Cats have very interesting appetites, they crave different things no matter what they are. Even though cats are carnivores they mostly eat food that contains meat and dairy products like milk, cheese, and bread. But sometimes they love to eat weird foods that are not a part of their daily meals. These foods include vegetables, sweet products, and other foods that are not a regular part of their meal. If we talk about vegetables, cats like to smell and be around green vegetables.
Here is a very interesting question often asked: can cats eat cilantro? The purpose of this question is to confirm whether cilantro acts like parsley or is safe to eat for cats. Because parsley is toxic for cats. But there are different opinions of people in the case of cilantro.
Cats and Cilantro:
Cilantro which is also known as coriander is a herb that is used in food making and especially for garnishing the food. It is a close relative of parsley, they look almost similar but they are different in taste. Now why are people concerned about the question that can cats eat cilantro?
This is a valid question because cilantro and parsley belong to the same family and eating parsley is not good for the digestion of cats. Herbs have not had good results on their digestion and that’s why the cat owners are worried about cilantro in their cat’s diet.
Why do cats like green vegetables?:
Pet owners are pretty much concerned and surprised when they see their pets around green leafy vegetables and get confused when their cats eat grass, spinach, leaves, and other herbs. The reason behind their liking of green leafy vegetables is the consumption of special nutrients to keep their digestion good. For example, cats are often seen eating grass because it helps them in digestion when they overeat their meal.
Why do cats eat Cilantro?:
Cats are carnivorous animals and their natural diet is meat and milk but they have different cravings. Their purpose behind eating cilantro is to get minerals and vitamins that are naturally present in cilantro. To consume these nutrients cats are often seen eating and chewing cilantro.
4. What if a cat eats cilantro?:
Cilantro is not a harmful subject for cats but cats are carnivores animals and vegetables are not part of their food. But if your cat likes eating cilantro and it is not affecting her health then you can give her cilantro occasionally as a treat. But if they do not like the cilantro, do not force them to eat what do not want to.
Benefits of eating cilantro for cats:
Cilantro has many benefits for human health, they often eat it and season their food with cilantro. But when it comes to “Can cats eat cilantro?” yes most of the time cilantro has good effects on a cat’s health.
Here are some of the good results of cats eating cilantro:
- Good digestion: The minerals in cilantro keep the digestive system very good. And most of the team cats eat it for this reason.
- Maintains a good weight: Cilantro in the human diet helps them to lower their weight. It can also be helpful for cats to stay healthy and maintain a good weight.
- Keep them happy: If your cat loves to bite cilantro then let them nibble some bites, it is not harmful for them if they are not allergic and it will also make them happy for this treat.
- Help them to adopt different tastes: When your cat is exposed to different food, she will develop a new taste and it is a good thing for cat owners if they want to alternate their cat’s food.
So these are some good things to keep in mind about cilantro if your cat likes to eat it.
When do you need to be concerned about cats eating cilantro?
Cats are sensitive to herbs, they eat green leafy vegetables and herbs but these vegetables are not part of their diet, sometimes eating herbs can have bad effects on cats’ health. So here are some of the serious conditions you must stop your cats from eating cilantro.
- During Pregnancy: It is not good for pregnant cats to eat anything out of their natural diet, so you must not let your pregnant cat eat cilantro.
- Allergic: Do not let your cat eat cilantro when she is allergic to herbs, otherwise it can cause some serious health problems for your cat.
- Vomiting: Cats can vomit when they encounter coriander, or cilantro because this is not part of their meal.
- Poor Digestion: If a cat eats too much cilantro it can affect her stomach badly and she can have diarrhea and other digestive problems.
These are some conditions in which a cat owner must pay attention and must not give their cats cilantro.
Cilantro in Proportion:
If your cat enjoys the taste of cilantro and you often see your cat eating and nibbling cilantro then you must consult your vet first, and ask the vet if can cats eat cilantro. Your vet will tell you if your cat is healthy enough to digest this herb. If the vet allows your cat to eat cilantro then you can add a proportion of cilantro to their diet but if the vet is not allowing you then do not treat your pet with cilantro and any other herb they like to eat.
Conclusion
All the above discussion summarizes that cilantro is not a toxic substance for your cat. It is different from parsley and does not have any such bad effects on cats’ health. But always remember that herbs are not included in their natural diet, they can be allergic to herbs and can get some serious digestive problems. So your concern about “Can cats eat cilantro” is valid. But cilantro in a limited proportion is allowed for your healthy herb-loving cat. Otherwise, you need to change herbs with some other things to give treats to your cats.
