With the weather getting colder and the holiday season coming, my sweet tooth has been on full-blast.
I’ve been craving cake, cake and more cake, but not your regular chocolate cake. No! I want a banana cake!
There’s something to a banana cake that really hits the spot, especially if you’re someone who doesn’t have that big of a sweet tooth.
Every so often, when we are eating, one of the cats becomes curious and wants to take a big whiff of what we are eating. If one of the cats feels naughty enough, they will
It’s a reasonably well-known fact that cats shouldn’t have chocolate, but not as many people know whether or not cats should have bananas.
In a previous article, I covered whether or not bananas are toxic towards cats, and we discovered that they are not, but you would still want to limit the amount of banana your cat receives.
The thing is, banana bread doesn’t just have bananas. There are many more ingredients inside that can potentially be harmful to cats, so let’s break down what a standard recipe for banana bread is and whether or not it would be acceptable for a cat to eat.
SUGAR
Sugar is an ingredient that is no good for humans, let alone good for cats.
Similar to many other non-meat substances and foods, cats cannot properly digest sugar.
Not only is sugar very difficult for cats to digest, but it can also lead to the development of diabetes, obesity and other health-related problems.
It is strongly recommended by all vets that you keep cats away from sweets and sugars, and truthfully your cat won’t mind. Since cats are unable to taste sweet it is believed that cats are merely drawn to the texture of sweets rather than the actual taste of the food.
FLOUR, BAKING SODA & BAKING POWDER
We’re going to put all of these into the same category, especially because they all have very similar answers.
Flour, baking soda, and baking powder are considered safe for cats as long as they are not fed raw or fed in large quantities.
Although considered safe, all three of these ingredients are not considered to be appropriate to feed cats.
Feeding too much flour baking soda or baking powder, especially raw, can cause a cat’s stomach to become upset and may lead to vomiting or diarrhea.
As a baked good, commonly these three ingredients do not cause any harm. Again, this is only if they are fed vary sparingly.
WHEAT
Wheat is an ingredient that is shockingly found in a variety of cat foods.
Although wheat and grains can commonly be found in cat foods, they are considered to be fillers and are recommended to avoid.
Similarly to the ingredients above, wheat cannot be properly digested in large quantities and may even alter the pH of your cat’s stomach acid.
Many high-quality cat foods have been veering away from using fillers such as wheat, oats, grains, etc. in hopes of creating a more natural feline diet.
Wheat should not cause your cat to become ill if fed small amounts, however, if fed in large quantities wheat can cause stomach upset, vomiting, diarrhea, or even gastrointestinal problems.
EGGS
Eggs are extremely beneficial to cats due to the fact that they contain loads of amino acids. Some vets have even gone as far as calling eggs a superfood.
Eggs should never be fed to your cat raw and should only be fed scrambled to your cat as a treat, substitute meal or snack.
As is with anything to do with diet, it is highly recommended that you consult a vet about whether or not it is ideal for your cat.
Some cats may need to have to avoid certain foods or will require specific foods due to an underlying health condition.
OIL
While a bit of olive oil can help a cat out, the amount of oil inside of a banana cake is not considerable enough to be considered beneficial.
Since there isn’t going to be a lot of oil, chances are it’s not going to cause any harm to your cat.
The following is everything you need to know about olive oil and cats.
BUTTER
In the past, we’ve covered whether cats can have soy milk and almond milk, but I’m surprised I haven’t talked about whether they can have butter!
To catch those of you up who may not know, cats are in fact lactose intolerant. Though we have seen commercials of cats lapping up bowls of milk, milk is not considered to be healthy or safe for cats.
Though you may think that butter would contain a healthy amount of lactose, you’d be shocked to hear that it doesn’t.
Now, though butter doesn’t have a whole lot of lactose, it is extremely high in fat and may cause obesity if overfed.
Again, similar to the ingredients above, chances are your cat will be fine if fed a very small portion of the bread.
SALT
Salt can be fine for cats in moderation.
If cats are fed an excessive amount of salt it will cause them to become more thirsty and may cause them to excessively urinate. Excessive amounts of salt may also lead to toxicity, which will cause your cat to vomit or have diarrhea.
In cases of toxicity, it is severely important that you take your cat to the vet as it will require IV fluids.
Cats who are experience effects of toxicity may also exhibit tremors, fevers, seizures and even death.
Now, because there isn’t going to be that much salt in the banana bread, this will unlikely occur, however, it’s very important to understand how much of an effect salt can have on a cat.
WALNUTS
I’ve recently been made aware of walnuts and how tasty they are.
My partner always makes sure that whenever he makes any baked goods always to add some nuts in it, one of his favourites being walnuts.
The unfortunate truth of this tasty nut is that it is not considered safe for cats to eat in any regard.
The ASPCA classifies walnuts as non-toxic towards cats, though walnuts are non-toxic the ASPCA also places them on the list of foods to never feed to your pets.
The main reason the ASPCA classifies walnuts as a type of food you should never feed your cat is that walnuts contain high amounts of fat.
Cats who eat too much fat in one sitting may get an upset stomach. If a cat becomes too nauseous the cat will begin vomiting and/or having diarrhea.
It is best to monitor your cat if you suspect that they have eaten Walnuts as if either of these symptoms continues throughout the day it is urgent that you take your cat to the vet.
If cats regularly eat foods that are high in fats they may develop pancreatitis.
Now, if a cat only a small portion of walnut there is no need to call for alarm. Simply monitor your cat for behaviour changes but in most cases, your cat should be fine.
SO CAN CATS EAT BANANA BREAD?
As a whole, it seems like cats should be fine eating banana bread as long as the cats are not fed a large quantity.
It is best that you do not feed your cat banana bread regularly as it can lead to obesity, diabetes and or other longterm health problems.
I still strongly recommend staying away from feeding your cat banana bread, especially because there are some much better treats out there you can provide your cat.
So, if your cat has been a bit naughty and took a bite of your banana bread, there should be no worry, though it is still recommended that you keep a very close eye on them.
If you suspect that your cat is ill or they have continuous diarrhea or vomiting consult a vet immediately.
Has your cat ever eaten banana bread? Did they like it? What’s your cat’s favourite food? Let me know in the comments below!