Can cats eat hummus?
The creamy, soft, delicious, and mouthful delight is never rejected by cats but “Can cats eat hummus?”. This article will explore the ingredients of hummus, how you can prepare hummus for your cat and why hummus is harmful to cats. Stick with us and learn more about this question!
Can cats eat hummus?
No, cats cannot eat hummus. Certain ingredients, such as garlic and onion, are pretty dangerous for your cats. These plants cause toxicity in pets and can be lethal if left untreated. Here we are going to discuss the ingredients of hummus and whether they are beneficial for cats or not.
What are the ingredients of hummus?
Let’s break down the ingredients of hummus and see what each of them has for your cat. Following are the ingredients of hummus.
Tahini:
It is a paste made from sesame seeds. Though it is not poisonous to cats, it doesn’t provide any nutrition to your feline.
Chickpeas:
Cats are carnivores, and as meat is the main ingredient of their diet, they don’t need peas or beans as their central diet portion. Your cats can have chickpeas, but some cats don’t have the tendency to digest, and it can upset their gastrointestinal tract resulting in diarrhea and vomiting.
Chickpeas have a higher glycemic index that makes them difficult to digest.
Olive oil:
Oils are always high in fat content. It is not toxic for them, but its daily consumption can cause fat deposition in your cat’s body. It can lead to weight gain. Also, it can cause vomit or diarrhea in cats.
Lemon:
Citrus fruits like lemon contain essential oils and psoralens and can potentially cause cat toxicity. It can cause dermatitis, diarrhea, vomiting, and even depression. Usually, cats avoid citrus fruits because of their taste and smell. And lemon juice is added to the hummus. Thus, you should avoid feeding hummus to your cat.
Garlic:
It is the most danger causing ingredient in hummus. Onion and garlic are from the allium family. They are exceptionally incredibly to your cats. They contain disulfides and thiosulfates. Both these compounds destroy red blood cells in your cat’s body.
Long-term use of these ingredients can lead your cat to anemia. A small clove of garlic can cause organ damage in your cat and even death. The symptoms of allium family poisoning occur after 2 to 4 days of ingestion. The symptoms are:
- Discolored urine
- Vomiting
- Anorexia
- Tachycardia
- Panting
- Diarrhea
- Lethargy
- Respiratory distress
- Coma (severe cases)
Spices:
Sumac, cumin, parsley, and paprika are the spices used in hummus. We all know that herbs are not suitable for cats, and consuming products that contain them can cause stomach disturbance in your feline friend. Parsley has the potential to cause photosensitivity.
Other ingredients:
Other types of hummus use olive, peppers, jalapenos, tomatoes, cilantro, and spinach artichoke. All these ingredients don’t have any nutritional benefits for your cat.
How can you prepare hummus for your cat?
You can make hummus for your cats by using cat-friendly ingredients like chickpeas and skipping garlic, onion, spices, lemon,n juice. To feed hummus to your cat purchased from a supermarket, you should read its components first.
Why is hummus harmful to cats?
Here are the reasons why you should avoid feeding hummus to your four-pawed feline friend:
High in carbs:
There are 61 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams of hummus. Cats don’t need this amount of carbohydrates as they are carnivores. Consumption of higher amounts of carbohydrates leads to obesity. Weight gain further causes heart disease and diabetes in cats.
Avoid feeding chickpeas to your cat regularly.
Allergies:
Chickpeas have oxalic acid that can trigger allergies in cats. These allergies can cause skin problems and food intolerances. Though small amounts can’t hurt your cat’s gut, you should keep your cat on the safe side. Oxalic acid is a potential agent to cause kidney failure.
Garlic toxicity:
Hummus has garlic, which can cause lethal side effects in your cat. If consumed regularly, it can cause severe problems for your cat.
What should I do if my cat has eaten hummus?
Few licks from the plate of hummus cannot hurt your cat. But if you left an entire bowl of hummus and now it has disappeared, it is something to worry about. Observe your cat for a few hours and in case of any symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea frequently, rush to the vet.
Here are some of the synonyms that appear if your cat has consumed large about of hummus:
- Salivation
- Frequent vomiting
- Brown or red urine
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Muscle incoordination
- Pale gums
- Diarrhea
Conclusion:
This article discovered “Can cats eat hummus?”. This article also explored the ingredients of hummus, how you can prepare hummus for your cat and why hummus is harmful to cats. Stick with us and learn more about this question!
Hummus doesn’t have any nutritional benefit for your cat, so why risk your cat’s life for something useless for them?
