Can cats eat bread? While bread might be one of the first things that come to mind when trying to decide what to feed your cat, it’s definitely not an ideal option.
Bread isn’t harmful to your cat, but there are much better choices out there if you want to feed your cat something healthy!
This guide will help you make an informed decision about whether or not cats can eat bread, as well as outline your best options for choosing food for your cat that’s better than bread (and maybe even healthier than some people’s foods!).
Keep reading!
Can Cats Eat Bread?
It is true that cats can eat bread, but it shouldn’t be fed to them regularly and as a main source of diet.
Cats don’t need to eat bread at all to be healthy and happy and feeding them more than a little bit of bread may have unintended consequences.
If your cat eats too much bread, it may develop gastrointestinal problems.
Why is Bread Harmful to Cats?
Cats are obligate carnivores and need meat protein in their diet. Bread can be harmful to cats because it contains:
- Grains
- Yeast
- Carbohydrates
What are the Reasons Cats Shouldn’t Eat Grain?
It is no secret that many felines suffer from food allergies. Grain is one of the most common allergens and can make life very difficult for a hungry kitty.
Felines are obligate carnivores and do not have the necessary enzymes to digest plant material like grains.
With these facts in mind, it is understandable why grain is bad for cats and could lead to serious health issues for your pet.
If a feline consumes grain or other allergens, it can cause vomiting and diarrhea which can lead to dehydration if not treated quickly enough.
Cats Shouldn’t Eat Yeast, So Why Is That?
Raw dough is toxic to cats, but yeast in baked bread is not. Raw yeast ferments in the feline stomach into ethanol and carbon dioxide, which are both very harmful to a cat’s health.
The ethanol attacks the nervous system and can lead to organ failure and death.
- Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide causes the stomach to distend, or swell up with gas, which can lead to gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), a potentially life-threatening condition that may require emergency surgery.
What are the Downsides of Carbs for Cats?
It’s a common misconception that carbs are good for your cat. While carbs themselves are not inherently bad for our furry companions, the carbs in bread can be detrimental to their health.
Bread is full of carbohydrates and most baked bread has at least half of its calories that come from carbohydrates.
While this may be fine for humans with high metabolisms, it can lead to obesity and diabetes in cats that don’t need as many carbohydrates to maintain their health.
