Can Cats Taste Spicy Food?
The most obvious question that every cat owner asks himself is if the cat can taste everything he tastes. Cats, unfortunately, cannot have the same culinary preferences as us. They are carnivores by nature. Humans also consume meat. When we eat meat is almost always seasoned with some spices and sauces.
The thing we have to be clear about is how likely your cat may consume the meat prepared that way. If you are wondering if your cat can feel the jalapeño or wasabi spice and if you can give your cat meat to which spices are added, the answer will be tricky. Cats will feel the taste of the spices, but won’t benefit much from it.
Again, we have to go through the subject in detail to get the right answer about cats and spices.
Can Cats Taste Spicy Food?
Let me say, yes, our cats can eat spicy foods. As a record, remember that cats do not have a remarkable number of taste bud receptors and it has been detected that, cats, so far have 470 taste buds. If compared with dogs it is twice less. I wouldn’t make any comparison with cattle which has 20,000 taste buds.
No matter how low their taste buds are, cats have a functional sense of taste. When certain food is near cats the specific receptors will be activated and transmit the sensation or taste to the cat’s brain.
The only bud receptors not present in the cat’s body are sweet taste receptors, so a cat will never show any preference for sweet food. This receptor for sweet taste buds was genetically erased during the process of cats’ evolution. This may have happened because as carnivores by nature cats do not feel any need to taste sweet food.
For cats to feel spicy food they need a combination of multiple receptors that function together. The receptor known as TRPV1 is the one which is responsible for detecting spiciness and the heat associated with spicy food. This is why your cat is capable of detecting and tasting spices in food.
Why are Certain Foods Spicy?
Capsaicin is the name of the compound that is responsible for making spicy food spicy. Capsaicin was developed by the chili peppers to increase their odds of reproducing. It affects and irritates the pain receptors in any kind of animal. As soon as the cat tastes this it leaves it alone. So, whatever spicy your cats eat that is spicy, they feel it and taste it.
Capsaicin activates the receptors. So, you will not have a problem telling if your cat loves certain tastes.
What you will first notice if your cat doesn’t like its taste will be a licking of the nose, moving the tail side to side, and star grooming itself.
Is Spicy Food Bad for Your Cat?
If the food is spicy, it is not good for your cat. Spicy food isn’t toxic for the cat, but since your cat is not used to eating that kind of food it may show an intolerance to the food. Giving spicy food to your cat if it hasn’t tried the taste ever may bring certain effects like:
⦁ Your cat may see its food bowl as a bad experience and may refuse to eat any future meals
⦁ The digestive system of your cat may be upset and lead to diarrhea or vomiting.
⦁ There may be litter box accidents
⦁ The caused stress may lead to further health issues
As I said the spices are not toxic to cats, but they are still zero nutritional. Being an obligate carnivore, your cat will not have any nutritional benefit from spices. In the variety of spices used most are not toxic to cats, but some can be. I would not even like to describe what may happen if the spice used is toxic for cats.
To avoid any unwanted situation here is a list of spices toxic to cats: onions, leeks, garlic, shallots, and nutmeg.
In case your cat has unwillingly tried one of these spices or if you notice any strange behavior in your cat after tasting spicy food you should immediately visit your vet.
Spices irritate your cat’s digestive system, have no nutritional benefits, and may be potentially harmful. So, let’s declare that spices are harmful to cats. Ever come in doubt about what you should feed your cat with, please ask the vet who is the most responsible person to suggest.
Why Do Some Cats Love Spicy Foods?
Despite all we have elaborated so far, the truth is that some cats like spicy food. It is hard to believe, but cats assume food in a different way than we do. If this is the situation we can say that the most accepting theory is that cats feel the strong smell of the spicy food and it attracts them.
The theory is very logical since the cat’s lack of taste buds compensates for the sense of smell. Cats will always be willing to eat something that intrigues them from a smell aspect. Never forget that cats are curious.
What is the Verdict?
Although your cat can smell spicy food you are not supposed to share your meal with it. Cats do smell the spice but rarely appreciate it.
Spicy food is dangerous because it causes gastrointestinal upset. As we mentioned above some of the spices are toxic, as well.
Whenever certain food is not appropriate for your cat as the spicy food is you should try and offer your feline companion a cat-balanced counterpart for the food you eat. When in doubt about what to feed your cat with the most competent person to ask for advice is the vet.
