A piece of hot toasty bread is a delicious treat for many pet owners. However, can you share it with your cat? Are cats able to eat bread? Will it harm them? Before offering a cat some bread, here are some things you should know.
Can cats have bread?
Like many human foods, it is ok to give a cat small pieces of bread in moderation. They should not eat it regularly, just keep it for an occasional treat.
As for their health, baked bread doesn’t have anything in it that can hurt a cat. However, it doesn’t have any nutrients they require. So, it’s merely empty calories. One piece of white bread would deliver a 5th of the calories most cats need daily. Therefore, while two slices of bread could barely fulfill a human’s appetite, it’s way too much bread for cats to eat.
Bread may be useful for hiding medicine in since you could squish a pill into it or pour on liquid meds, but it’s doubtful that it will trick your cat. Most of them stay away from any food mixed with medicine as it likely doesn’t taste good. You would probably do well to mix it with wet cat food but could try some bread if your cat likes it.
Similar that may also interest you: Can Cats Eat Potatoes?
Is bread bad for cats?
Since we’ve answered whether a cat can eat bread with the reply of “they can but in moderation,” the next concern is, “can bread harm cats?” Particular kinds are safer for your cat. For the most part, it’s best to give them plan baked bread.
What a person can eat safely could be poisonous for animals, including bread. If the bread is spiced with tomatoes, onions, or garlic, it is toxic for your cat. Please stay away from spices or herbs unless it is possible to confirm it’s safe for your cat. It is always a great idea to talk to your veterinarian before feeding your cat people foods.
You notice that we say bread should be baked first, as though bread that’s baked is mostly ok for cats, the unbaked dough is very risky since it has active yeast, which’s harmful to a cat.
Can cats eat yeast?
Even a tiny portion of yeast in a small piece of uncooked dough could swiftly deliver enough carbon dioxide and alcohol to trigger serious difficulties for cats. Any raw dough with yeast, not only bread — could grow, precisely like bread rising on your counter, in your cat’s stomach, and cause distention as well as severe bloating. Rarely, the vet will even have to operate to get the mass of dough out.
Furthermore, eating uncooked yeast could make a cat drunk. This is known as alcohol toxicosis and happens due to yeast formation products, including ethanol, which gets absorbed into their bloodstream, and results in inebriation along with metabolic acidosis (too much acid that alters the blood chemicals). Alcohol is a massive no-no for animals since ethanol is toxic and can kill them.
Symptoms of yeast intake consist of puking, diarrhea as well as bloating, and lots of gas. Call your veterinarian’s office or the animal ER immediately if you think your cat ate uncooked dough with yeast in it.
About Cats Eating Bread
Your cat is an obligate carnivore, which necessitates them eating meat to get the proper nutrition. This means they must consume meat. They require cat food created with the right ingredients that deliver the correct nutritional balance to include meat-centered proteins, amino acids, as well as vitamins, minerals, and calories, so they stay healthy.
So, before feeding bread to your cat, contemplate not just their nutritional ingestion but also their general health. For instance, if a cat has feline diabetes, ask your vet before giving them some bread. “Your vet might suggest feeding cats foods low in carbohydrates, and that’s proven to improve being able to control their blood sugar levels,” according to the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University.
Generally, you will wish to reduce your cat’s snacks because if you give them foods they aren’t used to eating, it may make them nauseous whether they have any health issues or not. And don’t forget, bread should not be a part of the nutritional plan for your cat. It is merely a tasty treat that can be shared in tiny pieces some of the time.
Other FAQs – Cats and Bread
Why do cats like bread?
One of the most common theories for why cats like bread is that yeast tastes good to them. They like eating it. But it’s not a good idea to give cats raw dough as it can cause health problems when it rises in their stomach. Other vets think that it’s because yeast could have nutrition elements that are beneficial to cats.
Can cats eat banana bread?
While cats can eat bread in moderation, we do not recommend allowing your cat to eat banana bread. Banana bread is heavy in sugar and other spices and flavors which are likely not good for your cat. Sugar can lead to diabetes and obesity in your feline pet.
