The most popular drink in summer is lemonade. Almost everybody loves drinking lemonade in the summer.
However, it dehydrates our body and makes us feel better, but in this situation, we should know whether can cats drink lemonade.
No, cats should not have lemonade. If your cat licks two-three drops of lemonade, it’s completely fine, but more than that will have adverse effects on your cat because lemonade has lemon and salt, which are harmful to cats.
Read the further article to know why lemonade is toxic to cats, its effects, which drinks are safe for cats, and much more.
Can Cats Drink Lemonade? Effects of Lemons on Cats
The primary ingredient of lemonade is lemon, a citrus fruit toxic to cats.
Usually, you will see your cat shying from citrus scents, just like lemon, because it’s harmful to cats.
However, the citrus aroma comes from limonene (essential oil) which causes several health issues in cats.
Limonene can cause respiratory system distress, vomiting, tremors, diarrhea, etc.
What if My Cat Ingests Lemon?
Therefore, there’s a chemical found in lemon, which is a psoralen, that causes photosensitivity in cats which results in making your cat’s skin more and more sensitive to ultraviolet radiation.
So, if a cat ingests lemon and goes out in the sun, there’s a higher chance of skin burn of the cat.
Hence, lemon affects the cat from inner health, and additionally, it affects the outer skin of the cat.
What Happens If My Cat Ingests Something with Lemon?
If your cat ingests a little lemon or lemonade, it can cause an upset stomach because lemons have high acidity.
Moreover, if a cat eats lemon in high amounts, it can result in metabolic acidosis because it has acid in excessive amounts.
Lemon poisoning varies on the amount of citrus your cat has ingested. The following list includes lemonade poisoning symptoms:
- Skin Burn
- Acidity
- Lethargy
- Excessive drooling
- Skin irritation or rashes
- Photosensitivity
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Rashes
- Drooling
- Upset Stomach
- Death
Risks of Lemonade For Cats
As I told you above about how dangerous lemon is for cats, that’s not enough. Therefore, lemonade also has some additional risks for a cat’s health.
Furthermore, lemonade is a mixture of a few ingredients, such as lemon, salt, and sugar. The following are the risks of lemonade for cats:
High Sugar Content
However, lemon and sugar is the primary ingredient of lemonade. A lot of sugar is used in lemonade to drop the sour taste of lemons.
On the other hand, cats can’t digest sugar as sugar has adverse effects on cats such as digestion issues, discomfort, upset stomach, increase in heart rate, etc.
Additionally, if your cat consumes the sugar in excessive amounts, it can lead your feline friend to diabetes. Hence, keep your cat away from sugary products.
Acidity
Lemonade is high in acidity because the main component of lemonade is lemon, and lemon causes high acidity risks in cats.
Significantly, lemonade can cause high acidity in your cat, and it can also cause acid reflux in your cat. Although, if your cat has any cut in its mouth or tongue, then lemonade can increase the pain.
What if my cat licks lemon Juice or Lemonade?
However, if your cat licks lemon juice or lemonade, then it can be extremely harmful and toxic to your cat. Lemon is highly toxic to cats, and it can result in various health issues in cats.
Moreover, if your cat licks single or two drops of lemonade, there’s no need to worry. It will not be harmful to your cat, but if your licks more than that, then you should call your vet immediately.
Hence, lemon, lemonade, or lemon juice, any product with lemon is not safe for cats, And you should avoid giving it to your cat.
Related Questions
Is lemon water harmful to cats?
Lemon water is harmful to cats because lemon is toxic to cats. Even Though all citrus fruits are dangerous to cats, you should avoid sharing any citrus juice in your cat’s water.
What should cats not drink?
Cats should not drink milk and other dairy products. However, most cats are lactose intolerant, and milk can cause upset stomach, digestive issues, and diarrhea in cats. Hence you should avoid sharing any milk products with your cat.
Is lemon smell OK for cats?
Cats find the smell of citrus fruits, including lemon and oranges, unpleasant. Furthermore, it irritates your cat and makes her uncomfortable, so it’s good to avoid peeling citrus fruit near your cat.
Conclusion
Finally, lemonade harms cats, and you should not share it with your furry friend. However, if your cat takes single or two drops, it will not hurt your cat, but more than that will hurt your cat at an extreme level.
Lemonade can also cause lemonade poisoning in cats, resulting in diarrhea, vomiting, digestive system issues, and even death. So, you should avoid sharing lemon and lemonade with your cat.
In Summary, the ingredients of lemonade or lemon sugar and salt, as I told you that lemon could cause harmful effects on a cat’s health. Sugar is also detrimental as it can cause diabetes, oral problems, discomfort, etc.
