The short answer is: No, cats cannot eat black pepper. Along with other condiments, black pepper is harmful to your cat’s health. Black pepper has properties that can be irritating to smell if inhaled in large amounts. It can make us sneeze, how much more with our feline pets, which has an enhanced sense of smell.
As a famous spice, almost every recipe includes black pepper along with salt. For this reason, every kitchen has a place for black peppers.
Thus, it’s no wonder why they are likely to encounter it, both on its own and added on food.
But then, what makes black pepper and kitties unsuitable for each other? Let’s find out!
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Do cats like black pepper?
To make it more accurate, cats don’t just like black pepper. More than anything, they cannot like it.
The reason for this is that black pepper has that scent that our feline pets dislike.
Thus, black pepper is famous for being a repellant for people who wants to keep cats out of a particular area.
Black pepper repels felines by the scent. It gets into the felines sinuses, causing them to sneeze. If it gets worse, it can also irritate their eyes.
We tend to sneeze after accidentally inhaling too much black pepper.
Imagine if felines, who have an enhanced sense of smell, will inhale the same pepper amount.
It will undoubtedly be irritating and unpleasant for our cats.
Related – Can cats eat rice pudding?
Do cats hate the smell of black pepper?
Cats do hate the smell of black pepper. As the LOC states, black pepper contains piperine, an irritant that gets in the nose, which causes a sneeze.
They are curious animals, and they tend to sniff a lot, be it in animals, things, and food.
Thus, when they are roaming or moving around, they tend to sniff everything they encounter.
If a particular area has some black pepper on it, the kitty may react by rubbing its nose and leaving the place.
As they get irritated by the smell of black pepper, they also learn to register it in their instincts.
It’s the reason why most people use ground black pepper in areas where they want their kitty to stay away.
Once they smell the scent of black pepper, they would never again come near it.
Aside from the smell, black pepper intake can also harm any feline’s stomach.
Black pepper in itself is spicy if taken, be it whole, cracked, or ground.
Since it is spicy, it can cause digestive issues. Such problems include vomiting, diarrhea, and an upset stomach.
Aside from black pepper, other spices and seasoning can be toxic.
Knowing this is vital so that you’ll be aware of the food you’re offering is safe or not.
You May Also Read – Can cats eat vanilla pudding?
What spices are toxic to cats?
Aside from black pepper, salt and other powder used for seasoning are also toxic to cats.
Whole spices such as garlic, onions, shallots, and scallions are also harmful. It can cause damage to the red blood cells, eventually leading to anemia.
When taken on their own or in food in large quantities, it can be lethal to your pet’s health.
As much possible, prevent access to such spices and seasonings. You can do this by giving them cooked but unseasoned food.
If you’re worried about the taste, you don’t have to. Felines don’t have a tongue like ours to register such flavors.
Are cats allowed to eat pepper?
Aside from black peppers, the bell peppers are safe for cats, as long as it’s cooked.
Thus, if you plan to give some food with bell peppers, it’s okay. You can even add small portions of potatoes, as potatoes aren’t harmful.
All variants of bell peppers are safe. Whether it’s green, yellow, or red, it will be alright.
The ideal thing is you include such in other food. With the bell pepper alone, your kitty may not eat.
Can cats eat eggs with pepper?
Eggs are a safe food for cats, and you can give them big servings since it’s a good source of protein.
However, adding seasonings such as pepper and salt can be questionable.
Adding salt and pepper to eggs is not necessary for your feline pet. Like I said above, they don’t have a taste for saltiness and flavor. Seasoning can even harm them,
If you’re cooking for you two, try cooking separately. Season only the portion for you and leave the one for your kitty unseasoned.
If you also like putting milk on your eggs, don’t do the same for your pet.
Since they are lactose-intolerant, they may find it difficult and harmful to consume food with milk.
Do you want to know if cats eat durian or pesto? Check it out!
Will Lemon Pepper hurt cats?
Yes, lemon pepper will hurt cats.
Lemon pepper is a seasoning made from combining lemon zest and ground black pepper.
The lemon zest contains a citrusy agent that doesn’t match the cat. With the added black pepper, it will hurt a cat.
If you’re planning to use lemon pepper to repel a cat, it’s not ideal, as it may hurt your feline pet during the process.
If you don’t want your pet in a particular area, you can train it. Using some repellant can even incite destructive behaviors from your kitty.
Lastly, don’t add lemon pepper to the food you’ll feed. If cats smell such a thing, they probably won’t even touch the food.
What happens if you feed some tuna with lemon pepper? Read more about it here.
In Summary
Another thing is that using black pepper as a repellant may be useful, but it is harmful.
Thus, it’s not ideal to use such a method if you wish to keep your pet away from a particular area.
Train them if you must, but don’t put them in harm by spraying black pepper. Further, don’t let feed food with black pepper in it.
Now, how about cayenne pepper? Is it also as harmful as black pepper to cats? Find out more about it here.
Resources
LOC study about piperine in the black pepper
Image credits – Photos by Nihal Karkala and Anas Alhajj on Unsplash
