Is Cilantro toxic to cats?
Cilantro is non-toxic to cats (S0 Safe): the ASPCA lists Coriandrum sativum as safe for cats, dogs, and horses with no toxic principle on record — the whole plant, leaf and seed alike, under the coriander name too.
- TOXINnone — no toxic principles on record
- WHAT TO EXPECTno symptoms on record
- CALL THE VETSee a vet only if unusual or persistent symptoms follow ingestion.
Nothing to do — really
Care at a glance
FAQ
Cilantro is also called Chinese parsley — does that mean parsley is safe too?
No, and the name is the trap. The ASPCA's cilantro entry is Coriandrum sativum, listed as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, and it gives Chinese parsley as one of the alternative names — but that is a name for cilantro, not a statement about parsley. Parsley proper is Petroselinum crispum, a different genus with its own record: parsley is S2 Irritant for cats, on furanocoumarins that can cause a skin reaction after large amounts. The two are easy to confuse on a supermarket shelf, so check the label. This S0 verdict travels with the plant, not with the word "parsley".
Is coriander the same plant — and are the seeds covered?
Yes on both counts. Coriander is the same plant as cilantro, Coriandrum sativum — the leaves go by the American name and the seeds and the plant as a whole by the British one — and the ASPCA lists coriander and dhania as alternative names on the same entry. The entry grades the plant, not one part of it, as non-toxic to cats and dogs with no toxic principle on record, so leaf and seed alike come under this S0 Safe verdict. A cat that steals coriander seed from a spice jar or chews the leaf from a windowsill pot is on the same record either way.