Can cats eat strawberries? Yes, they can. Strawberries are not harmful to cats. However, while strawberries are safe for your cat’s health, you should know that feeding a large amount of strawberries is not recommended.
The strawberry season is just around the corner. However, many cat owners ask us, “Can cats eat strawberries?” In fact, strawberry is a fresh and juicy fruit that steadily spreads at this time of the year. It is considered one of the preferable snacks for cats, as it has many health benefits, which your cat can take advantage of. However, it is essential to know about this particular fruit, especially if your cat is chronically ill or allergic to strawberries.
More specifically, cats have different nutritional systems and needs, so giving your cat a small number of strawberries (no more than 10% of the total calories) is recommended. That will help your cat get its proper intake without gaining extra pounds.
Moreover, cats can’t taste the strawberries’ sweetness because they do not have proper taste receptors. This is why they are usually not interested in eating strawberries, although there are many nutrients that your cat can benefit from when it eats strawberries in reasonably balanced proportions.
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Strawberry Sweetness And Cat’s Sense Of Smell
Although cats lack sweet taste receptors, they love to eat strawberries, as sweetness attracts the olfaction and arouses it. However, cat owners should realize that strawberry sweetness means much sugar, which may be riskier for your cat’s health. The best way is to provide strawberries in moderated amounts that do not negatively affect your cat’s health.
As veterinarians always state, strawberries are nutritious for your cat, as they have dietary characteristics that may enrich your cat’s overall activity. For example, only one strawberry has:
- High water content
- Fiber
- Vitamin C
- Enzymatic whitening ability
Benefits Of Strawberries For Your Cats
Strawberries are considered a good substitute for store-bought snacks that may contain a high-fat percentage, which negatively affects your cat’s health.
However, when using strawberries as a snack, it is advisable to make the amount low enough to keep your cat graceful and agile. Strawberries contain many vitamins, and that can boost the immunity system and strengthen the digestive tract.
Being rich in nutrients, strawberries are generally recommended. There are many health qualities that strawberries have. Among these, the important source of fiber and the high amount of vitamin C. In addition, a single strawberry effectively eases constipation.
Additionally, Strawberries are packed with several healthy substances, including potassium, vitamin C, and folic acid. Although your cat can produce vitamin C into its liver, potassium can only be made by the digestive process. Potassium is very beneficial to your cat, as it supports its healthy growth and keeps all muscles function correctly. Folic acid helps build new cells and metabolize proteins, but only a tiny amount is needed.
Since strawberries are high in fiber, your cat will appreciate them. You should remove the stems and leaves before offering the strawberry because such vascular tissues can pose a choking hazard.
Strawberries are also one of the distinguished fruits that can help you organize your cat’s diet. However, it would be best if you considered that strawberries are not favorable to be served daily. It is sufficient to offer your cat a cup of strawberry 2 or 3 times a week.
Despite being rich in vitamins, strawberries may cause damage because they contain a high sugar percentage. Cats should eat a low-sugar diet just like humans.
When your cat overeats sugar, it will gain weight, develop diabetes, and experience dental problems. So, you ought to realize that nutritious snacks such as strawberries are essential but in moderated amounts.
Is It A Nutritious Treat?
In some exceptional cases, you can feel that your cat diet is bland and that you want to change it just a little bit. There is no doubt that strawberries are a delicious and nutritious treat, which you can offer moderately as a light snack. Although strawberries are not toxic, you should closely monitor your cat’s position to ensure that eating strawberries is not a problem.
Keep in mind that many cats are finicky, and your little pet may not prefer to eat sweet fruit. Let it first sniff a strawberry. If it instantly pulls back or tries to run away, that means it is unlikely to taste any of this fruit.
Can Cats Eat Strawberries? More Benefits!
As we mentioned above, Yes, your cat can eat strawberries. Strawberries have high proportions of acidity, which can benefit your cat’s health, as it kills bacteria and gets rid of toxins. However, a heightened perception of acids can cause indigestion. When too much acid is consumed, the stomach lining breaks down and, therefore, many disorders may occur and turn the cat life into a living hell.
One of the benefits that strawberries have is that they can soften teeth and remove plaque. When your cat bites the berries, its teeth are naturally cleaned. After dissolving the plaque, you can use a toothbrush to keep your cat’s teeth healthy and clean.
It is known that a balanced intake of strawberries works as a brushing method. It is an economical and easy way to keep your cat teeth excellent. If your cat resists the regular brushing process, eating strawberries will be a practical and enjoyable approach.
In wildlife, cats consume grass to support the regurgitation mechanism during food digestion. Domestic cats also need fiber to enhance their ingestion functions. Since your cat can’t find grass anywhere in your house, it will look for other substitutes to meet its natural needs.
Hence, strawberries can serve as a suitable substitute. Although the berry does not have herbaceous roots and stems, the nutrients inside, such as fiber, can help your cat perform natural digestion. The fiber included in the berry can also help your cat feel fuller longer. So, it will eat less without any problem whatsoever.
Antioxidants & Cat’s Overall Health
We know that strawberries contain natural compounds that act as antioxidants. Many recent studies showed that a cup of strawberry is suitable for cats, provided after you wash and clean the fruit in order to remove any chemical residue.
Remember that any food can pose a choking hazard, even strawberries. After washing and cutting off the stalk, divide every strawberry into small pieces. If your cat is relatively older, you can offer it the strawberry in half.
Eating Strawberries Directly From Plants
Eating unwashed strawberries can produce ingest pesticides, leading to stomach pains. If your cat consumes strawberries straight from the plant, it may swallow some pathogens such as worms, in addition to the bacteria, which can cause severe cramps.
This is obviously dangerous for young cats because they are more likely to eat anything found. Mature cats are usually more careful about what they eat; however, you ought to be careful when offering a piece of fruit to your cat regardless of age.
It is essential to consider the allergy condition. Like humans, cats are allergic to various foods. Your cat may be allergic to strawberries. You should watch your cat closely when feeding it any sort of food. If you observe allergic reactions, stop them immediately without delay.
It is also important to know that cats find greater difficulty when they break down sugar because they lack the hepatic enzyme glucokinase, which metabolizes carbohydrates and controls normal blood glucose levels. This way, you should not feed your cat much quantity of strawberries.
Strawberries have high sugar content. Such a large amount of sugar in strawberries means that overeating amount can lead to diarrhea and an upset stomach. Your cat’s stomach cannot digest sugar the way human bodies do. Such a fact should be borne in mind when offering any food to your cat.
If your cat has eaten strawberries directly from a garden, you should be aware of the potential symptoms that may follow. If your cat is acting strange and feeling unwell, take it to the veterinarian as soon as possible. If your cat experiences an upset stomach, offer water until its stomach settles down.
What Else?!
The main food that your cat should eat is originally coming from animal protein. Strawberries do not contain protein so that they are useless and insufficient to meet your cat’s nutritional needs. Although cats need protein from meat sources, small amounts of fruits will not be harmful. The added vitamins are undoubtedly good for most cats.
Strawberries have many antioxidant properties. Most veterinarians recommend that cat owners feed their cats as close as possible to what they are accustomed to eating in their wildlife. This is because the cat’s body takes a long time in order to adapt itself to another lifestyle. Cats are obligate carnivores by nature. Since they are primarily fed on meat rather than vegetation, their digestive systems do not digest plants.
Eating a habitual diet will keep your cat in a better state of health. Still, if any human food is added to a cat diet, various health problems can arise, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and circulatory problems.
Cats may be poisoned when certain ingredients are included in their daily intake. It would be best if you took appropriate care to use ingredients that your cat’s body can easily adapt to.
Precautions You Should Consider When Feeding Your Cat Strawberries
It is important to wash the berries properly. You can remove leaves and stems because they can cause serious health problems if your cat eats them. Feed your cat only a small amount of strawberries.
Try feeding your cat just one berry to observe its reaction. If it likes it, you can try adding strawberries to your cat’s daily intake. The purpose of offering the berries in small pieces is to notice any health problems that may arise during the eating process.
Watch your cat closely while eating its share of strawberries. That will help you avoid overlooking negative reactions. Call your veterinarian immediately when your cat feels an upset stomach, digestive issues, intense itching, or increased thirst. All of these symptoms can indicate that eating strawberries are unsuitable for your cat’s stomach.
Cats are predominantly carnivorous animals. So, their fruit consumption should be well controlled and frequently supervised. You should know that your cat actually needs a balanced diet.
In terms of fruit, the strawberry does not represent a serious danger but be careful not to give your cat strawberry juice, flavors, or odorants, because they include toxic substances that can cause health troubles. The optimal solution is to provide your cat with organic strawberries.
Health Risks
The same as eating Raisins or Berries, before feeding your cat strawberries, you ought to have better knowledge regarding the possible health risks that may occur. All fruits contain sugar; therefore, diabetes, tooth decay, and obesity are probable dangers that negatively affect your cat’s health.
You also ought to ask the veterinarian if your cat is experiencing some allergic reactions, which may irritate its stomach and cause severe pains.
It is also harmful to give your cat any sort of strawberry jam or syrup. These products contain even more sugar; consequently, they can cause diarrhea. It is known that cats, in general, do not enjoy sugary foods the same way we do; so, your furry pet is unlikely to taste jam or syrup, no matter how delicious it is.
Can Cats Eat Strawberries? My Final Thoughts!
Another valuable piece of information that you should keep in mind is that canned strawberries involve a great deal of risk to your cat’s health. When the strawberries are out of season, you can search for other sources.
Do not give fruits packed in syrup. This adds excess sugars and calories. Additionally, canned and syrupy strawberries may contain artificial sweetener xylitol, which can be dangerous or even deadly.
The perfect procedure is to replace strawberries with other fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and cranberries. They are all considered safe options for your cat if you serve them at moderate doses.
We reiterate the importance of asking the veterinarian before offering any food item to your cat, as he is the most knowledgeable about your cat’s specific needs and the methods to meet them.
The question “Can cats eat strawberries?” is easy to answer as long as you know the pros and cons of eating strawberries. It is safe to supply your cat with strawberries as the other nutrients are regularly provided and delivered at a daily rate.
