Knowing what your pet can and cannot eat is an important part of being a responsible pet owner. However, any cat owner knows that their pet has a will of its own and may try to eat things it shouldn’t.
Cats don’t always eat what we give them to eat because it’s so delicious. Sometimes they do it because they are intrigued by the way it smells. Your cat may be attracted to the smell of spicy foods like hot sauce.
But can cats safely consume spicy foods? No, it’s not something we suggest doing. Your cat might be able to handle a tiny taste, but there’s no benefit and it might cause some mouth irritation.
Your cat could get sick if it ate some hot sauce. This article will discuss the dangers of feeding your cat hot sauce and when you should be concerned. If you want to find out more, keep reading.
Can a Cat Taste Hot Sauce?
Cats probably can taste hot sauce despite having only a few taste buds. However, because cats have fewer taste buds than humans, the flavor is different.
The capsaicin in hot sauce is what gives it its spiciness, so it’s likely that your cat won’t enjoy the flavor.
Capsaicin in hot sauce can irritate a cat’s mouth even though cats don’t taste heat the way humans do.
It’s the same for humans if they consume too much hot sauce, but a cat’s mouth can become irritated by much less sauce.
Your cat probably wasn’t drawn to the hot sauce itself, but rather the food it was on when he tried it.
If the meat was seasoned with hot sauce, the cat was probably drawn to the meat itself and not the sauce. Your cat may accidentally lick some of the hot sauce while attempting to eat the meat.
Most cats will avoid meat if they taste the fiery heat of hot sauce first. If the meat causes irritation in your cat’s mouth, he may decide it’s bad and stop trying to eat it.
Do Cats Enjoy Hot Sauce?
Hot sauce is used primarily for its flavoring effects. The aroma of hot sauce can entice cats, but is it actually tasty? Food preference isn’t always a factor when a cat tries something new. It can be a matter of simple curiosity.
As their name implies, cats are strictly meat eaters.
Cats don’t share humans’ desire for a certain level of “spice” or “flavor” in their meat because meat isn’t naturally spicy. Cats can only survive on a meat diet, so evolution has shaped their taste buds accordingly.
Cats, in contrast to humans with over 9,000 taste buds, only have a few hundred. However, cats have no taste for sweetness. The flavors range from sour and bitter to salty.
Is Hot Sauce Safe for Cats?
In addition to being unnecessary to your cat’s health, hot sauce should be avoided at all costs.
While your cat probably won’t suffer any serious consequences from sampling some hot sauce, if he continues to eat it despite the discomfort, he may become ill.
It stands to reason, considering that excessive consumption of hot sauce can cause illness in humans.
A small amount of hot sauce can add a lot of flavor to our food, but that’s not the only reason we don’t drown everything in it.
Hot sauce contains capsaicin, which can cause a burning sensation and irritation in addition to indigestion and stomach issues in humans.
The same thing happens to cats when they consume hot sauce. It’s irritating to the digestive tract and can cause stomach upset.
We’ve gone over this briefly, but cats shouldn’t consume any amount of hot sauce because their smaller size means that even a small amount can be toxic.
Because cats’ stomachs are more delicate, even a small amount of hot sauce can have a significant impact on your pet.
How Hot Sauce Can Interact With Cats
Your cat may react differently to the hot sauce because of the many ingredients it contains.
Just the fact that it has a tomato base means it could be harmful to your cat’s health. The salt content of tomato sauce found in hot sauce makes it potentially harmful for your cat to consume.
Your cat may experience gastrointestinal distress and abdominal pain due to the capsaicin found in the peppers used to make the hot sauce.
Your cat may experience irritation of the mouth, throat, stomach, and intestines if it consumes too much hot sauce. Ingestion can also cause vomiting and diarrhea in cats.
A small amount of hot sauce is probably safe for most cats, but cats that eat more than that or eat brands with lots of ingredients like onions and garlic are at much higher risk.
Both garlic and onions can be extremely toxic to canines, with the latter causing hemolytic anemia. Some of the signs of this are:
- Urine with a port-wine-like tint of discoloration.
- Salivating
- Lethargy
- Panting
- Fainting or collapsing from lack of oxygen
- Coughing/Hacking
- Irritated Eyes
- Breathlessness
- Gums that are pale, yellow, or “muddy”
- Breathing Rapidly
- Increased Pulse Rate
- Weakness
- Sore Throat
- Reduced Hunger
- Coma
You can see from the above that while hot sauce itself is not particularly dangerous to your beloved cat, the various harmful ingredients in it can be when they are present in sufficient concentrations.
What Other Ingredients in Hot Sauce Are Risky for My Cat?
Although capsaicin is the most dangerous component of hot sauce, it is not the only one.
To achieve their distinctive flavors, many hot sauces rely on vegetables like garlic, onions, peppers, and tomatoes.
Cats shouldn’t eat any of these, especially the garlic and onions. Garlic and onions, in any form, are extremely dangerous to one’s health, and may even be fatal. Your cat is in increasingly grave danger the more of this hot sauce it consumes.
What Could Happen If a Cat Eats Hot Sauce?
It’s unlikely that your cat will suffer any ill effects from tasting a tiny bit of hot sauce.
However, if your cat ate a lot of hot sauce or if you are unsure of how much he ate, you should still keep an eye out for abnormal behavior.
Your cat probably won’t be able to handle hot sauce because it has a more delicate digestive system than human beings. The following are all symptoms typically associated with gastrointestinal issues:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Discomfort in the gut
- Inability to eat
More severe symptoms, such as lethargy, are possible depending on the amount and type of hot sauce your cat ingested.
If your cat shows any of these signs after consuming hot sauce, it’s best to contact a vet or an animal poison control hotline immediately.
What To Do If Your Cat Eats Hot Sauce
Don’t freak out if your cat accidentally ingests some spicy condiment. Keeping an eye out for unusual signs like those mentioned earlier in this article is your best bet.
In the event that you notice any of the aforementioned symptoms in your cat, don’t hesitate to make an appointment with your veterinarian.
Time is of the essence when treating your cat for toxicity, so if you notice your cat exhibiting any of the aforementioned symptoms, don’t hesitate to contact your veterinarian.
Do not give them anything that might make them throw up, as this could irritate their esophagus and other organs if you try.
Diagnosing Cats Who Ate Hot Sauce
Your veterinarian will likely order a urinalysis, complete blood count, and blood chemistry profile to begin investigating your cat’s ingestion of hot sauce and making a diagnosis.
Heinz bodies, a sign of anemia that can be caused by the onions or garlic in the hot sauce, will be monitored in your cat’s blood by the veterinarian.
Your cat probably didn’t ingest enough garlic and/or onion to cause serious problems if a complete blood count shows a normal red blood cell count. Hemolytic anemia, on the other hand, is marked by a significant decrease in RBCs.
Treating Cats Who Ate Hot Sauce
As was previously mentioned, if your cat only ingested a small amount of hot sauce, it probably won’t need any medical attention at all.
In contrast, if your cat has consumed a large amount of hot sauce and is displaying any of the aforementioned symptoms, you should contact your vet immediately to eliminate the possibility of anemia.
If your vet suspects poisoning, the first step will likely be to induce vomiting with gastric lavage and activated charcoal.
After the hot sauce (and hopefully the garlic and onion ingredients) have been removed from your cat, oxygen therapy and close observation will begin.
Your cat will likely spend a few days at the clinic while your veterinarian monitors its red blood cell count via IV fluids and medication.
If your pet’s red blood cell count is low and not improving, your veterinarian may recommend blood transfusions.
Preventing Your Cat From Eating Hot Sauce
There are a number of methods by which we can safeguard our furry family members from potentially harmful foods, and hot sauce is not an exception.
For the safety of their pets, owners can store hot sauce high up, out of the way. You can help protect your cat from potential harm by not giving it table scraps.
You can also discourage your cat from eating hot sauce by making sure everyone in the house understands the risks associated with the condiment and is on board with the decision to not leave out spicy foods or give your kitty any hot handouts.
Finally, if you’re preparing foods that call for hot sauce, remember to keep your workspace clean and organized so that your cat doesn’t get into any of the potentially dangerous ingredients or hot sauce.
Final Thoughts
No matter how careful you are, cats will occasionally discover forbidden territory. Keep your cat away from hot sauce, but if its curiosity gets the better of it, keep an eye out for signs of poisoning.
Thankfully, the mild irritation caused by even a single lick is enough to deter most cats.
As always, consult your vet if you’re worried about your cat after they’ve consumed spicy foods.