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?
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.
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!
