Updated: August 11, 2022 by Kristen Chapple
Coriander is also known as cilantro or Chinese parley and all parts of the plant are edible for us. The fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the parts that are usually used in cooking and they have many nutrients. If you grow a herbs garden you might have one of these plants and you should ask yourself if it is safe to have your cat around it. Can cats eat cilantro? Let us find out all about it here!
Nutritional Value
The seeds differ from the stems and leaves when it comes to the health benefits they offer. The leaves are rich in vitamin A, C and K while also having moderate quantities of various minerals. The seeds have a lower content of those vitamins but they have a lot more dietary fiber, calcium, selenium, iron, magnesium and manganese.
Some of these are healthy for cats but the final opinion about whether or not cilantro is healthy for cats is quite controversial. Some say you can go ahead and give them as much as they want of the plant while others advise against it. Let us look at the benefits and dangers of the plant.
Digestive System
The risks of having problems after eating cilantro aren’t very high for a cat but what can happen is that the cat can risk gastrointestinal irritation and cardiac arrhythmia. Cilantro acts as an irritant and thus there is the possibility that their stomach will get upset by the herb.
The ASPCA though considers cilantro to be safe for cats and thus it means that the risks discussed above are very rare. Perhaps, if you really want to add this to a cat’s diet, you can start with a very small quantity and keep your cat under observation to see if they show symptoms like diarrhea or vomiting and if not you can try to increase the amount.
Possible Alternatives
Among the options that you have if you see that your cat does react badly to cilantro there are some which are completely safe if served in small portions. That being said, the best choice is still to just buy cat food that is designed specifically for cats since those are done by specialists, especially if you choose a brand recommended by your veterinarian.
The safe alternatives would be winter squash, steamed asparagus, broccoli, baked carrots or some green beans which will provide the minerals and vitamins needed by your cat without any risk of side effects. Keep in mind that whenever you introduce some new food it is a good idea to make sure your cat reacts well to it first before increasing the quantity too much.
Short Answer:
Yes, cilantro is usually safe for cats but there are some specialists who warn that it could lead to some problems.
