had an ovarian surgery that was followed by significant hair shedding, which is common when experiencing major physical stress from something like surgery, injury, or pregnancy. My dermatologist confirmed it was a form of rapid but short-term hair loss called telogen effluvium and that I’d likely start seeing new hair growth in a few months. I did, so I decided to stick it out without minoxidil and focus instead on scalp health.
Despite that, seeing minoxidil on the toxic list had me stewing. Why didn’t any medical providers with whom I’d discussed hair loss warn me about the risk to pets? They always asked if I was pregnant or trying to become pregnant because studies have shown minoxidil can cause fetal malformation, but not once did I field a single question about whether or not I had animals at home. Why? Well, to their credit, they might not have known back then how high the risk for pets really is.
According to Christie Long, DVM, the chief medical officer of veterinary care franchise Modern Animal, minoxidil’s extreme toxicity to pets wasn’t widely known in the medical community until the Journal of the American Hospital Association published a study in September of 2019. That study examined 211 cases of dogs and cats with topical minoxidil exposure. “The study cited 87 cases of toxicity with symptoms ranging from lethargy, vomiting, and heart failure,” Dr. Long says. “Cats appear to be at the highest risk for toxicity.” Death occurred in “12.9 percent of cats that developed clinical signs after the pet owner's minoxidil use,” according to the study. Eek!
(By the way, I did reach out to representatives for Rogaine to ask if the brand was aware of this information and why there isn’t a warning lablel on its products if so. I didn’t receive a comment by the time this story was published.)
You might be thinking, Well, I would never put minoxidil on my pet! In reality, that's not how cats usually come into contact with their owners' minoxidil. If you have a cat, you know literally everything in your home is theirs, including your pillow and maybe even your own scalp. Buffy loves to groom—in other words, lick—my hair, probably as an act of dominance, according to my vet. Buffy isn’t alone in this habit that exposes her to basically any product I put in my hair or on my scalp. “Cats typically ingest the topical product from licking their owner's skin, hair, or pillowcase,” Dr. Long says. Dogs, on the other hand, “are typically exposed through ‘exploratory behavior,’” like digging through their owner’s trash or medicine cabinets.
What about oral minoxidil? Though pet toxicity studies have only been conducted with the topical formula, Dr. Long advises that “ingestion of the oral product could cause the same symptoms and complications.” Basically, don’t let your pet eat minoxidil pills. When it comes to your pet licking your hair, skin, or pillowcase while you’re taking the oral medication, there’s currently no conclusive evidence of the impacts, though New Hampshire-based board-certified dermatologist Neera Nathan, MD, assures me that “oral minoxidil is not excreted through your skin.” Personally, I still wouldn’t risk taking it with Buffy around.
That single study alone was enough evidence to convince me to never use minoxidil so long as I have my cat. I urge other pet parents to do the same. Dr. Long concurs: “It is not unreasonable to consider discontinuing or not using this medication, especially the topical formulation, and especially if you have a cat,” she says. Unfortunately, there’s just not enough information currently on how much your pet would have to ingest to become ill—in that study, there were some cats who weren’t affected by exposure to minoxidil but it’s unclear why, exactly, that is. Nevertheless, Dr. Long advises that if you do use minoxidil to sleep with your hair covered and/or don’t allow your cat to sleep in the room with you. Also, “handle the medication carefully, wash your hands after using it, and keep packaging away from pets,” she says.
Currently, I’m worrying about the possibility of my hair thinning once again. According to a recent scalp analysis I had done by a trichologist, my hair density is overall normal, but there are some concerns. For one, I’m 40 years old, a common age for people’s hair to start thinning out. I also have scalp psoriasis, which already impacts my hair density in certain areas . On top of that, I recently started using a GLP-1 medication, which might cause some hair loss, though the scientific verdict is still out on that and the FDA is currently investigating the matter. Nevertheless, weight loss in general can cause telogen effluvium, the same temporary hair loss condition I experienced a few years ago. TL;DR: I’d love to get ahead of any weight- or age-related hair loss before I start seeing clumps of hair in the shower again.
Because minoxidil is out of the question for me, I’m working on preventing hair loss more than I am treating it. I’m using topical steroids in a prescription shampoo and leave-on liquid (specifically, clobetasol propionate and fluocinonide) to reduce symptoms when my psoriasis flares. You have to be careful about using topical steroids long-term, so I use Philip B. Anti-Flake Relief Shampoo Lite on alternate wash days. I’m also upping my protein intake, which some studies have shown can help reduce hair loss when you’re losing weight. And I’m taking the OMI Hair Nutrition Supplement, which contains peptides, biotin, zinc, copper, and niacin (the brand has conducted clinical studies that show it is effective at anchoring hair, but I haven’t been using it long enough to see these impacts on my own hair).
When it comes to topical treatments, I’m overwhelmed by the options, so I asked Dr. Nathan for her advice. She’s specifically excited by topical caffeine as an ingredient and calls it “one of the most promising minoxidil alternatives.” (It should be noted that the study about this ingredient she referred me to was conducted exclusively on men. It is the only randomized clinical trial that she knows of on this topic.) Her favorite products containing caffeine are The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Hair Serum and Vegamour’s GRO hair serum. [Dr. Nathan is a consultant for Vegamour.] Studies have also shown that rosemary oils such as The Mane Choice’s Alpha Multi-Vitamin Scalp Growth Oil are effective at strengthening hair and improving scalp health, though there simply isn’t enough research yet to confidently claim that it fosters new hair growth. Conveniently, Vegamour’s serum just happens to be sitting in my bathroom waiting to be used. I’m going to start using it as soon as my psoriasis symptoms are under control.
Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Connecticut, maintains that minoxidil is the best topical treatment for hair loss, period—but she does point out platelet-rich plasma treatment, or PRP, as an alternative. The in-office procedure “uses one's own blood to stimulate sleepy follicles,” she explains. Though it’s proven to stimulate hair growth, it is more expensive and possibly even more time-consuming than topical treatment, considering it requires consistent visits to the doctor over the course of months. (Not to mention the pain tolerance required for scalp injections.) Personally, I’m only willing to go down that route if I see serious hair loss.
It’s possible none of my hair growth efforts will work. No matter what, I’ll lose some hair in the next year and throughout the rest of my life—it’s a simple reality of life and of getting older. And that’s OK! I’d rather have no hair than risk the health of my cat.
More on hair loss:
Now, watch Brooke Shields do her hair routine:
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