Cat owners frequently wonder which human foods are toxic to their pets. Questions regarding food safety went up after they learned some could poison cats, which brought lots of articles in the press. The foods which are the most toxic for cats include onions and garlic, along with chocolate and alcohol, and extreme portions of fish.
They expose the hazards of various human foods and encourage cat owners to inquire about food safety and if a cat can eat potatoes.
Can Cats Eat Potatoes?
To respond to the question, “Can cats eat potatoes?” the answer is, “They can.” Cats can consume a small portion of cooked and unseasoned potatoes. Still, cats are carnivores, so the majority don’t opt to eat them. Cats frequently love a variety of textures so that they may like them for healthy snacks. Potatoes are a great water supplier, iron, potassium, and vitamins vitamin B6, C, and magnesium.
About Potatoes
Potatoes (also called taters or spuds) are shaped round to oblong and categorized as root vegetables. They are in the Solanaceae plant family, the identical plant family as tomatoes and. They grow underground, and the plant’s root is what produces the potatoes. They may fluctuate in how large or small they get and how they are shaped and have thin and soft skin.
Potatoes are loved worldwide, and they are an example of some of the most common crops grown around the world that date clear back nearly ten thousand years. There are 1000 kinds of potatoes, and they likely originated in South American, then got to Europe during the 16th century.
Though cooked potatoes are deemed harmless, any type of food could trigger a cat’s stomach problem. What unsettles a few cats doesn’t upset others, just like with humans. A few foods may upset someone, yet another person will be ok.
Potatoes can be cooked 100s such as baking, mashing, dicing, frying, or potato chips, including baked, mashed, diced, or as chips and seasoned in many ways.
Risks of Potatoes for Cats
When examining the safety and risk of cats eating potatoes, there are a few factors.
If a potato is green, not cooked or raw, the peels have solanine in them, which is poisonous to a cat. Solanine is the potato’s natural defense system to keep predators from eating it. If a cat eats some solanine, they may vomit or get diarrhea, or at times it affects their nervous systems and makes them sluggish or disorientated.
Gastrointestinal upset or pancreatitis may happen in cats not accustomed to eating potatoes or if they aren’t plain. If they contain too much seasonings, fat, oil, or other things, it might cause stomach upset or an issue like pancreatitis.
Potato leaves could also cause intestinal blockage. Though not common, cats may go into a garden and eat some potato leaves and develop stomach upset as well as possible blockage.
It’s not common, but they also may choke if they eat a big piece, but usually, cats are pretty picky, so it’s rare.
Is there anything in a potato a cat needs?
There’s not anything in a potato a cat needs. They should eat top-notch cat food approved by the AAFO.
The Safe Way for Cats to Eat Potatoes
The best safe way for cats to eat potatoes is to present tiny, diced-up portions of cooked potatoes or mash them up but don’t add seasoning. However, there are lots of treats that are better for your cat than a potato.
