Updated: August 9, 2022 by Kristen Chapple
Eating healthy is a good habit. But, indulging yourself occasionally, with unhealthy sweets, is not a big deal. And it feels sooo good. Marshmallows are among my favorite candies. As soon as I think of it I can hear crackling sounds of the campfire and feel its flavor. Cats are masters of indulging themselves, so is it okay to share it with your cat? Can cats eat marshmallows?
If you want a short and simple answer to this question, the answer is: Can cats eat marshmallows? Yes! Should they eat marshmallows? No!
Sharing is caring, right? Well, not necessarily. You can share the love with your cat but when it comes to food you need to be very careful. Humans and cats have very different nutritional needs, so it is not the brightest idea to share your food with your cat. You should think twice before you give your cat an ice cream, or pancake or whatever is your favorite food. Of course, not all of our food is harmful to cats. But, for starters, let’s see the facts about marshmallow.
Sweets Are Tasteless
First of all, you should know that your cat doesn’t have a sweet tooth! Yes, you heard it well! Yeah, I know that many of you have cats that adore some sweet food. But, the truth is that they like it for some other reason like fat content or texture. Cats, dolphins and a couple of more carnivores (meat eaters) lost the ability to taste sweet. They have a gene mutation that switched off the receptors for sweet because they don’t need it in their diet. Actually, it is a bit more complicated than that. But, the bottom line is that your cat can’t savor the sweets.
Is It Harmful
So, marshmallow is not very tasteful, but is it toxic, or harmful? It is not toxic, so we can say that marshmallows aren’t dangerous for your cat. More than anything, those are just some empty calories.
Cats require meat in their diet because they get the best and necessary nutrients out of it. They don’t need carbs in their diet, although a taste of carbs here and there won’t harm them in any way.
In general, marshmallows are neither good nor bad for your fluffy companion. They lack any nutritional value. But, at the same time, they don’t contain any dangerous ingredients. Obviously, if your cat eats marshmallows regularly, it can become a problem. It can lead to obesity as it is loaded with calories. Even some dental issues may occur. But, we are talking about large quantities of marshmallows or any sugar, for that matter. It is worth mentioning that other sweets like chocolate can be very harmful to your cat.
To cut the story short, if your cat eats a marshmallow every once in a while, it is not harmful. If Fluffy eats it regularly, it becomes harmful.
Choking Hazard
Cats are smart and won’t gobble up everything within their reach. However, there are reported cases of cats choking with marshmallow. Marshmallows can be squashed and get stuck in the cat’s throat. It is not very likely to happen, but still… When there’s no benefit to eating marshmallows why would you take even the smallest risk?
Conclusion
The final verdict makes me a bit sad because I love marshmallows. But, the truth is that it is no good for your cat. Your cat can’t enjoy the taste of it, and it lacks any useful nutrients. It contains a lot of sugar and too many calories. While a few bites from time to time won’t hurt your cat, I can’t see any reason to give some marshmallow to your feline. If you can’t help yourself, make sure you don’t make it a habit and monitor your cat while she eats it.