Many people enjoy eating tangerines, also known as mandarins, as a quick and healthy snack. They are delicious, nutritious, and sweet.
People can reap the health benefits of them.,benefits to your health, including lower cholesterol, protection against peptic ulcers and kidney stones, enhanced glucose tolerance, and reduced danger of cardiovascular disease.
Since tangerines are good for humans in so many ways, it only makes sense that we would want to give them to our cats. Are tangerines safe for cats to eat? Can a cat eat a tangerine?
Unfortunately, tangerines and other citrus fruits are toxic to cats. They are not good for cats’ health and some of them are even poisonous to them. Let’s learn more about the dangers of feeding this fruit to cats.
Can Cats Eat Tangerines?
The health benefits of tangerines make them a desirable snack, but you shouldn’t give them to your cat. Tangerines are in the citrus fruit family, which is toxic to cats.
Cats can get sick from eating citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit because of the essential oils and psoralens they contain.
Psoralens cause photosensitivity in the skin and can cause your cat to throw up, have diarrhea, and have weak muscles if they are ingested.
You should also keep your cat from rubbing up against citrus fruits, as this can trigger an allergic reaction and lead to dermatitis. Keep citrus fruits out of your cat’s reach if he or she is a counter surfer.
Essential Oils in Tangerines
Citrus fruits, due to the presence of essential oils and psoralens, are toxic to cats when consumed in large quantities. The stems, leaves, peels, and seeds of citrus trees all contain them.
Citrus fruits contain citric acid, which contributes to their characteristic sour taste and overall pleasant flavor. It’s perfectly fine for people, but canine and feline consumption is discouraged.
An upset stomach or irritation of the esophagus or stomach lining is likely if a cat consumes even a small amount of citric acid. The symptoms won’t last long and the condition isn’t considered serious.
However, excessive consumption of citric acid or essential oils can have a sedative effect on a cat’s central nervous system.
What If My Cat Eats a Tangerine?
The urgency of calling the vet depends on how much your cat consumed. If they only ate a small amount of the fruit, they might just get a stomachache; however, vomiting and diarrhea are still possible.
Your cat may have a severe reaction if it consumes a large amount of the fruit. Make an immediate appointment with your veterinarian if your cat:
- Chronic vomiting and/or diarrhea
- Struggling for air
- lethargy or a reluctance to move
- discarding both food and water
- Loss of blood while defecating
A skin reaction can also occur if a cat comes into contact with citric acid or essential oils. They risk developing dermatitis if they have an allergic reaction to the oils.
Keep an eye out for skin irritation, especially in the mouth and paws, if your cat has recently consumed a tangerine.
Treatment for Citric Acid Poisoning
If your veterinarian suspects that your cat has been poisoned by citrus fruits, prompt treatment is essential. In order to remove any remaining toxins from your cat’s system, your vet may induce vomiting and administer activated charcoal.
We will keep an eye on your cat until we see signs of improvement and administer any fluids they may need due to dehydration. This may require you to leave your cat at the vet’s office.
While it’s unlikely that a cat would die from eating fruit with citric acid, even a small amount could make them very sick if they didn’t get medical attention right away.
While your cat’s stomach is still healing after being in the hospital, it may require a special diet.
Are Tangerines Healthy for Cats?
Tangerines have many positive effects on human health, but cats should not eat them. You can rest assured that your cat will receive a balanced diet.
Cats can only survive by eating meat. As a result, they are unable to meet their nutritional needs by consuming only plant-based foods. Meat from animals is essential to a cat’s diet. Meat is the only source of food for them, so it provides all the nutrients they need.
While tangerines and other citrus fruits may be delicious and beneficial to the human diet, they should never be fed to a cat.
Do Cats Like Tangerines?
Citrus smells and tastes unpleasant to most cats. Some people even say that you can keep cats away from your Christmas tree by placing tangerines around it. Cats’ acute sense of smell allows them to detect the citrus aroma of tangerines. They avoid the fruit because of its offensive odor.
However, not all cats are the same and some might be more inquisitive than others. We advise against leaving tangerines out for your cat to investigate, as they are toxic to cats. Keep your cat away from any citrus fruits.
Cats don’t have a sweet tooth, so tangerines don’t appeal to them either. Long ago, cats lost the gene that allows them to detect sweetness.
They don’t have a sweet tooth like humans do because they don’t have the taste receptor for sweetness.
Are cats scared of tangerines?
Tangerines, like most citrus fruits, have an aroma that is offensive to most cats. In all likelihood, your cat will reject the fruit even if you try to feed it to it.
Some people even use tangerines to prevent cats from damaging Christmas trees or gardens by placing a barrier shield of tangerines around the object.
Before you try using tangerines to deter your cat from damaging your Christmas tree or garden, make sure you know for sure that it dislikes the smell of tangerines and won’t eat the fruit.
Can Cats Eat Any Fruit?
Although meat should make up the bulk of a cat’s diet, some fruits can be enjoyed on occasion.
Fruits shouldn’t be a regular part of your cat’s diet, and instead should be treated as treats. The following are some fruits that can be fed to cats in moderation and provide some health benefits:
- Bananas contain B6, C, and potassium vitamins.
- Extra hydration from watermelon (but cats with diabetes should steer clear of it due to its high sugar content).
- Vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber all found in strawberries.
- Antioxidants and vitamins A and C are found in berries like blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
- Calcium and vitamin C in apples (don’t eat the seeds).
- Mangos (without the skin and seeds): high-fiber, anti-inflammatory vitamin A and C
- Magensium, potassium, and pineapple (fresh, not canned)
- Cantaloupe has low calories, fiber, and vitamin C.
Cats can produce their own vitamin C, so giving them an external source is unnecessary. In large quantities, it can cause calcium oxalate stones to form in the urinary tract.
What fruits should I avoid giving my cat?
Now that we know citrus fruits are toxic to your cat, what about the rest of the fruit bowl?
It has been discovered that feline kidneys can be damaged by eating grapes and raisins. Get in touch with your vet ASAP if your cat eats either of these poisonous fruits.
Do cats enjoy fruit?
Your cat probably won’t be interested in the fruit because of its sugary taste. You may be wondering, “Why?” The reason for this is that cats lack the taste receptors in their tongues that allow them to detect sweetness.
A lack of sweet detectors was confirmed in a 2015 study, so if your cat turns up its nose at a fruit, it’s not because it’s being picky.
Can cats eat fruit snacks?
Because of their high sugar content, fruit snacks should be avoided. High fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors are just two of the many unhealthy ingredients used in the production of these snacks, which are made from juice concentrates. You shouldn’t feed your cat fruit snacks because they’re bad for humans.
How to Feed Safe Fruits to Your Cat
Do not feed more than 2% of your cat’s diet in fruit. If you’re trying to help your fat cat shed some pounds, you can use this in place of treats. It’s a nutritious and low-calorie treat for your feline friend.
Cut up some fresh or frozen fruit into small pieces and feed it to your cat. You can use these pieces as rewards for your cat’s good behavior or simply as treats throughout the day.
Final Thoughts
Citrus fruits and cats don’t get along. Tangerines are good for humans, but cats shouldn’t eat them because they won’t reap the same health benefits. Cats aren’t usually drawn to tangerines because they smell unpleasant to them and have no sweet taste receptors.
Keep an eye on your cat for signs of citric acid poisoning if it eats any part of a tangerine. You should get your cat checked out as soon as possible if you see any of these signs. If treated quickly enough, cats can make full recoveries.