To feel annoyed - cat and garlic

[Acapulco12]

I don’t think I’m being unreasonable, but just wanted to check. I’m actually feeling quite annoyed!!

I look after people’s pets quite often as a part time job, and get paid to do so. I’m looking after a cat for the next few days and its owner is a new client. I met the owner the other day and all went well, and everything was clear.

I visited the cat this morning to give him breakfast, change water and litter tray etc.

I used a bowl to serve his breakfast in and sent pics of him afterwards to the owner. The owner spotted the bowl in the photo and said she’d used that bowl to put leftover garlic in, and was obviously panicked, as garlic is very toxic to cats. She asked if I washed out the bowl before giving it to the cat. I did, but not very thoroughly, as I didn’t know it contained garlic beforehand. I’m really hoping that any garlic traces in the bowl will not cause any issues, but I’m worried.

The bowl was empty when I saw it and used it. There were no other spare bowls or plates to use for the cat’s breakfast.

AIBU to feel annoyed that she stored garlic in a cat bowl lying on the side of the kitchen and didn’t think to tell me? I get that she was busy preparing for her time away and probably had lots on her mind, but surely this is a big oversight - and not my fault?

Why did you wash out what would have appeared to be a clean cat food bowl, thoroughly or otherwise?!

There is absolutely no possible way that a cat could be affected by an empty bowl that had previously contained garlic. The idea is preposterous, and I would assume that the person who worries about that is a really over the top anxious and fussy person.

The car will be fine. It hasn’t actually ingested any garlic and the minute traces in a clean bowl won’t affect it.

Thanks so much everyone. Your posts have been very reassuring.

I’ve looked after cats for years and never ever had this issue. I know garlic and onion are poisonous to cats, so I would never give anything containing them to cats (not that they’d eat it anyway!) Although I am lucky I’ve never really looked farer cats who are persistent human-food thieves!

Ah crap I never knew garlic, onions etc were poisonous! Just googled and discovered that leeks are also bad. My cat ADORES leeks. Often finishes our soup (which has leeks and onions in) or chicken casserole (leeks).

Will be stopping that now!

Hi, could you elaborate a bit further on the weight of the toxic dose please? Your message mentions 'The toxic dose is about 5g/kg' and there is a significant difference between 5grams and 5, or even 1 kg, so a little confused

It means the cat has to eat several whole cloves of garlic before you need to start worrying!

I imagine it means 5g of garlic per kg of cat

I had no idea lillies are very deadly to cats. I have a garden full of them and 2 cats who used to sit under them every day. They both lived to 20 years old.
There is no way your cat there will be in any danger.

Cats are quite particular eaters usually, so I reckon if the cat smelled garlic, it wouldn't have eaten the food, and if the cat couldn't detect it, I'd imagine even if any residue, it wouldn't do the cat any harm.

Cat will be fine .. my old cat stole a whole enchilada once. But if someone is looking after my cat I leave them notes of what to use and where everything is .. not your fault at all. But it's nice you care so much about kitty's welfare

The cat will be fine, honestly you are worried for nothing x

She's probably kicking herself for not having warned you, and of course she's panicked. It doesn't sound like she's blaming you, she's just trying to assess the risk at this point. Text her tomorrow to reassure her that the cat is fine.

The cat would have had to eat garlic and a lot I think for it to be an issue! You’d have seen if there was garlic in it. She’s being dramatic!!

A) who goes away and doesn’t leave pet food bowls on the floor ready? We normally give ours a last feed before we leave.
B) who puts garlic in a cat bowl?

I would not be looking after this cat again.

The cat will be fine. The owner over-reacted completely.

@Lenax
Yes, as PP said, it is 5g per kilo.

So the average 4kg kitty would need to eat 20g (about 3 cloves) before we'd expect toxicity.

The cat should be fine.
When my late cat was a couple of years old he ate a whole clove I'd left on the side of the plate, we're talking pre google times, it was only years later that I read garlic is toxic to cats. He did some garlicky farts though! And lived to the rips old age of 18.

I’ve always had cats and I never even knew this about garlic. I can’t imagine such a small amount is going to be a problem.

Thanks all! Some of the stories here have really made me laugh 🤣🤣 e.g. cats stealing food that’s absolutely not meant for them or sitting near toxic plants! I’ve never succeeded in telling any of the cats I’ve looked after or had as pets that they can’t do anything other than what they please 😊 thanks again for all your posts, this has been so helpful and really put my mind at ease.