Can Cats Eat Gingerbread?

Gingerbread is an amazing holiday treat that many people enjoy worldwide. Although it tastes good, what about your feline friends? Can cats eat gingerbread?

Unfortunately, it’s better not to give gingerbread to your cat. It should be kept out of your pet’s reach. Gingerbread contains sugar, spices, and dangerous ingredients unsuitable for your pet’s health.

Although a small amount might not be toxic, here is more that you need to know regarding, Can cats eat gingerbread? So, let’s dig into it.

Can Cats Eat Gingerbread?

Are you curious to know, Can cats eat gingerbread? Well, a smaller amount may not cause any problem; it’s better to avoid feeding them an excessive amount.

There are numerous ingredients present in gingerbread that are toxic for felines. These ingredients include spices, herbs, sugar, and other harmful substances.

Such substances badly affect your pet’s immune system, digestion, and overall health. They also have a bad impact on the feline’s appetite. If you are unsure how much gingerbread is safe for your feline friend, ask your vet about it.

Another fact is that feline’s body is not made to deal with the high sugar content. So, these gingerbread cookies, biscuits, and other food items aren’t good for them. Rather, you can opt for cat treats that are particularly formulated for them.

Cinnamon is also one of the ingredients of gingerbread. Although it is not toxic for cats, excessive amounts cause diarrhea, vomiting, and mouth blisters. Therefore, make sure not to let your pet eat this gingerbread.

Nutmeg Toxicity In Cats

Can cats eat gingerbread? If not, then what makes it toxic for felines? Another harmful ingredient of gingerbread is nutmeg.

Even though, in small amounts, it doesn’t cause any stomach upset. But the large amount can cause numerous problems as it contains myristicin toxin.

Nutmeg toxicity results in abdominal pain, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, hallucination, and dry mouth.

Besides, the symptoms of nutmeg toxicity remain for two days. Hence, there is an immediate need to contact your vet.

Clove Toxicity In Cats

Gingerbread also contains cloves as an ingredient. There is a toxin present in cloves called eugenol. This toxin results in liver toxicity in felines when consumed in high amounts. Like nutmeg, the amount of clove in gingerbread doesn’t cause any issue.

However, clove toxicity happens when felines consume whole cloves or clove oil. The toxicity symptoms include vomiting, tremors, seizures, and liver toxicity. That’s why it’s best to remain on the safe side and avoid feeding gingerbread to felines.

What Are The Benefits Of Ginger?

Can cats eat gingerbread? What are the benefits? Although gingerbread isn’t a safe treat for felines, ginger itself provides numerous benefits to cats.

Well, indigestion occurs commonly in cats because they have a delicate stomach naturally. In addition, some other problems that are common in cats include:

• Motion sickness or car sickness
• Nausea
• Stomach ache

A small amount of ginger is quite helpful in solving these problems. But what matters is how you feed ginger to cats because we all know that felines are quite picky regarding their food.

What To Do If Your Cat Eats Gingerbread?

If your pet has somehow managed to get a bit of gingerbread, they should be fine. But what you can do is to keep an eye on them. If you observe any symptoms like vomiting, nausea, or seizures, seek your vet’s help immediately.

If your felines have consumed a lot of gingerbread, talk to your vet to know your next step. The fact is that gingerbread is too sweet for your cat to eat in excess amount.

Pet-Safe Gingerbread Treats

To make a pet-safe gingerbread treats, the following ingredients are required:

• Two tablespoons of molasses
• 1 cup of wheat flour
• One teaspoon of cinnamon
• Two teaspoons of ground ginger
• One egg
• 1/3 cup of peanut butter

Here are some steps to follow for making this treat:

• First, preheat your oven to 320 ⁰ F
• Whisk wet ingredients in a large bowl, and then add dry ingredients
• Knead these ingredients well to form a dough
• Roll out the dough and cut it in your desired shape
• Bake it for 15 minutes
• Make sure to cool it before serving it to your pet

Final Thoughts – Can cats eat gingerbread?

Can cats eat gingerbread? You shouldn’t let your pet eat gingerbread. It contains harmful ingredients along with spices and sugar. Nutmeg, clove, and sugar are toxic ingredients in gingerbread for cats. The toxicity of these substances leads to many health problems in felines.

You can use ginger in a small amount to get rid of your pet’s nausea, indigestion, or car sickness. Some safe and healthy treats like plain lean meats are also present for felines.