Strawberries are a delicious fruit enjoyed chopped up and placed in cocktails, eaten with cream or ice cream, or of course enjoyed as is. As humans, we enjoy these plump, red fruits safely as we can digest them. As a cat owner, you might wonder if kitty can enjoy these gorgeous summer fruits with you. Can cats eat strawberries safely? If they can, how much can they have?
Let’s take a closer look at these yummy fruits and whether or not they are suitable treats for your kitty:
Can Cats Eat Strawberries?
Strawberries are not toxic for cats so if a cat accidentally noshes on your strawberry, it should not have detrimental effects on their health. However, cats are obligate carnivores, which means that they are not designed to eat vegetables or fruit.
So if you’ve wondered, can cats eat bananas? Or can cats eat watermelon? You should consider it with the same level of caution as wondering if cats can eat strawberries because they just aren’t designed to do that. Fruit just doesn’t offer cats any nutritional benefits in the same way it does humans.
With that in mind, it is important to understand that the odd tiny bit of strawberry might give your cat some interest in their diet, it isn’t what they are meant to eat so it cannot replace a high quality cat food.
Would A Cat Enjoy A Strawberry?
A cat is unlikely to want a strawberry for the same reason that you want a strawberry. Cats can’t actually taste sweetness, according to scientific studies, so they aren’t attracted to that aspect of the fruit. If they are trying it, the chances are it is through interest over taste. With that in mind, you might want to avoid giving them strawberry altogether and instead give them something more nutritious for them, like freeze dried cooked chicken or fish.
Are There Any Risks To Feeding A Cat Strawberry?
A small amount of strawberry very occasionally is unlikely to hurt a cat. However, there are some circumstances where you should exercise caution:
- Cats should not have the stalk or stem of the strawberry as it could cause gastrointestinal upset, or even a blockage
- Diabetic cats should not have strawberries because of the high sugar content
- Cats with a history of allergic reactions to new foods or snacks should not be given strawberries or should be given it with caution
- Cats prone to tooth decay and plaque should not have sugary snacks in their diet
If your cat eats the strawberry and gets any extreme reactions like vomiting constantly, diarrhea constantly, painting or responding to pain, you should consult your vet immediately.
Can Kittens Eat Strawberries?
In a perfect world, you won’t feed a kitten strawberries because they need all the optimum nutrition provided to them by high-quality kitten food. However, if a kitten does have a tiny piece of strawberry on a very odd occasion, it is unlikely to negatively affect them overall. As with your adult cat though, if in doubt you should contact a vet immediately.
Help Your Cat Snack Safely
As you have read above strawberries are not harmful to cats in tiny amounts, but realistically, they just aren’t a good snack for cats overall. A high-quality diet designed for a cat and their correct life age and health is the very best way to keep your cat thriving and happy. If they really must snack, try to opt for kitty snacks specially designed for their unique digestion. A healthy kitty, is a happy kitty after all.