Month: February 2024

If you have been searching for a long time about things you can feed to your cat, you must tired of hearing and reading that most human edibles are toxic for cats. Right?

Is bok choy one of them?

Is bok choy toxic for your cat?

Luckily, bok choy is one of those few veggies that are edible for your best friend.

You now know that bok choy isn’t toxic for felines. But is it enough information? If you reckon ‘No’ is the answer, keep reading:

Can Cats Eat Bok Choy?

[su_note note_color=”#72E8E1″ text_color=”#000000″ radius=”18″]Yes, cats can eat bok choy. It is not toxic to them and can be fed in small amounts. Boiling it first is recommended to soften it, and it should not be given to cats with thyroid issues. While it offers some nutrients, bok choy should only be an occasional snack.[/su_note]

Nutritional Value of Bok Choy – Is it Safe for Your Cat?

You might already have heard that bok choy is an extremely healthy vegetable for us and Chinese people eat it on almost daily basis to be healthy. But a thing that has shocked many including you is bok choy is also a quite safe option for felines. It’s not as healthy for cats as humans, but it’s better than many human foods like biscuits.

Before moving further, let’s first understand what bok choy has got for your best friend:

Why Bok Choy is considered Safe for Cats?

If we have to describe bok choy in one sentence, we can say that it’s a great high calorie food with loads of different nutrients.

As cats are carnivores, their meals have to have a reasonable amount of protein. In case of bok choy, protein isn’t the main nutrient, still its amount is quite decent which’ll definitely help your furry cat.

A food being rich in a bunch of nutrients like calcium, vitamin A, and potassium (631 mg) is a quite rare thing but bok choy again surprises the mankind with its ironic nature.

After all, carbs and fiber are the only two nutrients that cats don’t need and are found in bok choy. The amount of these nutrients is so low that it’s almost negligible when compared with other nutrients. Still, you should never feed too much bok choy to cats as kitties have quite vulnerable stomach.

Benefits of Feeding Bok Choy to Your Cat

Bok choy being beneficial for humans is now an outdated debate as now, almost everyone knows that it’s great for many prominent body functions like metabolism. Hence, we are here to inform you about benefits of bok choy for your carnivore friend:

Cure Stomach Issues

Bok choy works well for a healthy cat but when it’s ill, bok choy becomes gold. A cat with constipation, stomach ulcers, gastritis, burping with a strong odor and many other stomach diseases can easily be treated with bok choy. You just have to boil it and make it soft for your feline and you’re good to go. Even if your cat is healthy, bok choy will lubricate its intestines and make its digestive system work even better.

Guilt-free Snack

Usually, cat snacks are unhealthy (such as biscuits) and you always feel some sort of guilt after feeding them to your best friend. But the case of bok choy is different because of a bunch of potential benefits it holds for cats. Hence. from now on, if your cat is bored with its daily meal and wants some change, bok choy can work amazingly in this case.

How to Feed Bok Choy to Your Cat?

Bok choy is healthy for cats but still you need to know how to feed it to your feline only because cat’s inner body is extremely delicate and fragile. Even a small change in its diet can harm it.

That’s why here are some practices you should know before feeding bok choy to your cat:

• Boiling bok choy for this purpose is always better because this vegetable is quite bitter when it’s raw and your cat might refuse to eat it. So, to deal with that easily, you should first boil it and make it soft as it eliminates the bitterness.
• Feeding bok choy to cat in smaller pieces is another practice that’ll help you. It’s because these cute little carnivores can’t digest larger portions. Moreover, bok choy can cause gas in cat’s stomach.
• Bok choy is a big no for cats having thyroid issues. It’s because bok choy is one of the few cruciferous veggies and these kinds of veggies contain goitrogens and it isn’t ideal for thyroid hormone production.

FAQs

What amount of bok choy is good for my cat?

As less as possible!

Bok choy contains so many nutrients that it is seen as a heavy (kind of) vegetable and cat’s stomach can’t digest heavy stuff. So, you must always just feed it a small piece of boiled bok choy. Boiling it before feeding it will always be better.

Does my cat need bok choy?

Not really!

Bok choy is indeed proven to be beneficial for cats. But your cat doesn’t really need it in daily life. It’s because cats are carnivores and will never turn to being vegan or vegetarian no matter how much effort you put in. All in all, using it as a snack (instead of full meal) now and then would be awesome.

Final Takeaway

When all is said and done, it’s safe to say that bok choy is one of those few human foods that cat’s body can accept. You can start feeding bok choy to your cat anytime soon. Just ensure to take safety precautions. And after feeding it, do let us know about your cat’s first experience with Bok Choy!

Being a feline parent is all fun until you jump into like these when you have to be super picky about your pet because you can’t feed any other thing to it blindly. In that regard, here comes a question, “Can I feed poppy seeds to my cat?”

The short answer to this question is, ‘No’. You shouldn’t even let your cat swallow these seeds mistakenly.

But this is not enough information as being a cat parent, you must be curious about the thing that’s stopping your cat from consuming those seeds. Hence, to know about what, why, and which of this topic, keep reading:

Can Cats Eat Poppy Seeds? Or Are They Toxic?

[su_note note_color=”#EA5455″ text_color=”#000000″ radius=”18″]

There’s not even a single doubt about that!

Poppy seeds contain so many substances (in different forms like alkaloids) that you shouldn’t even let your cat come closer to the jar of those seeds. The toxicity of these seeds is so strong that it’ll attack straight to the nervous system (brain) of the cat’s body to cause the maximum damage.

A thing many people don’t know is that poppy seeds have even caused problems for humans (according to a report from the University of Queensland. In old Greek and Indian medicines, poppy seeds are quite common but newer studies state that alkaloids in poppy seeds like thebaine, noscapine, laudanosine, and papaverine are quite toxic for even you.

[/su_note]

Related: Can Cats Eat Croissants?

Is Your Cat Suffering with Poppy Poisoning?

“Toxic reactions caused in anyone’s body due to poppy seeds is Poppy Poisoning.”

Cats are always tempted towards new things and if poppy seeds are new to them, they must be asking you for a small portion. Now in this case, even if you have kept them away from your cat, there’s a possibility that it has somehow consumed a few seeds.

That case can be extremely bad for him/her. That’s why it’s important to first know whether they have eaten some seeds or not in order to find the solution.

Symptoms of Poppy Poisoning

If your cat’s behavior or health looks a bit odd, it might be because of poppy poisoning even if it doesn’t seem to be the case. Hence, let’s have a look at the symptoms of poppy poisoning:

• Miosis (middle point of eyes gets smaller in this disease)
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Weakness
• Loss of appetite

Severe symptoms of poppy poisoning are:

• High fever
• Trembling
• Low pulse rate
• Depression

In extreme cases, these symptoms can even lead your cat to coma or even death (if not taken care of early).

Meanwhile, cats getting outrageously violent and excited after consuming even a few poppy seeds is quite common. It feels as if cat is high on some extreme drugs but it’s all because poppy seeds affect directly the brain cells of cats.

How to Treat Poppy Poisoning in Cats?

The first step towards treatment of any disease is its diagnosis to be 100% sure. So, let’s first discover that:

Diagnosis of Poppy Poisoning

If you notice any of the symptoms shared above, please don’t waste any time and take your feline to the vet so that he can treat it.

An expert can easily tell whether the cat is suffering from poppy poisoning or not. But to ensure, your cat’s vet will ask for some essential tests like:

• CBC (to determine how internal organs are functioning)
• ECG or ultrasound (to assess the heart’s working in severe cases)
• PCV (for hydration level)

Treatment for Poppy Poisoning

The treatment completely depends on the vet and the state of your cat. Because every patient needs different cure and every doctor has a unique style of treatment. But here are a few things almost every cure for poppy poisoning includes:

1. Induced Vomiting: It’s done by a vet to get rid of poppy seeds if they are still present in cat’s stomach.
2. Use of Oxygen Cage: Some cats’ situations get even worse that they can’t even breathe so they are treated in an oxygen cage.
3. Dark Room: Violent and lethargic cats are treated in a room with no lights.

Which Seeds to feed and which to not to Your Cat Eat?

FAQs

How many poppy seeds can I feed to my cat?

Not even a single seed!

The cat will ask for it but you have to keep poppy seeds at a place where your best friend can’t go. It’s for his/her best.

If not poppy seeds, will poppy seed bread be okay to eat for my cat?

No!

By grinding and mixing seeds with bread, toxic elements of poppy seeds won’t vanish. The bread made with poppy seeds is as harmful to your kitty as poppy seeds.

What if my cat gets attracted to poppy seeds?

It’s a trap, don’t fall for it!

The feline doesn’t know what is good for it and what is bad. But you (as a parent) know what’s healthy for your pet and what’s not. So, you have to be patient in this case. Nonetheless, if you ask us, we’d suggest you not bring poppy seeds home.

Winding Up……

All in all, poppy seeds are a big ‘No’ for cats. After reading the article, there won’t be any doubt in your mind and hopefully, you’ll never even think of feeding one poppy seed to your cat. Another thing to know is that even if you were thinking of growing poppy seeds in your lawn or yard (as a cat parent), you have to abort the decision immediately for your cat’s safety.

You might already have heard somewhere maybe from your pet’s vet that feeding certain fruits to your cat is actually good for that carnivore. But is nectarine one of those fruits?

Can you feed nectarines to your feline?

Well yes, nectarine is one of those fruits that should be fed to cats every now and then (moderately) maybe as a treat.

To understand the complete science behind the relationship between cats and nectarines, read this comprehensive article till the end. So, here we go:

Can Cats Eat Nectarines?

[su_note note_color=”#72E8E1″ text_color=”#000000″ radius=”18″]Yes, cats can eat nectarines, but only in moderation. The flesh is safe and offers beneficial vitamins like A and C. However, avoid pits, stems, seeds, and leaves, which pose choking hazards and contain cyanide.[/su_note]

Should Cats Really Eat Nectarines?

To comprehend whether cats really need nectarines or not, we have to dig into two things:

• What cats’ dietary needs are?
• What do nectarines have to offer (to cats)?

This table shows the content of substances found in nectarine along with their relation to cat’s diet:

Note: This nutritional value is for nectarine of about 300g.

All things like vitamins (A and C) are beneficial for cats and should be added to their diet (in small amounts). The problems we can see from the table are sugar, carbohydrates, fiber, and fat.

Well, in the case of nectarine, the amount of fat is negligible. Nonetheless, we can’t ignore carbs as cat’s body doesn’t need them which means that if we forcefully add them to their diet, they might show some allergic issues.

Why Nectarine is One of the Recommended Fruit for Cats?

Even after the presence of unwanted carbohydrates and sugar in them, nectarines are still said to be one of the most beneficial fruits for cats. Here’s why:

To cope with deficiency of many nutrients like calcium and other vitamins, vets recommend feeding fruits to little kitties. Nectarine is also recommended when cat is suffering from a deficiency of vitamins A and C at the same time.

But it doesn’t mean that your cat can’t have nectarines if there’s no deficiency of vitamins in it. The surprising part of feeding nectarine to cats is that vitamin A is actually a primal part of a cat’s diet and should be fed every now and then (if not daily).

Vitamin A is essential for a bunch of different tasks (like the formation of organs) to happen in a feline’s body. Vitamin C is also responsible for many different roles of feline’s internal body such as the development of your friend tissues and cells.

Not just these vitamins but nectarine also contains different vital nutrients (like magnesium, potassium, and phosphorous) that your cat needs every day.

A thing you need to know is that cats are carnivores and can live without any plants. So, if your cat or its body (mainly its stomach) doesn’t accept it, you should never force it to consume nectarines.

Slight Risks Involved in Feeding Nectarines to Your Cat

Yes, it’s that nectarines are completely safe for your cat. However, a few slight risks are involved there which should be known:

1.      It’s a Sugary Fruit

Sugar shouldn’t be a part of the feline’s diet!

The thing that might surprise you here is that cats can’t even taste sugar which means that it can’t also be a guilty pleasure for them like humans. Hence, there should be no point in feeding sugar to them when it’s not a part of their diet and they also don’t like it.

Excessive sugar doesn’t only cause obesity in humans but also in cats. The only difference is that excessive sugar in cats is way less than what humans consume. This is one of the reasons why sweets and biscuits aren’t recommended for cats.

2.      Tiny Amount of Cyanide

Cyanide is an extremely toxic material that happens to be present in nectarines. Your cat might find itself in several problems after consuming even a slight amount of it like:

• Staggering
• Muscle Twitching
• Stomachache

Nonetheless, a good part of this thing is that it only is present in pit, stem, seed, or leaf!

What does that mean?

It means that nectarine is still edible for your cat. It’s just that you can’t let it eat the whole thing with any of these (pit, stem, seed, or leaf) parts of nectarine. Hence, you must always cut it into small portions before giving it to your pet.

3.      Choking Hazard

If you try to eat a big portion of it, it might get stuck in the throat of it which can result in a quite bad situation. Moreover, a piece of pit, stem, or leaf can also become a cause of choking hazard as your feline’s throat isn’t as big as yours.

Note: These risks aren’t as mighty but we shared them with you because every cat has different physical nature and your cat might be too sensitive for nectarine due to any of these things.

The Only Right Way to Feed Nectarines to Your Cat

So, the thing you should do is only let your cat have some fun once in a week or two. The best thing you can do in this regard is to cut one or two small chunks of nectarine (not bigger than a small chicken nugget) and then serve it to your cat on its plate.

Furthermore, you must never forget that pit, stem, seed, and leaf are forbidden at any cost. It’s because they aren’t just responsible for cyanide or choking in cats, but also are capable of breaking your friend’s jaw or teeth. These parts of nectarine can even cause intestinal blockage in severe cases.

FAQs

What should I do if my cat eats pit, stem, seed, or leaf of nectarine (accidentally)?

If it’s stuck in your cat’s throat, there’s no time to waste. So, immediately contact your pet’s vet and explain to him/her about specifications about that thing that’s swallowed by your cat. Telling specifications like size and type of that thing is important to determine the solution. Let the side effects of cyanide aside and focus on dealing with choking hazards as it’s way worse.

Why is my cat obsessed with nectarines?

You can’t specify a particular reason but…………

Nectarine is a sugary fruit and cats can’t even taste sugar so there’s a very little chance that your pet wants nectarines because of its taste. Moreover, there are good chances that smooth texture and round shape of nectarine will be fascinating for your cat (just like a ball).

Conclusion

In the end, it would be right to say that a really small amount of nectarines won’t do any harm to your best friend. Believe it or not, nectarine is one of those few plants that are good for felines even though they are meat eaters.

The love story of plants and meat eater is not one of the loveliest, but it’s indeed digestible.

Just like other bread products, croissants are likely to be available at home anytime. Due to that very reason, cat parents ask ‘Can we feed croissants to our cats?’ when nothing else is available at home and cat is super hungry.

Well, croissants aren’t toxic to felines at all. But you must never feed croissants to your cat. (Not even as a snack).

Now, this claim that cats can’t eat croissants can only justified by having a look at some considerations. For that, you have read this article thoroughly. So, let’s dig in:

Can Cats Eat Croissants? Is It a Big No?

[su_note note_color=”#72E8E1″ text_color=”#000000″ radius=”18″]No, cats should not eat croissants. While croissants aren’t toxic, they contain harmful ingredients like butter, sugar, and flour, which can upset a cat’s stomach and lead to obesity.[/su_note]

Before reading further, please have a look at this table for better understanding:

Note: The amount shown of nutrients in the table is per one medium-sized croissant.

Why Cats aren’t allowed to Eat Croissants?

As you can see (from the table) the main constituents of croissants are carbs, fats, and sugar. It’s because croissants are made of flour while butter and sugar are used in the making.

Here are the exact reasons why every vet would stop you from feeding croissants to your cat:

1.      Sweetness of Sugar

Unlike most bakery products, not too much sugar is used in the making of croissants. However, that sprinkle of glucose in the dough of croissant is enough to affect your cat’s body because cats don’t need sugar like humans.

Related: Can Cats Eat Nectarines?

2.      Flour shouldn’t be a part of Cat’s Diet

The main reason why every vet expert is against anything like bread or cake is that cats don’t need carbs for any sort of growth in their body. And in this case, flour is the main ingredient of a fluffy croissant.

3.      Significant Amount of Butter and Eggs

Yes, it’s true that felines need protein and eggs are filled with it. But sad side of it is that stomachs of kitties are so vulnerable that they can’t digest any heavy thing. From now on, you need to know that not just egg or butter, but every heavy thing should be banned for your friend.

Everything that’s prohibited by your doctor when your stomach is upset. However, it’s not a scientifically proven method to know which thing is bad for your cat rather, it is a kind of hack.

4.      Nuts are added while Baking

Most breeds of cats are allergic to nuts (almonds, walnuts etc.). However, even if you’re confident that your cat is not allergic to nuts, they still aren’t recommended for felines due to the same reason as butter and eggs (weak stomach).

From here, a thing you need to understand is that primary reason to not feed croissants to your cat is because these are made with flour, butter, sugar, and salt.

Why is your Cat Obsessed with Croissants?

Wondering why your cat always surrounds you whenever you cook or eat croissants? Here are some potential reasons behind that behavior of your pet:

1.      Texture or Shape

The fluffy and flaky texture and toy-like shape of croissant can be a potential reason why your cat asks you to give that to it. It also implies that there are chances that you don’t even want to eat croissants, the little kitty just wants to play.

2.      Smell

You already have experienced buttery and sweet smell of croissants so you must know it is irresistible. But one thing you might not know is that cats love good smells more than us. Their sense of smell is 14 times stronger than humans. Hence, there’s a solid possibility that your cat is attracted to croissants due to that tantalizing smell.

3.      Taste

An aspect that can make humans a fan of croissants is also capable of making cats a fan of them. It doesn’t happen usually because cats naturally don’t like things that aren’t made for them.

Risks of Feeding Croissants to Your Cat

Despite the fact that butter, flour, sugar, and salt are involved in preparation of croissants, if you still think that you’ll be manipulated by innocent meow of your cat, you need to know what croissants can do to your best friend:

1.      Vomiting

This is the thing that’s most likely to happen if you let your cat have a good amount of croissants. It’s because your cat won’t be able to ingest that amount of heavy food and will end up throwing it away in the form of vomit. If it happens just once, don’t worry and never let your baby come closer to croissants. But if it happens more than once, visit the vet immediately.

2.      Obesity

If you keep feeding croissants in extremely tiny portions to your cat regularly, obesity will be your cat’s fate. Obesity isn’t just itself a physical disorder but it also attracts many other illnesses.

3.      Diarrhea

Belly pain, vomiting, and not asking for food are some symptoms that may tell you that your cat is suffering from diarrhea. But if you don’t pay enough attention, you might not notice that because cats can’t speak like us.

4.      Allergic Reactions

Inclusion of nuts and dairy products (butter or milk) in the recipe of croissants makes them allergic to most breeds of cats. Mild rashes and more itching than usual are symptoms of allergy in kitties.

5.      Dehydration and Other Related Problems

Yes, salt is not one of the main components of (American-style) croissants. But traditional ones do have enough salt to make your cat suffer from dehydration and other issues like kidney disorders (in severe cases).

6.      Pancreatitis

This problem is related to obesity and you have guessed it right. Just like humans, pancreas of cat can also become messy by having unhealthy (oily and heavy) food for a long time.

Alternatives of Croissants for Cats

After reading all the negative things about croissants, we don’t think you still are thinking of even letting your cat go closer to croissants.

In that, you must also be wondering what I can feed my cat when it asks for croissants. Right? Don’t worry because we’ve got you back with:

1.      Cat Treats (Soft)

If you have never bought them, you can go to any superstore and ask for soft cat treats. These are usually soft and easier for felines to digest. If your cat is just temporarily attracted to croissants, a bit of treat will be enough to make it happy.

2.      Katsuobushi 

In any case, ordinary cat treats (especially soft ones) are the best for your cat’s body. But if your cat keeps asking for some flaky stuff like croissants, you can opt for katsuobushi. If you don’t know, it’s a Japanese name for bonito flakes. It’s actually a type of tuna that’s smoked and fermented.

Other than katsuobushi and soft treats, you can also give clams a go. Don’t know what clams are? Want to know more about them? Click here!

FAQs

Can croissant kill my cat if fed too much?

Not really!

As we have told you earlier, croissants aren’t toxic to cats. And yes, if you irresponsibly keep feeding yourself that fluffy pastry, you might have to face huge problems and ginormous bill vet is one of them. It’ll also be quite painful for your kitty.

How do I make my cat hate croissants?

Well, there’s nothing much you can do about that. But if you can, try not to eat croissants in front of your cat (if it is obsessed with them). However, you don’t need to do extra and make your cat hate anything. Cat must be just temporarily attracted towards croissants these days and this love for croissants will (hopefully) fade away eventually.

Final Takeaway

The ultimate answer to this question (can cats eat croissants?) is that they can but they should never be doing that. Still, if your cat is asking for it continuously and you can’t control the situation, sharing a tiny portion from edge won’t make you regret it in future.

If any part of this article helped you, please do let us know because we love hearing from you!