Can Cats Eat Bread?

Sometimes you just need to be sure it’s safe for your cats to eat human food, whether you’re asking can cats eat bread because your kitty stole a piece from the kitchen table, or if you’re wondering if bread would make a good treat for your cat.

» You might be interested in Can Cats Eat Tuna? and Can Cats Eat Mangoes?

In this post, we’ll ease your mind about whether cats can eat bread and whether you should worry if he already has.

Cats can jump onto almost any household surface. That, along with their sharp claws, makes them the perfect food burglar. Whatever they want to get into is easily obtained and possibly shredded. This can be very annoying for many reasons, the greatest of which is whether it’s safe for your cat to eat the item they snatched.

We all have many cabinets and surfaces in our house from which your cat can swipe all kinds of things, including bread and cheese. So let’s hear it.

Can Cats Eat Bread?

If your cat has torn into a loaf of bread – or really any type of similar baked goods such as bagels, croissants, etc. – it is very unlikely that it will cause any harm.

In the case that your cat snuck a snack, take note of how much bread they ate. If it was a large amount, monitor your cat, as it may cause them to become sick and throw up.

Is Bread Bad for Cats?

Cats don’t actually need carbohydrates in their diets, they need protein and fat. Carbs are empty calories for cats, so from a dietary standpoint they shouldn’t eat very much bread. If you’re looking for treats, or snacks for your cat, opt for high protein foods, like a piece of tuna or chicken.

» You might also be interested to learn if cats can eat butter.

Possible Sensitivities & Allergies

It is possible for your cat to have allergies and food sensitivities, just like humans do, to the ingredients in bread, such as wheat or gluten. Although this type of sensitivity or allergy is very rare in cats, it’s still something to consider.

It’s more likely that raw bread made with yeast would be harmful to your cat, says Advantage Petcare. “Yeast and raw bread dough are not safe for cats – after it’s eaten, the dough can rise in a cat’s stomach and cause dangerous digestive issues.”

If your cat has ingested bread and has a reaction to it, like vomiting, this is an indication that you shouldn’t feed him anymore bread, just in case.

Feeding a Cat Bread

The most bread you should ever feed your cat on purpose is a little chunk of bread about the size of your pinkie fingernail. Anymore than that can upset your cats stomach, and they may throw it up.

If you’re going to feed your cat bread, it should be plain bread, with nothing baked into it. If there are things such as garlic, chocolate, or some fruits in the bread it can be dangerous for the cat. Some foods that humans add into bread are toxic to cats.

Feeding bread to a cat that likes it can be extremely useful in the event that you need to administer oral medication. You can stuff a pill into a piece of bread, or even add a liquid medication to it, and feed it to them. Remember to only use a small piece of bread for this purpose, if you do.

 

Conclusion

With all of that in mind, your cat should be safe if they’ve ingested bread. Try to keep your bread off the counters if you can, and be careful when feeding your feline friend carbs.

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