Many people like spicy food. But pets can’t always have our food. Can the cat eat chili or is it dangerous?
Chillies are part of the Solanaceae family, which also includes belladonna. Some members of this family are definitely toxic, but the chillies were selected by humans and grown in South America to be non-toxic. However, cats, as with other mammals, have pain receptors similar to those of humans, and chillies have the same burning effect as it does on humans – our kitty probably won’t appreciate it at all. But aside from the sting (and personal tastes), can the cat eat chili or is it toxic to him / her?
Can the cat eat chili or spices?
Some ingredients commonly found in chili recipes are definitely toxic to cats, for example onions, so we should generally keep food of this type away from cats, even if they seem to love it, as onion toxicity can be fatal.
Also, spicy foods can cause severe gastrointestinal and digestive problems which can cause stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, etc. Some cats are allergic to spices , but this is another individual problem. In terms of chili or chili powder, these foods should always be banned. While cats may not be able to taste spice or sting in the same way we humans do, they can certainly suffer from these side effects.
Cats are obligate carnivores. Therefore meat is not only essential for their diet but also for their survival. That’s why the introduction of spices, seasonings, chili powder, and similar foods is useless. As a cat owner, it is always essential to do what is best for our pet rather than what we like: we do not have the same needs.
When we ask ourselves if the cat can eat chili or spices, we must actually keep in mind that what makes us happy in terms of food or food, could be fatal for our furry friend. Cats only need cat food (wet or dry) and fresh water – that’s all a cat really needs to be healthy and happy, in relation to meals and daily hydration .
Can cats taste spicy foods?
If we plan to organize a dinner based on jalapeno sauce and Mexican foods, or perhaps with some traditional Calabrian recipes, we do not count on cat as a diner. While he might enjoy some meat with us, the rest of the spicy menu isn’t on our cat’s favorite food list.
Our sense of taste is better than that of the cat If our cat could talk, he will probably tell us that he is better than us in every way, but he cannot legitimately claim primacy over his sense of taste. Kitty has fewer than 500 taste buds on her little pink tongue; we humans have nearly 9,000.
True, his tongue can scratch to smooth the finish from the dining room table, but ours can be used to identify and enjoy more complex tasting foods than yours. And even if our cat knows the difference between salty and bitter or acidic foods, the spicy flavors are not felt by his tongue.
And if even theoretically the cat can eat chili, it probably wouldn’t. In fact, he prefers the warm temperatures of the food over the spicy taste. The texture and temperature of the food are what attracts him to eat it. Cat’s instinct is to eat hot meat (like a bird or a freshly hunted mouse), instead of something like a stuffed pepper that takes the “heat” from the spices.
The taste of spicy
Your cat may not like milder spices, such as cinnamon or nutmeg, but they will have no problem recognizing the spice of hot peppers. This is because the “heat” does not come from the flavor of the chili, but from a reaction to the capsaicin they contain. Capsaicin irritates the pain sensors in our cat’s mouth just as it does ours. It’s a feeling cat won’t be satisfied with, which is why we shouldn’t be feeding him chillies or hot sauce.
Our cat’s taste buds are designed to recognize basic flavor sensations, and that’s okay for them too. In fact, the cat is naturally designed to eat what his body needs, such as proteins and fats, none of which need to be accompanied by a hot sauce to improve it.
It’s best if we don’t let cat indulge in food with a lot of spices, as it could cause problems with his digestive system or, if the aroma comes from onions or garlic, it could even interfere with his health. Foods from the onion family are dangerous for most pets.
