In this cat blog, we answered the main question, “Can cats eat chickpeas?” we will also discuss the major health hazards of consuming chickpeas, why your cat eats chickpeas, and what ingredients you shouldn’t add to cooking chickpeas.
Can cats eat chickpeas?
No, cats cannot eat chickpeas. A small number of chickpeas will not cause any problem for your cat but consuming more than that will certainly affect the health of the cat. Moreover, you shouldn’t add any unhealthy ingredients such as salt and seasonings to them because they can cause toxicity in your cat.
What are the major health hazards of consuming chickpeas for your cat?
Following are the major health hazards of consuming chickpeas for your cat:
Stomach upset in cats
The first problem for your cat is stomach upset. Stomach upset is a minor problem but the dehydration associated with it can cause hypovolemia and ultimately leads to hypovolemic shock and the death of your cat.
Following are the major clinical signs of stomach upset in your cat:
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Abdominal pain
The stomach upset is due to the indigestion of the chickpeas in the stomach. Chickpeas are hard for your feline friend to digest because of the hard outer covering of the peas.
Cats are obligate carnivorous animals which means they love to take animal protein and not plant protein. A cat’s stomach is not specialized to digest chickpeas so your cat will not be able to digest it.
Intestinal impaction in cats
The next thing is the impaction of the intestine in cats. This is due to a large number of undigested chickpeas in the intestine of your cat.
The undigested food will remain there and will block the flow of contents. It is extremely painful for your cat and the only solution to this problem is the surgical removal of the undigested food material from the body of your cat.
Following are the major clinical signs of impaction in your cat:
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Little to no feces
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Abdominal pain
- Distended abdomen
The next thing that will happen is the activation of the immune system of the body. The immune system will recognize the undigested food material as a foreign agent and will work against it. The first sign you will see is the fever in the body which is very evident in indigestion in the body.
Chickpeas can cause choking in cats
Consuming too many chickpeas can cause choking in your cat which is very dangerous for your cat. Choking is the obstruction of the esophagus of the body. The obstruction of the esophagus can put pressure on the trachea which can cause tracheal collapse and the death of your cat.
Following are the major clinical signs of choking in your cat:
- Head towards the ground
- Pawing at head
- Unable to cough
- Unable to vomit
- Lethargy
- Restlessness
What are the unhealthy ingredients in chickpeas for cats?
The following are the unhealthy ingredients in chickpeas for cats:
Too much Salt can be dangerous for your cat
The first problem is too much salt which can cause dehydration, hypertension, and kidney damage. If there is too much salt outside the cells then it will draw water outside the cells leading to dehydration in the body
Seasonings can harm your cat metabolism
The next problem is the seasonings such as garlic and onion which can cause red blood cell lysis in your cat. Red blood cells supply oxygen to the organs of the body.
Conclusion
In this cat blog, we answered the major question, “Can cats eat chickpeas?” we also discussed the major health hazards of consuming chickpeas, why your cat eats chickpeas, and what ingredients you shouldn’t add to cooking chickpeas.
