Is Cinnamon safe for cats and dogs?
| Species | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Cats | Caution |
| Dogs | Caution |
Severity: Mild
US fall retail creates cinnamon exposure that a spice rack alone does not: cinnamon brooms sold at grocery store entrances every September (dried cinnamon bark bundles, decorative rather than food, but chewable and intensely fragrant), pumpkin spice coffee syrups, and cinnamon essential oil diffusers running in a living room. The ASPCA classifies cinnamon itself as a non-toxic plant, and its own pumpkin-spice advisory confirms that small amounts in baked goods cause at most mild stomach upset, with real problems only starting above roughly a teaspoon of powder for most pets. Essential oil is the genuine exception to that low-risk picture, and it is worth being specific about the US diffuser habit: a running diffuser delivers a small amount of concentrated oil continuously by inhalation rather than as a single dose, and cats in particular lack the liver enzymes to clear it efficiently, turning a diffuser left on overnight into a chronic low-level exposure rather than a one-time ingestion. A dried cinnamon broom chewed and swallowed in pieces is closer to a large-quantity powder exposure than a trace one. If a pet inhales or ingests concentrated cinnamon oil and shows drooling, vomiting, or lethargy, call your vet or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661.
Verdict re-verified against aspca.org, 2026-07-26 — confirmed unchanged. Source
This page is for general information only and is not veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If your pet is showing symptoms, or you think they ate or touched something dangerous, contact your veterinarian or a pet poison-control hotline immediately.
Last verified 2026-07-26