Can cats eat oranges? No! Cats can’t consume oranges because of the toxic compounds they contain. They’re also not safe to drink orange juice since it often has pulp and pips. This is in addition to those same essential oils that are poisonous for cats when ingested. Cats will be attracted by the smell but should not eat citrus fruit under any circumstances due to how different their metabolism is from humans.
Why Shouldn’t Cats Eat Oranges?
Cats shouldn’t eat oranges because they contain oils that can harm them and even cause death if ingested for a long period. The ingestion of oranges has caused citrus poisoning in some cases but is usually not fatal to a cat. However, eating orange peels may be even more harmful than consuming the fruit itself due to higher concentrations of these food-poisoning agents on peel surfaces rather than in pulp tissue.
Is the Smell of Oranges Bad for Cats?
The smell of oranges does not physically harm cats, but it can be a turn-off for them. Some cat repellant products use citrus smells because cats do not like the smell.
If you have diffused orange essential oils or other citrus scents in your home and notice that your cat is irritated or avoids that room, this would probably indicate they have an aversion to these types of smells. However, their health isn’t affected at all.
What Should I Do If My Cat Ate an Orange?
Cats are picky eaters, and they often show signs of illness if they consume something bad for them. Some common symptoms reported by cats who have eaten oranges include vomiting lethargy. The cat minimizes movement or activity, depression or irritability, and gets easily annoyed reduced appetite, and diarrhea. If you suspect your cat has consumed an orange and the above symptoms apply to its current behavior, call your vet immediately.
Do Orange-Based cleaning products Affect Cats?
Cats are very sensitive animals and react differently to certain scents than humans, so we should avoid using orange-based cleaners or products near the cat’s bedding area or around their toys because it may cause a respiratory problem.
The smell will remain on their fur for hours in some cases, and we need to be careful about keeping these items at least five feet away from your cat’s food. Ensure that you always read any labels before purchasing, as cats can be especially allergic.
However, if your cat has a strong sense of smell and is highly sensitive to certain scents, they may avoid these areas in the house after you’ve sprayed with these products out of fear or even refuse to eat because this can remind them; too much about that unpleasant scent.
How To Keep Cats From Eating Oranges?
To prevent your cat from eating oranges or citrus, you don’t need to do much. They generally dislike the taste and smell of these things! In fact, with how strongly they disliked it, cats were used in some types of repellant sprays that contained orange peels because they are so effective-cats can sense them a mile away!
Of course, there might be certain foods or drinks which contain oranges like lemons. However, you should never give these fruit products to your cat at all times either. There are also a lot of common household cleaning sprays that contain citrus, which is unlikely for cats to eat these types of cleaners; it is still important not to have any near their sleeping area where food bowls and litter boxes are present.
Cat Food: Did You know?
We also wrote about other foods that cats can and can’t eat. Check out this article: Can Cats Eat Raspberries?
Are Oranges Safe for Cats? Can Cats Eat Oranges?
The article explains, “Can cats eat oranges?” Contrary to what you may think, cats do not need any vitamin C in their diet. They produce it themselves! So while oranges are a high-vitamin C snack for humans, they’re not necessary for cats and can even be dangerous.
The oils present in oranges are toxic to cats, as well as the sugar content is much higher than cat food. Instead of giving your cat an orange or fruit treat that could be harmful if ingested by them instead, try specially made feline treats and healthy human snacks which they can safely enjoy too.
