Can cats eat almonds?
In this cat article, we will answer the major question, “Can cats eat almonds?” we will also discuss whether your cat can eat bitter almonds, the threats of consuming more than one almond for your cat, and what other nuts are unhealthy for your cat to eat.
Can cats eat almonds?
Yes, cats can eat almonds but in moderation. Consuming more than one almond will likely cause indigestion in your cat. This is because cats have a very short digestive system and they are unable to properly digest large numbers of almonds, so you need to be careful about the nuts you offer your cat.
What are the threats of consuming more than one almond for your cat?
Following are the threats of consuming more than one almond for your cat:
Indigestion
Cats are obligate carnivorous animals. They like to take protein from meat sources or animal sources. Digesting the plant material is not a specialty of your cat.
If your cat consumes too many almonds it will lead to indigestion in your cat. Following are the major clinical signs of indigestion in your cat:
- Loss of appetite
- Distended abdomen
- Gas production
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
- Weakness
Choking
Consuming too many almonds at once can cause choking in your cat. Choking can be serious as it can cause a respiratory collapse in your cat. Your cat ate a number of almonds you just dropped on the floor and in the process of eating one of the almonds got stuck in the esophagus. It will disturb the digestive process in the body.
Following are the major clinical signs of choking in your cat:
- Restlessness
- Loss of appetite
- Unable to vomit
- Unable to cough properly
- Lethargy
- Dehydration
Intestinal obstruction
The next is the intestinal obstruction in your cat. The stomach of the cat is not specialized to digest the nuts such as almonds and other nuts. If your cat consumes too many nuts, it will get stuck in the intestine causing intestinal obstruction in the cat.
Following are the major clinical signs of intestinal obstruction in your cat:
- No feces
- Constipation
- Vomiting
- Restlessness
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Dehydration
- Loss of appetite
No nutritional value
The almonds are the plant parts so they do not give any nutritional value to your cat. It might give some vitamins such as vitamin E but this is not enough. It only gives empty calories to your cat so it is better not to give more than one almond to your cat.
Can cats eat bitter almonds?
No, cats cannot eat bitter almonds. Bitter almonds have a compound called amygdalin which is responsible for the toxicity in your cat. This compound breaks into cyanide which further leads to toxicity in your cat. The cyanide enters the bloodstream and reaches the brain in the end causing brain damage.
You will see the following signs in your cat when your cat is suffering from toxicity:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Seizures
- Confusion
- Imbalance
- Weakness
- Lethargy
- Decreased interest in food
What can you do if your cat consumes too many almonds?
The first thing you should do is to find out whether the almonds were bitter or sweet. The cats usually avoid bitter almonds but can eat them sometimes. After that, you need to figure out how many almonds are being consumed by your cat.
If your cat consumes too many it is time to call your vet. The vet will ask a few questions and will give you advice.
If your vet tells you to bring the cat to the vet hospital, please do not hesitate quickly visit your vet hospital. The sooner you get there the better chance of the survival of your cat.
Your vet will take your cat’s history and will quickly perform a clinical exam of your cat. After that, your vet will discuss the possible options for therapy for your cat.
Your vet might use antibiotics to reduce the possible infection in your cat. He will give fluid therapy to your cat to dilute the toxins in the blood.
What other nuts are unhealthy for your cats to consume?
Following are the nuts that are unhealthy for your cat to consume:
- Macadamia nuts are the first which are considered toxic for your cat to consume even if your cat eats a single macadamia nut.
- Walnuts are also unhealthy for your cat to consume although it is better for you to eat walnuts as it offers a number of nutrients to humans.
Conclusion
In this cat blog, we entertained our major question, “Can cats eat almonds?” we also discussed whether your cat can eat bitter almonds, the threats of consuming more than one almond for your cat, and what other nuts are unhealthy for your cat to eat.
References
https://www.google.com/amp/s/petcube.com/blog/can-cats-eat-nuts-and-seeds/amp/
