Toxicity of coffee?

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I drink a ton of coffee, and I've been leaving cups out around Willy for 9 years as I drink it. I've seen him sniff in my mug a few times, then move on with complete disinterest. The vast majority of the time, he completely ignores it.

I came out of the bathroom this morning to find him lapping away in my coffee mug. I took it away quickly, so I don't think he drank much, but I wasn't entirely sure how much exactly.

I didn't think much of it at the time, but a few hours later it dawned on me that I have no idea how a cat reacts to coffee. I Googled it, and got a plethora of frightening results about caffeine being extremely toxic, and that you should call a poison control number immediately if you see your cat ingest it.

Given that this was hours later, I decided to just keep an eye on him, as I was home all day. He's been eating/drinking/grooming/zooming/peeing/pooping normally, and as I write this, it is now over 12 hours later, so I am letting it go.

But I was alarmed for a moment, and definitely am not leaving coffee out anymore.

 

[Felinian]

My Tonk has taken slurps of my coffee all his life (and I drink very strong café au lait), He had just a little each time, and certainly without my permission. I also often caught him dipping his paw into my coffee mug and licking the coffee off his paw. As if his cat spit wasn't enough, his dirty cat paw certainly ruined the whole cup of coffee for me. Plus, when I shooed him off, he shook whatever remaining coffee off his paw, making a big wet mess. Yeah, I yelled, but he was infuriatingly nonchalant (ever the cool CAT), and I'd always catch him doing it again at some future time.

My old guy is now a healthy 18 years old, has had practically no illness, and is still extremely intelligent and agile for his age. So given my cat's history of nipping caffeine (thank goodness that is no longer of interest to him), I wouldn't worry about your Willy having a little coffee this once, especially since he has acted normal for 12 hours afterwards.

Something that REALLY scared the poop out of me was when Tonkin ate one of my Xanax pills. Within minutes, he started acting seriously drunk, wobbling and stumbling as he walked, trying to jump up on chairs that he normally could soar onto as light as a feather, but now only making it halfway and sliding off onto the floor like a limp sandbag, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. But he looked so haaapppyyy!!! Very alarmed, I called the emergency vet and gave them the details about how much he'd had, how he was acting, and they just laughed, saying that was a dose that a grown cat could tolerate, that he'd continue to act really goofy for a while, assuring me he was feeling no distress whatsoever (I kinda figured that!), and that he'd fall sound asleep and wake the next morning perfectly normal again. And they were right!

So I guess he tells the old neighbor cat who spends a lot of time visiting with him on the back deck, "Yeah, I did drugs when I was younger...caffeine, xanax...hey, did I ever tell you about seriously trippin' out one night and scarin' the crap out of my human?"

 

[heatherwillard0614]

I drink a ton of coffee, and I've been leaving cups out around Willy for 9 years as I drink it. I've seen him sniff in my mug a few times, then move on with complete disinterest. The vast majority of the time, he completely ignores it.

I came out of the bathroom this morning to find him lapping away in my coffee mug. I took it away quickly, so I don't think he drank much, but I wasn't entirely sure how much exactly.

I didn't think much of it at the time, but a few hours later it dawned on me that I have no idea how a cat reacts to coffee. I Googled it, and got a plethora of frightening results about caffeine being extremely toxic, and that you should call a poison control number immediately if you see your cat ingest it.

Given that this was hours later, I decided to just keep an eye on him, as I was home all day. He's been eating/drinking/grooming/zooming/peeing/pooping normally, and as I write this, it is now over 12 hours later, so I am letting it go.

But I was alarmed for a moment, and definitely am not leaving coffee out anymore.

I think you deciding to continue monitoring him would be the thing to do. At this point if he hasn't had any kind of adverse reaction I think Willy should be fine. It's been over 12 hours with no symptoms appearing and you said it was just a few sips. Below is a link I posted. Give it a read it says what to watch for. The text in bold is a part from the link. I thought this part was a little important so that is why I pulled this specific text from the link.

My Cat Drank Coffee! Here’s What to Do (Vet Answer) - Catster

Coffee is something many of us enjoy! Getting a caffeine dose helps pep us up and face the day, but what happens if your cat drinks some?

excitedcats.com

Will My Cat Be Okay if They Drank Coffee?
Most cats are absolutely fine after drinking coffee, especially if it is only a small amount. The odd sip is unlikely to cause too many problems, whereas if they drank a whole cup, then you could see some adverse effects. Most cats are very unlikely to drink that quantity of coffee, however, due to its bitter taste.

The pet poison helpline agrees, stating that one or two licks of coffee are unlikely to cause too much harm. It is suggested that most caffeine poisoning cases arise from more concentrated forms of caffeine like coffee grounds, caffeine tablets, and tea bags. Also, remember that different types of coffee contain different levels of caffeine; for example, espresso may be more problematic than a very weak latte. The overall risk of toxicity will also depend on exactly how much your cat has drunk.

If you are unsure how much coffee your cat has consumed, it may be best to contact your veterinarian for advice, particularly if your pet is showing any signs of ill health.


I believe Willy will be fine. Please give us an update later. Also don't be hard on yourself things do happen and with this situation Willy is more than likely just fine. You had no reason to think he would start trying to drink your coffee. He has never touched it before.

 

[neely]

I drink a ton of coffee, and I've been leaving cups out around Willy for 9 years as I drink it. But I was alarmed for a moment, and definitely am not leaving coffee out anymore.

I'm sorry for your experience but can relate since I'm a coffee lover too - hard core, strong and black. We've only had one cat who showed any interest in my caffeine habit and, of course, it was our last cat Neely who was the most mischievous. She would get up close and sniff my mug but I never let her lick it and I drank it too fast for her to even get a chance to taste it.

I'm glad Willy is acting normal and you won't be leaving your coffee out anymore. Just for your own peace of mind you may want to call your vet or one of the veterinary staff and ask their opinion.

 

[fionasmom]

I agree that calling the vet will put you at ease and certainly a question that should be answered over the phone.

I have caught Rikki trying to drink my coffee (with oatmilk) from time to time. He never got much, but like Felinian I was more concerned that he had previously been cleaning his bottom.