Can cats eat baked beans?
Baked beans are slow-cooked white beans, and are spicy, loaded with flavors of BBQ sauce, dijon, smoked paprika, and chipotle. This article will cover the concern “Can cats eat baked beans?”, the health risks associated with its consumption, how beans can be served to your cat, etc.
Can cats eat baked beans?
No, cats cannot eat baked beans. It’s not a good idea to feed baked beans to your cat as the possible health hazards can occur within an instinct. The best possible way to feed your furry friend is to wash and cook these beans in water (without adding any salt, nor sugar).
Cats are obligate carnivores and their diet mainly comprises animal-based proteins. The baked beans are a good source of proteins but the other ingredients in them, make them highly unsafe for your cat and they do more harm than the good.
What are the reasons you can’t feed baked beans to your cat?
Your cat shouldn’t be fed baked beans, because of the following reasons:
Salt content
These beans have high amount of salts in them which make them highly unsafe for cats and can lead to salt poisoning in your cat. Too much salt can also leads to hypernatremia. It can also cause low appetite, low coordination, lethargy, tremors, coma, seizures and even death.
Sugar
Baked beans also have sugar content in them, which can lead to obesity, weight gain and even diabetes in some cats. Xylitol content of sugar is considered poisonous for your cat and can cause hypoglycemia and/or pancreatitis.
Garlic and onions
Other toxic substances in baked beans are garlic and onions. These ingredients are highly detrimental for your cat if taken in larger quantities. They tend to break down red blood cells which ultimately leads to anemia.
Potassium
Baked beans are high in potassium content, and too much potassium intake can cause hyperkalemia and urinary tract infections in cats, such as cystitis and bladder stones.
Carbohydrates
Cats and carbs don’t mix and are not digested easily in cats. High carbs intake in cats can lead to blood sugar issues and weight gain.
All these ingredients are considered toxic for your cat. Cats are incredibly beautiful animals and they make awesome pets, but their nutritional requirements are mainly comprising of proteins. Therefore, it’s best advised to strictly maintain your cat on cat foot.
What to do if your cat has eaten baked beans?
If your cat has eaten baked beans in large amounts, check the ingredients of baked beans, and monitor your cat for the next 24 hours. Observe any signs of salt poisoning, decreased appetite, diarrhea vomiting, lethargy, or excessive thirst.
Additionally, observe your cat for high heart rate, panting, weakness, bloody urine for possible poisoning due to garlic and onions content of baked beans. If your cat show any of the above mentioned signs, call your veterinarian immediately.
What are the myths about cats eating baked beans?
A lot of falsities have been circulating internet regarding beans for cats, some of them are:
- Beans are considered indigestible to cats, but it’s sheer untrue. Beans are proteinaceous food which means cats won’t have any physiological difficulty in dealing beans.
- Beans can cause inflammation in your cat if fed daily, which is just a myth. The reverse is actually true since they contain significant amount of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
The soluble and insoluble dietary fiber in baked beans are an additional bonus since they prevent runny stool in cats. These beans have been known to be a great source of proteins but should be avoided in cat’s diet due to associated risks.
How can you feed baked beans to your cat?
The best possible way to feed baked beans to your cat is as follows:
- Soak the beans in warm water overnight.
- Boil them until they are soft and fairly cooked.
Keep in mind, you should feed meat to your mostly. Seeing that meat is expensive, beans can make up for a good alternative protein source. You can serve beans mashed or beans can also be boiled in water. But avoid adding salts or sugar that may be harmful to your cat.
Baked beans should not be fed to your cat because it might cause immediate health complications. If you really want to let your cat eat beans, make sure they are properly washed and boiled in water only before feeding them to your cat.
Conclusion
Today, we covered the article “Can cats eat baked beans?”, the health risks associated with its consumption, how beans can be served to your cat, etc. From the above discussion, it’s concluded that cats cannot eat baked beans because of their highly toxic ingredients.
However, you can consult with your veterinarian about how to feed baked beans to your cat. Excessive feeding can lead to conditions like pancreatitis, or dehydration. Try to avoid these conditions by monitoring their beans intake.
