Tea has been a popular beverage for humans throughout the centuries.
It is one of those things that seems to transcend all cultures, ethnicities and religions.
No matter where you are in the world, you can probably find some tea of some description.
It is clear that humans love tea.
But can Bengal cats drink tea? Or is tea harmful to your Bengal cat and something that should be avoided like the plague?
Keep reading on as we find out in this brief, informative article.
Can My Bengal Cat Drink Tea?
Long story short, you should avoid letting your Bengal cat drink tea. While small quantities of tea aren’t dangerous, there is a particular risk with allowing your Bengal cat to drink too much tea.
Black/green tea contains caffeine. While it does not contain as much caffeine as coffee or energy drinks, it contains caffeine nonetheless (except – of course – if it is decaffeinated).
In sufficient quantities, caffeine is toxic to cats. In fact, enough of it is toxic to humans too!
Due to the small body mass of cats, only a relatively small amount of caffeine (i.e. an amount that would cause no harm to humans) can result in serious illness or death.
In some respects, the health risks of tea for your Bengal cat are perhaps more hypothetical than practical. Chances are you aren’t letting your Bengal cat drink cup after cup of tea – it is more likely that he/she will want a few sips of whatever you are drinking.
That is probably fine, but for the reasons listed above should still be avoided if possible.
The biggest exception to the rule here is the consumption of herbal teas (e.g. chamomile, peppermint etc) that do not contain any caffeine. Provided there are no other additives that may be dangerous to your cat, you are probably safe allowing the consumption of these.
Conclusion
Can your Bengal cat drink tea? Truth be told, a small amount of tea won’t kill or harm your cat. However, it is best to be avoided due to the potential toxicity of caffeine.
One final point to note – if you do allow your cat any tea (herbal or otherwise) ensure that you let it cool down. Humans are able to drink much hotter liquids than cats can. What is safe/palatable for you may harm your cat.
