Can cats eat walnuts? Generally, walnut is a delicious dry fruit loved by humans as it contains some fats and oils and loads of vitamins beneficial for your health. It also provides a few proteins.
It helps to control diabetes and blood pressure with its essential nutrients. But does it benefit your cat too? You might have noticed that your cat craves the food items you eat. But when it comes to feeding walnuts to your furry friend, the question arises, can cats eat walnuts?
If you are a cat owner, you are always worried about your cat’s nutrition. Every cat owner knows how vital it is to provide healthy and nutritious food to your cat.
Also, cats are curious, and if a walnut falls to the floor, cats will be tempted to taste it. But whenever you are looking to feed walnuts to your cat, you always think, are walnuts safe for your cat?
Can cats eat walnuts? No, cats should not eat walnuts as they are high in fats, which can cause discomfort in your digestive system. It can lead to diarrhea and vomiting and make your cat lethargic.
However, a small amount of walnut may not be bad for your cat, but you should avoid feeding it to your feline friend. So, let us find out if it helps walnuts feeding to your feline friend.
Can cats eat walnut?
No, cats should not eat walnuts as they may hurt your cat’s digestive and nervous systems. Moreover, walnuts do not contain any unique dietary nutrient your cat doesn’t get from its regular diet. So, it is better to avoid adding it to your cat’s regular diet.
Usually, cats are obligate carnivores and obtain all their proteins and required amount of fat from meat. So, it is unnecessary to load your cat’s tummy with walnuts.
As nuts are higher in fats, they may lead to obesity in your cat. If walnuts are molded, they become poisonous to your cat and can cause several diseases.
Moreover, walnuts may not lead to death, and you do not require to call the vet if your cat consumes a small amount, but you should be careful in feeding walnuts to your cat.
Do cats like walnuts?
Can cats eat walnuts? Do they like them? As a cat owner, you know that cats invariably go after every new thing they see. In the case of walnuts, some cats may go after them only because of their curiosity, while others may completely ignore them.
Usually, it depends on the cat whether they like walnuts or not. There is no definite answer to this question. If a walnut hits the floor, your kitty might play with it or eat it.
However, as walnuts are plant-based food, they will not hugely attract your cat. Cats get animal food in their daily diet, and if they somehow eat walnuts, it will only be due to their curiosity and not desire.
Food for Cats: Did You Know?
Felines are not actually picky eaters as one might think. Therefore, we have looked at several different foods and tell you if it’s safe for your cat to eat or not. Like this one: Can Cats Eat Pickles?
Are walnuts bad for cats to eat?
Can cats eat walnuts? Are they bad for cats? Generally, walnuts are plant-based food harmful to your cat’s digestive system. They cause stomach inflammation, leading to vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Oils and fats in walnut can cause pancreatitis if your cat eats too many walnuts.
Also, if digestive problems in your cat persist for a longer duration, it may lead to kidney failure. Walnuts also contain a high level of sodium which is dangerous for your furry ball and may lead to sodium poisoning.
Sodium poisoning can make your cat suffer from various health-related issues such as tremors, multiple organ failure, epilepsy and death.
Moreover, your cat may accidentally eat the walnut shell resulting in choking due to its sharp edges. Also, cats cannot chew these shells, so it is better to avoid feeding walnuts to your cat.
Are walnuts safe for cats?
Can cats eat walnuts? No, cats should avoid eating walnuts. The hazards linked with eating walnuts are more than the overall benefits.
If your cat eats a small piece of walnut once a month, it may not be dangerous, and you can feed it in moderation but avoiding it is a better option.
Walnuts contain essential nutrients, but they are not equally beneficial as they are in humans. So, it is better not to feed them to your kitty.
Conclusion – Can cats eat walnuts?
So, can cats eat walnuts? The answer is No. Walnuts are high in fats and oils that cause severe digestive discomfort in your cat leading to diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
In severe cases, your feline friend may experience kidney failure. Also, sodium in walnuts can cause sodium poisoning that may prove fatal to your cat.
While walnuts contain essential nutrients that may benefit your kitty, the potential disadvantages of feeding walnuts to your cat outweighs the benefits. So, feeding walnuts to your cat should be avoided.