When you think about lemons what comes to mind? Sunny days, summer, lemonade or maybe even vitamin C or a yummy sweet treat. But, if you are a cat owner, you may be wondering if lemons are bad for your four legged, feline friends?
A curious question that a cat owner may have is, “can my cat safely eat lemons?” We will dive deep into this topic to see if this citrus fruit is safe for your feline friend or a no go.
We know that our furry friends love the smell of tuna and different fish, but what about the smell of lemon?
You may have heard the notion that cats detest the scent of lemons and will avoid them at all costs, but is this true? Due to the strong citrus smell of lemons and a cats highly developed sense of smell, your cat may pull back and get away from a lemon quite quickly.
While you may be wondering if your cat would want to taste or even just smell a lemon, it’s very important to approach this potential experiment with caution. Being responsible pet owners means that you are in charge of your feline friend and their safety and well being.
Can My Cat Safely Eat Lemons?
The short answer would be, no, your cat should not eat lemons or any other citrus fruit at that. Lemons, grapefruits, oranges or any type of citrus fruit can cause severe reactions in your four legged friends. But, let’s look a little bit closer and see why.
Lemons contain essential oils and other toxic compounds like limonene, linalool, and psoralen that are all known to be toxic to cats. These compounds can be found in the peel, seed and pulp of the lemon.
Did you know that these toxins are not only found in the lemon itself but is also present in lemon trees? So, if you have or know of anyone that has lemon trees close to where your cat likes to hang out around, it is very wise to be extra cautious.
Limonene is the essential oil that is added to products to give it a strong smell of lemon and is often added to different products like cleaners, air fresheners and even dog shampoo.
On another note, it’s best to avoid using dog shampoo for your cats. Dogs have aren’t quite as sensitive to lemon as cats are and dogs can tolerate a small amount of it unlike cats and you don’t want to cause you cat to have skin rashes or even gastrointestinal problems from the lemon.
Even just getting this substance on your cat’s skin can cause skin burns because cats are so sensitive to it.
Even the ASPCA lists lemons as being toxic to cats, dogs and even horses.
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What Happens if my Cat Accidentally Eats a Lemon
More than not, cats will not chow down on a lemon as they tend to dislike their sour taste. Just a curious sniff or single lick of a lemon should not bring any harm to your fur baby. But, if for some reason your cat eats part of a lemon, lemon peel or even part of a lemon tree, I would contact and take it to the vet ASAP.
Even if your cat just digests a small amount of lemon juice or lemon peels it can an upset to their digestive system and gastrointestinal discomfort. The more that your cat ingests, the symptoms will be even more severe and can even result in poisoning or even death.
Cats, as curious creatures that they are, may have to get really close to a lemon to actually get a smell of it. Most of the times, cats are repelled by the smell of citrus fruits once they get a good sniff and will head the other direction away from them.
Some people have even been know to put lemon peels in their garden or other places that they don’t want cats in to repel them with the citrusy smells of the lemon scent.
Even if you enjoy drinking a glass of lemon water, your cat will not. More than not, if you have a glass of lemon water sitting out in the open, your cat may stop to sniff it and then pass on by because the scent just isn’t to their liking.
Symptoms of Lemon Poisoning in Cats
If you feline friend has come into contact or even digested small amounts of lemon, you may be wondering what would your cat’s symptoms be. They can include
- Skin Irritation
- Rash
- Low Blood Pressure
- Cold Limbs
- Weakness
- Tremors
- Gastrointestinal Distress
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Excessive Drooling
- Depression
- Lethargy
- Liver Failure
Of course, the greater amount of lemon that they may digest, the more severe the symptoms will be.
Can may even experience respiratory symptoms if they are exposed to lemon essential oils or strong lemon scents. If this happens, you cat could experience symptoms like sneezing, coughing or even difficulty of breathing. If you use any lemon scented cleaning products or diffusers in your home, it is important to pay close attention to your cats respiratory health.
Cats & Lemons Q & A’s
What will happen if my cat just licks a lemon? If your cats happens to just give a lemon a quick lick, it should not harm the cat. Just make sure that it doesn’t continue licking or eating the lemon.
Can cats eat a little lemon? No, your cat should not even digest even a small amount of lemon. Even a tiny bit of this human food can cause health problems for your cat.
Can cats eat lemon cake? No, cats should not eat lemon cake or any other dessert, especially those that contain citrus fruit.
Can cats eat lemon pepper tuna? Even though cats love tuna, you should not feed you cat lemon pepper tuna or any other food that contains lemons whether in the form of lemon juice, lemon peels or even lemon zest.
Do cats Like Lemon Juice? No, cats are not a fan at all when it comes to the taste or smell of lemons or any citrus fruit for that matter.
Is lemon safe for cats to smell? Too much lemon essential oil can cause your cat respiratory problems, so always be mindful when using diffusers and cleaners that contain lemon essential oils.
Do cats hate the taste of lemon? Due to the cat’s sense like their smell being so strong, most cats don’t seem to like the smell or taste of lemons.
Are citrus fruits bad for cats? Yes, all citrus fruits are bad for and can even prove to be fatal for cats, not just lemons.
Can I spray lemon water on my cat to get rid of fleas? Although fleas dislike the aroma of lemon, I would not advise spraying lemon water on your cat as it could possibly irritate your cats skin or even your cat could ingest some of the juice by cleaning and licking their fur.
Should I put lemon juice in my cats drinking water? No, you should absolutely not add even tiny amounts of lemon juice to your cats drinking water. It will in NO way boost or improve their immune system and will only cause digestive upsets or other problems for your cat’s health. Too much and it could even prove itself to be fatal.
All in all, to answer the question, ‘can cats eat lemon?’ No, your feline friend should definitely NOT eat lemons. Even though we as humans love the citrus scent and taste of lemons (they are even great for our immune system) our feline friends should stay way from them at all costs!
It’s always a good idea to err on the side of caution and to keep lemons or any citrus fruits away and out of reach of our feline friends to avoid unnecessary allergic reactions or trips to the vet.
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