Can I Give My Cat Cilantro?

Can I give my cat cilantro?

Can I give my cat cilantro?You are sitting at your dining table having some delicious cilantro lime rice. From nowhere, your cat comes and stares at you with those huge, pleading eyes. Your heart starts to melt and you decide to give some of this to your darling pet.

But wait!

Luckily you’ve stopped to think that what is good for you might be bad for your cat. What gives you energy might weaken your poor kitty’s digestive system? Among many other things, giving cilantro to your cat might also not be a good idea. A cat’s digestive system is very sensitive and adept when it comes to getting illnesses and allergies. Therefore, care should be taken while feeding a cat. It’s good that you’re doing your research so that you can have a clear idea what is good for your cat and what is not.

Can I Give My Cat Cilantro? Answer: No.

There are many opinions when it comes down to the question whether a cat should be fed cilantro or not. Many people think it is okay to give it to your cat while others believe it can be very dangerous. However, we believe it is better to keep your cat away from all those food items that might even have even a 1% risk of a problem in them since precaution is better than cure. Therefore, it is best not to serve your cat any human food. According to experts, a cat’s meal should only constitute 1% human food and no more.

Cilantro and a Cat’s Digestive System
Cilantro is people food and a cat’s digestive system is different from our digestive system. Therefore, if a cat is fed cilantro, there are chances that they might suffer from cardiac arrhythmia and gastrointestinal irritation since cilantro acts as an irritant for a cat. Whenever a cat is fed human food, you stand the chance that the cat will go through some form of stomach upset. Cats and other animals are in the habit of eating only one kind of diet, even if they are wild. When they are given some other diet they get all kinds of illnesses and in some cases, the illness can even become fatal.

This is not to say that if you feed your cat cilantro one time, they’ll die. But you don’t want to get into the habit of giving them something they don’t need, and that doesn’t contribute to their well-being.

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Other Harmful Food Items
Besides cilantro, there other harmful food items too that are a big NO when it comes to feeding them to your pet. The list starts with onion, garlic and chives. Do NOT give these to your cat no matter what happens. Onions can break down your cat’s red blood cells which can cause anemia in your cats. Garlic and chives can cause gastrointestinal upset. Too much dairy can also be harmful for your kitten. Cats’ digestive system cannot process these dairy products which then lead to diarrhea. If a cat is given even two teaspoons of any alcoholic drink, they can go into a coma. One more teaspoon and your cat could die. Other harmful food items are raisins and grapes. Researchers have been unable to figure out why grapes and raisins cause kidney failure in cats but the fact still remains the same: grapes and raisins should not be fed to cats.

Alternatives to Cilantro
You cannot feed your cat cilantro and any of the things mentioned above. However, you don’t need to be paranoid or feel that there is absolutely nothing that you can feed to your cat. Cats are carnivores, however, giving them some veggies can sometimes be beneficial for them. Some vegetables contain proteins which are a good source of energy for cats. You can give your cat any of these vegetables: winter squash, steamed asparagus, broccoli, baked carrots or green beans. But as long as you’re giving them a quality cat food you don’t have to worry about supplementing with anything else.

A Quick Note
Feeding a cat human food is not a very good idea. Their digestive system works in a different manner and it is not good to tinker with it. The best option is to give your cat specially formulated cat food. However, if you feel you cannot avoid your poor pet’s begging gaze then give it only those food items that you are absolutely sure of.

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4 thoughts on “Can I Give My Cat Cilantro?”

  1. Cilantro is natural and cats eat greens and herbs indiscriminately for roughage and de-worming reasons. As long as it grows, cats will eat it. Evolution is powerful.

    1. My cat goes crazy on it like catnip, not necessarily eating it, but sniffing it and rolling around on it for hours! Sometimes she will eat it just like catnip. Do they have similar properties?

  2. My cat was nibbling at a cilantro plant fir several days. He became lethargic, wouldn’t eat or drink for two days. I had to push water with an eye dropper and continue to do so at this writing. He is sleeping a lot.

    Today he has used the litter box and eaten a few bites of food but tonight he won’t eat again. I’m calling the vet in the morning and will push water every few hours to try to flush this stuff out of his system.

    Do not let your cat eat cilantro. Our baby is a beautiful 10 1/2 months old orange tiger tuxedo cat.

    1. Don’t worry too much. Cilantro is a heavy metal detoxifier. The symptoms you mentioned could be the body detoxing. I hope you’ll stop by again and let us know that your cat is doing better. 🙂

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