Can cats eat pasta?
This cat blog will answer the main query, “Can cats eat pasta?” we will also discuss the unhealthy effects of pasta on your cat’s body, how much pasta is safe for your cat, and how you can safely give pasta to your cat.
Can cats eat pasta?
No, cats cannot eat pasta. It is not healthy and safe for your cat to eat pasta because it can cause obesity, toxicity, pancreatitis, and heart problems in your cat. A small amount of pasta just once will not cause any problems but consuming more than that can cause the death of your cat.
What are the unhealthy effects of pasta on your cat’s body?
Following are the unhealthy effects of pasta on your cat’s body:
Obesity
The first problem is obesity which is due to the high-fat content present in pasta. Consuming pasta for a long time will cause the fat to build up in the body which is stored to be used in the future whenever energy is required.
Obesity has several consequences such as chronic joint pain that will lead to arthritis in your cat. The pain in the joints will cause a loss of appetite in your cat and your cat will grow weaker and weaker day by day.
Obesity can also cause heart disease in your cat. The heart is the prime organ of the body, you need to make sure that it remains healthy. However, consuming pasta will pose a serious threat to your heart in the form of high-fat content.
Toxicity
The garlic and onion in the pasta are responsible for causing toxicity in your cat. This is because of the compounds thiosulfates and disulfide which can cause red blood cell lysis in your cat.
The red blood cell lysis can lead to a decrease in the oxygen level in the body leading to a hypoxic condition and subsequent death of the organs.
Following are the common clinical signs of toxicity in your cat:
- Increased heart rate
- Increased breathing rate
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Pale mucous membrane
Pancreatitis
The inflammation of the pancreas is called pancreatitis in cats. The pancreas is responsible for adding digestive enzymes to the food content in the intestine. When the pancreas is overloaded then it leads to inflammation of the pancreas in the body. Your cat will take a characteristic preying position during an episode of pancreatic pain in the body.
Following are the main clinical signs of pancreatitis in your cat:
- Decreased appetite
- Fever
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Enlarged pancreas
- Pale mucous membrane
Dehydration
The next thing is dehydration in the body of your cat. Dehydration is due to consuming high salt content and it leads to water removal from the body of your cat.
Dehydration is a serious concern because it can lead to hypovolemic shock and the death of your cat.
Kidney damage
The high salt content in the body is filtered by the kidneys. If there is high salt content the kidneys will not be able to filter it so it can lead to kidney damage.
Following are the major clinical signs of kidney damage in your cat:
- Decreased appetite
- Decreased urine output
- Kidney pain
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
- Restlessness
Salt poisoning
The next thing is the salt poisoning in your cat. Salt poisoning can be very dangerous for your cat because it can lead to brain damage in your cat. The brain damage will show nervous signs in your cat.
Following are the main clinical signs of salt poisoning in your cat:
- Seizures
- Tremors
- Confusion
- Decreased appetite
- Incoordination
- Imbalance
How much pasta is safe for your cat?
Pasta is generally not safe for your cat to consume but if your cat just consumes a single bite of pasta, it wouldn’t cause more than just a stomach upset.
How can you safely give pasta to your cat?
The best pasta is homemade pasta for your cat. You can give homemade pasta to your cat which is low in fat, salt, sugar, seasonings, and spices.
If you want to give this type of pasta to your cat make sure you know how much pasta you are giving your cat. Although it is safe for your cat to consume homemade pasta, consuming large amounts of this homemade pasta can cause problems for your cat.
What can you do if your cat ate store-bought pasta?
Call your vet if your cat consumes store-bought pasta as it has the above ingredients that are unhealthy for your cat.
Conclusion
In this cat blog, we entertained our important question, “Can cats eat pasta?” we also discussed the unhealthy effects of pasta on your cat’s body, how much pasta is safe for your cat, and how you can safely give pasta to your cat.
