You may have wondered what is safe for your cat to eat if she has ever sneaked into the kitchen.
Because of its widespread use in human cuisine, pet owners should know whether or not their feline friends can safely eat cinnamon.
Cinnamon is not toxic to cats, but you still shouldn’t give it to your cat.
The toxic effects of cinnamon and other reasons why you shouldn’t give your cat these foods are covered in this article.
Can Cats Eat Cinnamon?
Almost every home has a container of cinnamon on hand for seasoning food. You may be wondering if your cat can safely consume cinnamon or cinnamon-flavored foods.
The correct response is “no,” cats should not consume cinnamon. The ASPCA does not consider it to be toxic to cats, but it can become so at very high concentrations.
Benefits Of Cinnamon For Cats
Tree-borne cinnamon is a product of its original growing regions in Sri Lanka, India, Brazil, and Indonesia. After being harvested, the bark curls into what we call cinnamon sticks, from which we make cinnamon powder.
Cassia cinnamon and Ceylon cinnamon are the two most common kinds. We humans use it in a wide variety of dishes because it is such a useful spice.
It’s been hypothesized that it can improve insulin sensitivity, lower blood sugar levels, and lessen the likelihood of heart disease thanks to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, cats are unfortunately excluded from this.
Cats are unable to metabolize the compounds in cinnamon, and the coumarin in it is toxic to them. In large doses, coumarin prevents blood from clotting, which can be fatal.
The phenol in cinnamon can also irritate and even burn a cat’s skin.
Why Is Cinnamon Bad For Cats?
Your furball shouldn’t eat cinnamon because it can cause a variety of health problems. Coumarin, a chemical compound, is present.
The inability of your cat’s body to metabolize it causes liver failure and other serious side effects.
Powdered cinnamon spice, the most common form of cinnamon found in homes, fortunately does not contain particularly high levels of coumarin.
However, there are still three primary ways in which cats can be harmed by cinnamon: inhalation, ingestion, and skin/fur contact.
Ingested
Cinnamon powder, whether it be from cinnamon sticks, powdered spice, decorative ornaments, plants, cinnamon spiced foods, and so on, is easily ingested by cats.
Their digestive systems aren’t equipped to process the coumarin and other compounds in cinnamon because they don’t have the necessary enzymes. This means that your pet may experience any of the following signs.
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Coughing
- Breathlessness
- Decreased blood pressure
- Organ failure, including the liver
Although cinnamon is not listed as toxic by the ASPCA, if the cat eats too much of it, it could develop a serious case of cinnamon toxicity. Obviously, the furball will feel the effects of the cinnamon toxicity.
In addition, the poor cat faces immediate danger if the ingested cinnamon causes liver failure or any other type of organ failure.
Inhaled
No one knows for sure if cats find the aroma of cinnamon to be as comforting or alluring as it is to most humans. However, accidental ingestion of cinnamon is still a risk for cats, even if they aren’t attracted to the scent.
The most common causes are cinnamon essential oil vapors, diffusers/air fresheners, and spilled powdered cinnamon spice.
Your pet is likely to have an allergic reaction to cinnamon if it inhales either the powder or the vapors. Indicators that the cat is experiencing an allergic reaction are as follows.
- Wheezing
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Breathlessness
- Diverse Respiratory Problems
It’s impossible to know for sure that your cat won’t investigate the spilled cinnamon powder or play with the cinnamon-infused diffuser due to its inquisitive and capricious nature. Nasal passage irritation can cause fatal spasms in cats.
Cinnamon has the potential to cause both nasal congestion and extreme shortness of breath. And everyone is aware of what occurs when a cat’s air supply is suddenly cut off.
Skin/ fur exposure to cinnamon
Cinnamon can also trigger an allergic reaction in cats if it comes in contact with their skin or fur.
Even if your cat doesn’t seem to be affected, you still shouldn’t try treating it with cinnamon powder or, even worse, essential oil.
The latter contains an exceptionally high concentration of the potentially lethal compounds that threaten the life of your cherished pet. If you have any suspicions, look out for the following symptoms.
- Itching
- Rashes
- Redness
- A Compulsive Need to Scratch or Paw
Indicators of an unpleasant allergic reaction to cinnamon include redness and attempts by the cat to paw at the irritated area.
How Much Cinnamon Can A Cat Eat?
Cinnamon is toxic to cats in any amount. While a single dose of cinnamon is probably safe, consuming large amounts of it frequently can be harmful.
Chewing on cinnamon trees or sticks, eating cinnamon-flavored food, licking cinnamon-infused essential oils or diffusers, or even touching cinnamon oils can all lead to accidental ingestion or exposure in cats.
How Often Can A Cat Eat Cinnamon?
The skin irritant in cinnamon is a carbolic acid called phenol, and it can also irritate the mouth lining if swallowed.
Never give your cat cinnamon or anything containing cinnamon to eat. It’s safe in normal amounts, but can become dangerous if consumed frequently or in large quantities.
Is Cinnamon Used In Commercial Cat Food?
As it is toxic in large doses and cats don’t care for the flavor, cinnamon is never included in commercial cat food.
Foods Containing Cinnamon
There probably won’t be any ill effects if cats eat very little cinnamon-containing human food like cinnamon rolls or cinnamon toast crunch. Still, it’s best if you can keep your cat from getting into these things.
Keep your cat away from the apple cinnamon dish because it likely contains raisins, which are poisonous to cats.
Signs Your Cat Has Eaten Cinnamon
Your cat’s reaction to the cinnamon will depend on how much it has consumed.
Skin or mouth contact with an allergen can result in itching, redness, a rash, or even burns. Cinnamon can irritate the respiratory system if inhaled, leading to coughing, wheezing, and other symptoms.
Cinnamon poisoning causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, low blood sugar, blood thinning, liver disease, and eventual organ failure.
Coumarin, a compound found in cinnamon, prevents blood from clotting, so there is a risk of bleeding after eating cinnamon, especially in more extreme cases.
Contact your veterinarian immediately if you suspect your cat has consumed cinnamon or anything containing cinnamon.
If you can give the vets a detailed account of what your cat has eaten, they will be better equipped to care for your pet.
What Happens If Your Cat Eats Cinnamon?
If you can give the vets a detailed account of what your cat has eaten, they will be better equipped to care for your pet.
If your cat has eaten cinnamon and developed an allergy, you should get it to the vet as soon as possible.
When dealing with skin reactions, the irritant is typically removed by washing the affected area with water and a mild soap or detergent. Antibiotic creams and soothing ointments could be applied to the skin afterward.
Ingestion of cinnamon can cause toxicity, but fortunately most cases only require supportive care to help your cat recover.
To prevent the absorption of cinnamon compounds into the cat’s bloodstream, activated charcoal is sometimes administered after a thorough gastric lavage performed under general anesthesia.
Your cat will need to spend several days in the animal hospital receiving intensive fluid therapy, anti-nausea medication, liver-supportive medication, and oxygen therapy, among other treatments.
Organ function and treatment response will be tracked with routine blood tests. Vitamin K, an antidote for the bleeding-inducing coumarin in cinnamon, will also be administered.
Cats with cinnamon toxicity have a mixed prognosis, depending on the severity of their symptoms and how quickly they receive treatment.
Most cats do well after receiving treatment. However, if organs have been damaged, the prognosis is much less optimistic because it can be very challenging to restore organ function.
Do Cats Like The Taste Of Cinnamon?
Cinnamon is not a flavor that cat’s enjoy. Cinnamon is not a flavor that most cats enjoy, either in smell or taste.
What To Do If Your Cat Has Been In Contact With Cinnamon
Hopefully the cat won’t have any adverse reactions to the cinnamon or have any trouble digesting it. But if it shows any signs of illness, you should contact your veterinarian immediately.
The veterinarian may recommend a stay in the animal hospital if the condition of the cat is critical. Even if organ damage has occurred, your cat can make a full recovery thanks to the variety of treatment options available.
Don’t ignore any signs of illness and don’t put off visits to the vet. Your pet’s prognosis will improve if the veterinarian begins treatment immediately.
Final Thoughts
Although cats should not ingest cinnamon, it can be extremely harmful to them. Accidental ingestion or prolonged exposure can lead to toxic compound buildup in your cat because cats lack the enzyme necessary to break down cinnamon.
Poisoning from cinnamon can result in a wide range of symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dizziness.
If you suspect your cat has consumed cinnamon or anything containing cinnamon, please contact your veterinarian immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much cinnamon is toxic to cats?
Technically speaking, cinnamon is not toxic to cats. However, as cats do not produce the enzyme necessary to metabolize it, it becomes toxic when consumed in large quantities. Cats shouldn’t eat any cinnamon because it could cause poisoning.
Do cats like ground cinnamon?
Ground cinnamon is not a favorite of felines. They find the scent repulsive and it is irritating to the respiratory system if inhaled.
Does cats like cinnamon?
No, cats do not enjoy the flavor of cinnamon, and they are often repelled by its pungent aroma.
What spices are harmful to cats?
Garlic, chives, chamomile, St. John’s wort, lemongrass, mint, oregano, and tarragon are all herbs that cats should not eat.