This cat blog will answer the main query, “Can cats eat french fries?” we will also discuss whether your cat can eat uncooked french fries, whether your cat can eat cooked french fries, and whether your cat can eat frozen french fries.
Can cats eat french fries?
Yes, cats eat french fries. It depends upon the type of french fries you are offering your cat. Your cat can eat cooked and frozen french fries in small amounts. Your cat cannot eat uncooked french fries because of the solanine in them. Solanine can cause toxicity in your cat.
Can cats eat cooked french fries?
Yes, cats can eat cooked french fries. Cooked french fries are safe if you give them in moderation to your cat. It is important that you know what kind of ingredients are added to the cooked french fries.
Following are the unhealthy ingredients you should avoid to add in cooked french fries:
Garlic and onion powder
Garlic and onion powder are not healthy for your cat to consume because both of them have certain compounds like thiosulfates which can cause red blood cell lysis in cats.
The red blood cells are the carriers of oxygen and their lysis will lead to tissue hypoxia and the death of your cat. The first organ that is affected is the brain and after that heart and lungs and kidneys.
Salt
Salt is not healthy for your cat to consume. The average required salt for a whole day is 42 mg and the french fries have more than that.
Salt can cause dehydration in your cat. Your cat will start drinking more water after eating french fries because the body wants to compensate for the salt with the water.
The extra salt in the body also puts pressure on the kidneys because the kidneys are the major excretory organs in the body. If the kidneys fail to function properly, your cat will be shifted to dialysis which is costly and difficult to maintain. Moreover, the high salt content also raises blood pressure due to the high sodium content in the cell.
To compensate for this you need to give potassium which lowers the blood pressure in the body.
Salt poisoning is the last thing and probably the most dangerous thing you should consider on your list. Salt poisoning is due to the high quantity of salt in the body which is not excreted from the body. Now in salt poisoning, your cat will show clinical signs like:
- Confusion
- Imbalance
- Seizures
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
If you see nervous signs in your cat, call your vet immediately because the situation is out of your hands.
Fat content
The high-fat content is due to the frying of the french fires in the oil. You should know that the fat requirement of your cat is low and the french fries have too much fat which can lead to heart diseases, obesity, and pancreatitis in your cat.
Can cats eat uncooked french fries?
No, cats cannot eat uncooked french fries. It is not healthy for your cat to consume french fries because the raw potatoes have solanine in them which is a compound that protects the potatoes from pests and fungus.
Moreover, the solanine is not healthy for your cat to consume because it can cause toxicity as it is not processed properly in the body.
Following are the major clinical signs of toxicity in your cat:
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Confusion
- Seizures
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Stomach ache
It also causes stomach upset in your cat because the raw potatoes are hard to digest and the cats are not specialized in digesting raw vegetables.
Can cats eat frozen french fries?
Yes, cats can eat frozen french fries because they are already pre-cooked. Whenever the french fries are frozen they are pre-cooked for a short time and then they are frozen to store them.
The frozen french fries are then cooked for a few minutes before serving them to your cat. But make sure you do not add any kind of unhealthy ingredients to it as described above in the article.
What can you do if your cat ate too many uncooked french fries?
You should call your vet immediately if your cat ate too many uncooked french fries. Your vet will take your cat’s history and then will perform a clinical exam on your cat. After that, your vet will plan treatment according to the condition of your cat.
Conclusion
In this cat blog, we answered the major question, “Can cats eat french fries?” we also discussed whether your cat can eat uncooked french fries, whether your cat can eat cooked french fries, and whether your cat can eat frozen french fries.
