Can Cats Eat Basil? Will It Harm My Cat?

Cats are snoopy animals who will keep on experimenting with certain things and plants. We all know how harmful can a plant be for our kitty.

But do you know that certain group of the plant is non-toxic to cats?

So, what do you think is basil herb the part of the list? Is it fine for cats?

Basically, our question, is can cats eat basil? Yes, cats can eat a small amount of basil and basils are non-toxic to cats. In fact, the herbal qualities of this herb can be good for the cat. But not being toxic doesn’t mean it is of no harm. A carnivorous animal cannot digest the plants easily. So, even basil can cause indigestion.

Our discussion doesn’t end here. There is a lot more about basil and cats that every cat parent should know. In this article, we’ll discuss how and when can cat eat basil and when it can be harmful to cats?

Is Basil Safe For Cats?

Yes, Basil is one of the extensively grown herbs secure for cats. basil is fine for cats. Now let it be fresh leaves, cooked or dry leaves, ingesting basil won’t damage your pet. It’s been mentioned that a few cats revel in diarrhea or vomiting, however, those signs and symptoms look very rare.

Basil is largely known for its herbal remedies and as a garnish over pizza. So your cat can take it as a garnish too. Herbs like thyme, basil, and dill are safe for cats.

Sweet basil or Thai basil every type of basil is safe for cats except for the essential oil made out of them.

This question is quite common for cat parents as these funky little creatures always invite certain problems for themselves due to their exciting nature.

And when it comes to plants we need to be more careful as cats cannot digest fiber efficiently.

But don’t get worried about basil herb. Basil comes among the safest plant for cats. It can even be good for their health. But every plant has a good amount of fiber so we cannot say that too much basil is good for cats. Use them less.

Is Basil Toxic To Cats?

No, basil is not toxic to cats in fact it is one of the non-toxic plants to cats which means your cat has no harm of toxicity.

A cat parent has to be very careful while decorating their house with plants as this jumpy creature will try out every leaves out of boredom. So if you have a basil plant in your house then don’t be worried as basil comes with other non-toxic plants for cats.

But it can be harmful in some ways. If your cat is allergic then avoid giving them the basil as the allergy can make it toxic for the cat. The plant may have bad effects on a cat’s digestion but it is definitely not toxic.

What Happens When A Cat Eats Basil?

After eating basil the cat will either easily eat the leaves or move on or it can cause indigestion in cats.

If your cat ate basil leaves then you might be wondering ‘ she has now consumed a herb what if it causes any serious issue in my cat?’. It is fine to think.

But let’s make it clear that most cats go on with their normal routine after eating basil. There are quite rare cases of any serious issue caused in cats due to basil.

But if your cat is allergic to basil then you should take her to the vet for better recovery as we don’t know how this can affect her body. 

Do Cats Like To Eat Basil?

Cats might or might not like the basil herb. But interestingly most of the cats don’t like the taste of the basil plant fine or good but the thick leaves can be the reason they chew the plant.

If you are a cat parent then you know this as every cat keeps on jumping from here and there just to try out things!

 Cats literally can jump anywhere and try out things that are new to them. They’ll definitely try to chew the things whether they want to play with them or eat them.

The fallen dustbin of your home is a good example. This doesn’t mean that like the item.

Cats are more into the texture and smell of the cats other than this they can just randomly decide to taste everything that’s near them let it be basil plant or any other herb. Boredom is another reason which pushes cats to do different experiments.

Your cat may want to throw out some foreign element from the body so they might eat the leaves for vomiting.

These all points doesn’t indicate that cats like eating basil plant. It’s just their curiosity and boredom. Fortunately, your cat is definitely not eating poison.

Are Cats Attracted To Basil?

Yes, the minty smell and thick leaves of the basil plant can easily attract your cat.

You keep on saving your things from your cat and sometimes cats from certain things. This curious little animal tends to like the smell of the basil herb but the attraction is not that hard.

Once they are satisfied with the fragrance of the plant, they possibly bite down on a leaf to evaluate the plant and find it either gross or satisfying. We know how choosy cats are so they might chew them when bored.

So, we can’t say in particular that the cat is attracted towards the basil plant but they like chewing the thick leaves.

Is Basil Beneficial To Cats?

Basil is not beneficial for cats as carnivorous creatures cannot really absorb the nutrients of the herb efficiently. So the basil is just for the chewing purpose.

Basil belongs to the mint family of plants and is known to be very beneficial for humans. It can provide us with anti-inflammatory, fights depression, contains decent quantities of vitamin A and K. but our question is ‘is basil beneficial for cats?’

Look, safe and beneficial are two different terms. Being safe for consumption doesn’t mean that it is going to provide the body with some health benefits. For example, we humans eat candies for taste but they have no nutritional value.

The same way the carnivorous animal like a cat is adapted to eating meat and flesh which means they can efficiently digest the flesh and absorb the important nutrient while plant fiber and nutrients are digested in quite a different way so cat’s cannot breakdown the enzymes which means their body cannot digest or absorb the nutrients.

Hence, the herb for cats is just for chewing purposes.

So, practically It has no nutritional value for your pet and so the spiced up and garnished cat food is just for decoration purposes.

How Can Basil Harm Cats?

Basil can harm cats by messing up with their digestive system which might cause vomiting and other issues. The basil leaves have mercury which can cause tooth decay and the essential oil is always bad for cats. Otherwise, the plant is safe for cats.

Cat is obliged carnivore which means that their body is comfortable with the digestion of nutrients and amount of nutrients that they receive from the flesh of other animals while when it comes to plants their digestive system is not very fine with the grass and plants.

In fact, some groups of plants can be poisonous to them. Fortunately, basil is not one out of them. in fact, the basil plant is among the safest plant for cats.

But does safe really means no harm?

No, safe doesn’t mean that they are totally fine for cats.  Eating grass tends to make cats vomit, and might pose different fitness troubles to cats. Other than this if the leaves of basil have insects and pests then try avoiding the plant. It can be worrisome in some ways.

Basil is known for its content of mercury which can cause teeth decay in humans too then your cat won’t have a very powerful layer hence tooth decay can be an easy process for basil chewing cats.

Apart from this avoid essential oil as the concentrated oil can be dangerous for the cats and harmful for the respiratory system. It can lead to many respiratory issues.

Frequently Asked Question

Final Words

Being safe neither means beneficial nor very fine!

It is okay if your cat is eating basil out of boredom or occasionally but daily consumption is not recommended. Their body digests the flesh perfectly but the plant fiber can cause stomach problems. Though it will not be very serious diarrhea can make your cat lethargic.

So it is better to keep them on the carnivorous diet for a peaceful existence.

References

• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/basil
• https://www.litter-robot.com/blog/2019/06/13/14-herbs-safe-for-cats/