Pistachios are delicious and nutritious to us humans. Pistachios are nuts rich in vitamins, healthy fats, minerals, and protein that are a perfect additions to our diet. But are they suitable for our pets? Can cats eat pistachios too?
Facts about Cats and Pastachios
According to PetMD
, while nuts like pistachios are not as toxic to cats as they are dogs, cats still should not consume pistachios. They pose several health risks to your cat because cats can not easily digest pistachios. Don’t panic if your cat does happen to eat a few pistachios as they should be fine in small amounts, but don’t make it a habit.
Why shouldn’t cats eat pistachios?
You might assume that pistachios are suitable for your cat because they are healthy for humans. This is far from reality. Here are some of the reasons why you should avoid feeding pistachios to your cat.
Gastrointestinal Distress
Gastrointestinal distress is a likely outcome if your cat eats pistachios because they are difficult to digest. The nut may also cause bloating and excessive gas. Humans are omnivorous and better equipped to digest nuts compared to carnivorous cats. As a result, the cats could quickly get bloated and suffer from gas.
Since cats are small animals, even a few pistachios can cause gastrointestinal distress.
Foreign Body Obstruction
Foreign body obstruction is another risk of feeding pistachios to your cat and is caused by the consumption of fruit seeds or nutshells. In simple terms, foreign body obstruction is a condition where something gets stuck in the intestinal tract resulting in pain and discomfort. In most cases, the foreign body has to be removed through surgery. This typically would be if the cat ate the shell.
Harmful Flavoring Ingredients
Pistachios are often flavored with excess salt, onion powder, or garlic powder. The flavoring ingredients are safe for humans but harmful to cats. Cats cannot consume a lot of salt. Anything with salt should be included in your cat’s diet. Besides, onion and garlic are harmful to cats.
Pistachios
Because pistachios are rich in protein and a source of good healthy fat and antioxidants, Pistachios are a health powerhouse for humans. Pistachios have been around so long, they are even mentioned in the Old Testament of the bible. As phenomenal as they are, they just aren’t good for cats to eat.
Can cats eat pistachios ice cream?
Pistachio ice cream is very popular in the United States and around the world. It has a distinctive light green color. Cats love milk and dairy, and so ice cream would fall right in line. The problem is, both the dairy and sugar in ice cream are not good for cats to eat. Cats can’t taste sweetness, so it’s not as if you are giving them a treat the wil love. While pistachio ice cream tends to be more pistachio flavoring with some occasional nuts mixed in, it’s the sugar and dairy that would be the most problematic if you feed this derert to your cat. Although kittens are less likely to have problems with dairy, it is still not something you want your kitten eating.
Are cats lactose intolerant?
Yes. Most adult cats are lactose intolerant. After the age of 6 months old, they lose the ability to produce the enzyme called lactase. Without the lacstase enzyme, their bodies lose the ability to breakdown lactose and you see signs of lactose intolerance.
Can Cats Eat Pistachios if they are Roasted?
You’re probably asking yourself what type of pistachios can cats eat and even roasted pistachios aren’t easily digested by cats. Your cats are carnivorous and better off with at least a 70% meat based diet. There are plenty of healthy food items you can supplement your standard go to cat food with. Nuts just aren’t one of those things.
Related Questions
Below are some similar questions to “Can Cats Eat Pistachios?”
Can cats eat peanuts?
Peanuts fall into the same boat as the pistachio nuts in terms of not being a food designed for cats to eat. Are peanuts seriously harmful for your cat? There is not a lot of evidence supporting that, but it is definitely of low nutritional value to your cat who should be eating a heavy meat based cat food. Aside from peanuts themselves not being the best products for your cats health, they also tend to be covered in salt which makes them even worse for your cat.
Can dogs eat pistachios?
Your dog can have a similar issue with pistachios. Although the pistachio nut is not toxic to a dog, they aren’t good for your dog either. And the salt that gets put on nuts would be bad for your dog. So similarly pistachios, and nuts in general are not foods that should be given to your dog, or cat of course.
Can cats eat almonds?
Your cat is safest when he feeding on an animal meat diet that they have been accustomed to over thousands of years. Almonds are healthy for people but your pet could have an adverse reaction from eating almonds. You’re much better off giving your cat food that we know has been found to be the best for their bodies.
Are there any nuts my cat can eat?
While nuts are not as deadly for cats as they are for dogs, they are high in fat and they just aren’t foods designed for your feline to consume. Macadamia nuts and walnuts have the high risks of causing problems for cats. They can be toxic and cause digestive issues. If it’s not clear by now, they are not foods you should let cats eat. They are people food and the risks outwight the complete lack of benefit to your cat.
Final Summary
It’s not a good idea to let you cats eat pistachios. While they are a phenomenal food product for humans, cats should not eat pistachios. They can give your feline stomach digestive issues , are a choking hazard and are not even in the ball park of a cat food designed for cats. We know all pet owners want to take the best care of and give the best life to their pet. This means they want to buy the right products and foods that will keep their pet strong and healthy.
Pistachios may make your kitten curious at best, but they won’t love them and they won’t get proper nutrition from them so you’r better off find other better suited cat food products.
