Cats have been adorable pets and along with dogs, they are one of the most popular animals occurring in one’s house. Since cats are such a pet that needs much attention, cat owners frequently spend a lot of time with them.
People usually love to bring their cats for a walk in the morning. For coffee lovers, they start the morning with a coffee and their cat beside or around the room. But have you ever wondered “Do cats like the smell of coffee?” or whether your cat also enjoys the smell of coffee as you do?
In this article, let’s dive in and figure out the answer.
What smells do cats dislike?
Cats like to explore their surroundings, and the way they do this is by detecting scents. Cats have a specific mechanism within their lips that enables them to further explore intriguing odors because the smell is so important to them.
First and foremost, before finding out whether cats like coffee’s smell or not, let’s get to know some typical smells that bother cats.
You might be surprised by the smells bothering cats mentioned here. In general, cats never show interest once they meet these things: Orange and lemon peels (cats dislike citrus smells), cayenne pepper, pipe tobacco, lavender oil, lemongrass oil, citronella oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, & mustard oil. Your cat will occasionally encounter a scent that they strongly dislike. They may squint, move away, or just get up and leave the unpleasant area.
Do cats dislike coffee?
Unfortunately, usually cats are not interested in the smell of coffee like us. Or in other words, cats hate coffee, especially coffee grounds.
Many coffee shops or coffee restaurants have cats which is considered a wise scheme, clearly aimed at the customers that love cats. However, the fact is the majority of cats do not like coffee. Coffee grounds are even used to deter cats from gardens. This should be a good thing because coffee can be toxic to cats due to the amount of caffeine in it.
Cats also can detest the toxin through the smells. They have a good sense of smell and 5 times more olfactory epithelium than humans. It might be one of the reasons why some cats hate coffee.
But there are also exceptions. Cats are just like humans when talking about their appearance under individuals. They are different from each other, therefore apart from hating feelings for coffee, there are some cats that like coffee, they even drink coffee or lick coffee beans.
In the medical research on caffeine “Are we dependent upon coffee and caffeine? A review on human and animal data” by Astrid Nehlig, the author mentions the effect of caffeine in coffee might lead to coffee dependence on humans and animals, including cats. Therefore, caffeine in coffee is harmful and sometimes fatal to cats if it comes with a huge enough amount, it also makes your cat cannot give up easily and keep seeking coffee.
Compared to a human, a cat’s sense of taste is poor, and smell is far more important. Cats are very sensitive to smells but have no taste for sweetness. Therefore, the occurrence of sugar in coffee does not make coffee more or less attractive to cats. Cats love milk and it can come up with a possible case when milk in your coffee makes cats love it.
But please be aware of the danger when you allow your cat to enjoy coffee with you. As mentioned, consuming too much coffee harms a cat’s health because the toxicity in caffeine can kill it.
The effects of coffee seem to affect dogs and cats more severely than they do on humans. The majority of pets are unlikely to become ill after one or two licks of coffee, tea, or soda. However, giving unwanted coffee grounds, beans or beans, tea bags, or supplements to cats might result in severe poisoning.
Depending on how much was consumed, tremors, an increase in body temperature, higher heart rate, restlessness, hyperactivity, high blood pressure, and vomiting may be observed. Seizures, comas, and even death are possible in extreme situations.
As a result, you must take all necessary precautions to prevent your cat from attempting to eat the coffee grounds. Some cats could enjoy coffee grounds while others might not. You should keep your cat from the coffee grinds if it becomes curious about the fragrance and starts licking or eating it.
Final thoughts
A coffee lover if also a cat owner should be aware of your cat being around your coffee. Some cats hate coffee but others might feel interested in your cup of coffee or coffee grounds. Whatever they like or dislike, you need to separate them from coffee, aiming at not letting your pet consume any amount of coffee because the caffeine in coffee will seriously harm it.
