Cats are such fun and loving pets. So many people love their pet cats, and they often spend a lot of time with them.
Your cat might love hanging out with you in the morning. If you’re someone who likes to drink coffee, then you may have noticed something unusual.
Have you ever seen your cat taking a keen interest in your cup of coffee? Sometimes cats might smell the coffee, and there have even been instances of cats trying to drink the coffee when their owners aren’t looking.
Why does your cat seem to like coffee? Is there something about it that is appealing to cats?
Continue reading to learn about cats and coffee. You’ll have a better understanding of what seems to draw some cats to coffee.
Some Cats Seem to Like Coffee
Some cats seem to really like coffee. If you’ve observed your cat taking an interest in your morning cup of coffee, then you can count your pet among the felines who seem to be attracted to it.
However, some cats don’t like coffee at all. What a cat likes and dislikes will largely depend on the cat.
This means that not all cats are going to be interested in what you’re drinking in the morning. If you have two cats, you might notice that one of them is interested in your coffee while the other couldn’t care less about it.
This is actually a bit of an interesting topic because researchers say that most cats don’t seem to like coffee. In fact, the smell of coffee is known to deter certain cats from coming around.
Why would your cat be so interested in coffee that it would try to drink it? Well, it’s hard to explain, but something about the coffee piques the interest of your cat.
Cats are individuals, and just like individual humans, they can have different preferences. Your cat just might find the smell and the taste of coffee to be quite appealing.
Since most cats are put off by coffee, the fact that your cat likes it would make it a bit of an outlier. However, it isn’t completely out of the ordinary to see cats that are interested in coffee.
Getting accurate numbers about how many cats like coffee versus how many dislike coffee isn’t possible. Just know that many people have observed the same things that you have, and this means that there are other cats out there that like coffee.
Other Reasons Why Cats Might Be Interested in Coffee
There are some other reasons why cats might be interested in coffee to consider. If you’re like most people, then you probably don’t drink your coffee black.
Although some people love the taste of black coffee with nothing added to it, many more people choose to add other things to the mix. You might add cream, sugar, milk, and other additives to make the coffee have a more appealing flavor.
It’s possible that some of these additives are what attract your cat to the coffee. Cats can’t actually taste sweetness, and this means that sugar shouldn’t make the coffee more or less appealing.
It is known that cats seem to be drawn to milk, though. Your cat could be smelling the milk that you have put in your coffee.
If you happen to be using whole cream, then that could be especially tantalizing to your cat. You see, the cream floats on the top of the coffee, and this makes it easier for the cat to get to it.
So your cat might not be interested in the coffee so much as it is interested in the things that you’ve added to the coffee. This isn’t always going to be the case, but it’s something that is worth considering.
Is Coffee Safe for Cats?
Coffee is absolutely not safe to give to cats. This is something that you need to learn about if you want to take care of your cats to the best of your ability.
Cats should never be allowed to drink coffee because they can technically die by consuming too much of it. This might sound really scary, but don’t worry too much if your cat just licked your coffee a little bit.
Essentially, consuming large amounts of coffee will be very bad for a cat. When cats digest large amounts of coffee beans or coffee grounds, it can cause them to have toxicity issues.
Specifically, caffeine toxicity is what can kill the cat. Cats can only handle so much caffeine, and they aren’t meant to consume it at all.
Your cat has a low threshold for caffeine toxicity when compared to you. Humans can drink quite a bit of coffee, but it’s still technically possible for a human to experience caffeine toxicity.
In humans, caffeine toxicity would require incredibly high levels of concentrated caffeine. Cats can have issues if they consume coffee grounds and coffee beans regularly.
Your cat’s digestive system is not prepared to handle caffeine. It doesn’t really understand how to process the caffeine, and it takes too long to leave the body.
Many different beverages will be dangerous for your cat to drink. This includes coffee, energy drinks, and even tea.
Decaffeinated coffee is much safer for cats, but it’s still not good for them. It contains toxins that aren’t good for cats, and this means that you still shouldn’t let your cat drink coffee even if it’s decaffeinated.
What to Do If Your Cat Consumes Coffee
If you noticed your cat drinking some of your coffee, then you might be concerned after reading the information above. You love your cat and you certainly don’t want it to die.
What should you do if you know that your cat consumed coffee? Well, it depends on how much coffee the cat consumed.
If your cat simply licked your coffee a couple of times, then there probably isn’t anything to worry about. It’s still not good to let your cat do that, but you might be able to leave the cat alone and things will be okay.
When a cat consumes a lot of coffee, it’s going to be necessary to call the veterinarian. If your cat acts strangely after consuming even a little bit of coffee, then it’s likely best to call the veterinarian for assistance.
A veterinarian can advise you over the phone if necessary. They might give you a list of symptoms to look out for so that you can keep an eye on your cat.
If the cat obviously consumed too much coffee, then you’ll need to bring the cat to the veterinarian’s office right away. This will allow the vet to look at your cat and determine the best way to move forward.
Remember that drinking coffee even a little bit is bad for your cat. How bad the situation is might depend on the potency of the coffee.
For example, there are some types of coffee that are known to contain more caffeine. Even a few licks of something such as espresso could be very bad for your feline companion.
Energy drinks are also known to contain unusually high concentrations of caffeine. If your cat drank some of your energy drink after you spilled it, then that might be a dangerous situation.
It’s generally best to err on the side of caution and contact the veterinarian to get advice. If the vet wishes to see your cat so that they can examine it, then you’ll want to go ahead and take it in.
If the cat is indeed experiencing caffeine toxicity issues, then the vet will be able to address the situation. There are many ways that vets deal with caffeine toxicity issues.
Some vets might induce vomiting in cats that drank coffee. This will ensure that as much of the caffeine leaves the cat’s system as possible.
It’s not unusual for vets to make cats consume charcoal, too. This is done to help absorb the caffeine so that it won’t continue to harm your cats.
Your vet will determine the best course of action. They have the expertise that is necessary to deal with situations such as this.
Keep Your Coffee and Coffee Grounds Away From Your Cats
Now that you know how potentially dangerous it is for cats to be exposed to caffeine, it’s going to be wise to take precautions. You can drink coffee and pet your cat at the same time, but you’ll just need to keep the cat from licking the coffee.
Don’t leave your coffee unattended or it’ll give the cat an opportunity to mess with it. It might be wise to place your coffee in the microwave if you need to step away.
You could also put it somewhere that your cat can’t get to. Just don’t leave the coffee on an end table where the cat will easily be able to lick it if it wants to.
Some people keep lids on their coffee cups so that the coffee can’t be easily accessed. This is a decent solution, but the cat could still tip the cup over and try to spill the coffee.
Take the right precautions to keep your cats safe. Remember that coffee grounds can be just as dangerous as the coffee itself.
Dispose of coffee grounds properly and make it so that the garbage can’t be accessed by the cat. If you’re doing your best to take steps to keep your cat safe, then it’ll be unlikely that your cat will experience caffeine toxicity issues.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Film/Video/Media Studies, as well as an associates degree in Communications. I began producing videos and musical recordings nearly 15 years ago. I am a guitarist and bassist in Southwest MI and have been in a few different bands since 2009, and in 2012 I began building custom guitars and basses in my home workshop as well. When I’m home, I love spending time with my three pets (a dog, cat, and snake) and gardening in my backyard. I also like photographing wild birds, especially birds of prey.
Nytowl
Tuesday 25th of April 2023
I've not consumed anything but black coffer since I was a teenager 4+ decades ago, and I long ago lost count of how many times I've caught one or another cat (or chicken, turkey, guinea fowl, or goose!) in my coffee. Of course, I dump the coffee that the birds get into (do you know the kinds of things they peck at? You don't want it in your coffee, that's certain!), but it gets funnier.
I have discovered that some of the cats (and chickens, of all things) over the years learned how to tip off the cover I put on my cup, so they can access the coffee. I think it was often just done to be ornery or naughty, or just to show they could! 😄 But at least one spoiled chicken and 4 cats over the decades were regular coffee thieves!
The vets over the years always said that as long as they didn't begin acting unusually, they weren't consuming enough to be dangerous. Then again, the vet I asked about the chicken admitted the were literally guessing when it came to a chicken's response to or danger from caffeine or any of the other things in coffee. It seems not many chickens deliberately drink coffee! 🤣
The chicken and 2 of the cats were/are rather insistent and persistent, and one of the cats was downright determined! I miss her! Puff lived to be TWENTY years old, and passed in her sleep, but though it was 4 years ago, I still badly miss that cat! She was quite a lady, and loved to steal my coffee, among other naughty and ornery things she would do!😄
Anyway, it seems I have had more than one coffee addict, furry *~and~* feathery, in my lifetime, and luckily have had no harm done for any of them so far. Just thought I'd share here. 😁
Laura
Monday 18th of April 2022
My cat likes coffee black or with something in it. She will even lick the coffee maker for the taste. Yes I will cover it up for now on. I have always stopped her when I see it but she smart and sneaky. If I turn my back for even a second she gets to it. I put in a travel thermos once I put something in it and reheat it but as I said she is fast. When I stop her she is not too happy about it. I get clawed. I have taught her no but she really likes coffee. It’s crazy but she likes it better than cat treats. She doesn’t get more a few likes but she is one determined cat.