Do Onions Burn Cat’s Eyes – Here’s The Facts!

Being a cat mom, like all other pet parents, the one thing I worry a lot about my fur angel is her health. I recently read about how onions can be harmful to cats. Considering that my household cannot go one dish without onions, I started to wonder: do onions burn cats’ eyes?

Yes, onion fumes can burn cats’ eyes. Onions fumes can cause eyes to become irritated, watery, and sometimes lead to violent behavior. Ingesting even a small amount of onion in any form can be dangerous for your cat as onions can cause anemia in them.

So, let us discuss in detail how harmful onions and onion fumes are for our cats and how we can help them. We will also discuss frequently asked questions about cats and onions. 

How Do Onion Fumes Affect Cat’s Eyes

Cats are extremely sensitive to onions compared to other animal species. They cannot eat onions as they can cause life-threatening anemia caused by the breaking down its red blood cells by the oxidant-containing property of onions. 

Onions fume can cause irritation in your cat’s eyes and make them water. Onion fumes contain a chemical irritant called propanethial-S-Oxide that stimulates the tear gland of the eye, causing tears and irritation. Even a little exposure to these fumes can cause your cat to be irritated. 

Irritation in the eye caused by onion fumes can lead to watery eyes and visible discomfort in your cat. Some cats can even turn violent in behavior that includes screaming or verbal acknowledgment of pain, owing to the irritation in their eye. 

Why Do Onions Make A Cat’s Eyes Water

Onions fumes contain a gas that contains propanethial-S-Oxide that irritate the cat’s tear glands in the eye, causing the eyes to water. Like in humans, onion fumes irritate the eye, leading to tears and discomfort in the eyes. 

Onion fumes cannot kill your cat but ingesting onions can be lethal for her. Onion fumes might irritate the cat’s eyes and cause it to water and cause discomfort, but it cannot be fatal to her.

Is Smelling Onions Bad For Cats

Smelling onions fumes cannot be lethal for your cats as such. Ingesting onions can be lethal for your cat, but inhaling the onion fumes cannot do so. 

Smelling onions, however, can make your cat tear up and cause discomfort in her. It can lead to pain, and maybe even violent behavior stems from the discomfort caused by her due to the onion fumes.

Can You Cook Onions Around A Cat

Cutting and cooking onions around your cat cause irritation in her eyes that can lead to watery eyes and discomfort in your cat. Although ingestion of onions can be lethal for your cat, inhaling onion fumes might not be fatal for your cat.

Onion fumes can be airborne irritants for your cat, but they cannot kill your cat per se. They can cause teary eyes and discomfort. Your cats can also display violent behavior or irritation due to the onion fumes.

Are Raw Onions Bad For Cats

Onions, either raw or cooked, can be lethal for cats, and it is best recommended not to feed onions or dishes containing onions to your cats. Even a small amount of onions can be fatal for your cat, be it any part of onions. 

Fresh or dried onions contain oxidants that can break down your cat’s blood cells. Leading to severe anemia and eventually death. Onion toxicity in your cat can happen if you feed her more than 1 gram of onions per 5 pounds of your cat’s weight. 

So, eating a large number of onions or small quantities of onions regularly can cause severe anemia in your cat, and that can lead to the death of your cat. It is advised not to feed your cats onions in any form.

How Lethal Are Onions To Cats

Onions, if ingested in large amounts or small amounts regularly, in any form, can be lethal to your cat. Ingesting more than 1 gram of onions per 5 pounds of your cat’s weight can kick start the degradation of blood cells in your cat, leading to anemia and eventually death. 

The main reason onions are lethal to your cat is that onions contain oxidants in onions that can cause the breaking down of blood cells in your cat. A cat’s blood cells are hypersensitive to oxidization due to oxidants, which is why onions are more lethal to cats than other animals. 

Should I Take My Cat To The Vet For A Watery Eye

Your cat could be suffering from a watery eye due to many reasons. If the watery eye goes away and does not cause further complications in your cat, she should be fine. However, if your cat’s eyes are watering continually, is red or inflamed, it could be severe and needs a vet visit. 

If your cat’s eyes are watering excessively, if she is squinting, has unusually colored discharge from her eyes, or is pawing at her eyes frequently, she needs to be taken to the veterinarian as soon as possible as this can indicate a health issue in your cat. 

If your cat’s eyes have been watering for more than a day and showing apparent signs of pain and discomfort, she needs to be given medical attention. These symptoms could be happening due to health issues such as allergies or infections. 

How Do You Treat Watery Eyes In Cats

The first and the foremost step to help your cat with a watery eye is to figure out what irritates her eyes. It is recommended to take your cat to the veterinarian as soon as possible to check out the possibility of other health issues that might be causing the watery eyes in your cat.

●     Foreign object

If you notice that your cat’s eyes are watering due to a foreign object present in her eyes, you can help her extract the foreign object. If you feel scared that you might hurt her in the eye, getting it extracted by an expert is recommended.

Your cat’s eye will also water if she is exposed to onion fumes. Onion fumes will irritate her eyes, thus leading to teary eyes. This will go away soon, and there is nothing much you have to worry about

●     Health issues

If your cat’s eyes have been watering for more than a day and if you notice something unusual around or in her eye, visit a vet as soon as possible. If you notice unusual discharge, squinting, or visible signs of pain, it is recommended to visit a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Your cat could be suffering from eye issues like allergies, irritation caused by dust, or infections. These have to be treated with proper medication and care, so in such cases, visit a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Can I Feed My Cat Powdered Onion

Powdered onion can be fatal to your cat as it can cause oxidization of the blood cells in the cat’s body. Onions in any form can end up being lethal to the cat, and powdered onion is no exception. 

Every type of onion, including onion powder, is lethal to your cat, so it is recommended not to feed her onions in any form. Check the ingredients list of every dish you get her for onions in any form to avoid the onset of severe anemia in your cat caused by the oxidants present in onions.