Updated: August 11, 2022 by Kristen Chapple
Nuts come in various versions and we use them as a snack, in various dishes as well as in deserts due to their unique texture and taste. You might know that some of them are toxic for dogs but what about your cat? Can cats eat nuts? Let us find out together!
Nutritional Value
Nuts have a lot of fat and this means that they can lead to weight gain for your pet. They contain proteins, minerals and some fats that are healthy for us but cats cannot digest them properly. Humans are omnivores so we are equipped to digest nuts but cats are carnivores and they will have difficulties with other sources of food.
Problems
The high fat content of nuts can lead to stomach problems if your cat eats too many of them and the effects can manifest themselves in the form of vomiting or diarrhea. Aside from the weight gain that comes from eating fat, if your cat eats too much fat regularly then pancreatitis can start to develop and it can lead to kidney failure so it is a better idea to keep nuts to a minimum.
Another bad element in them is the excessive amount of salt. If you nuts to your cat make sure that they aren’t roasted in salt. Sodium poisoning is a serious threat and many of the foods that we eat contain way too much salt for a cat.
Chocolate is really dangerous for cats so never think about offering some chocolate-dipped nuts to a cat (or a dog for that matter)! We have seen some nuts covered in things like paprika or even onion powder and these are also dangerous so if you are going to feed your cat some peanuts or cashews it is important to choose the unflavored and unsalted ones.
What about peanut butter? Again, they are harmless, but nutritionally useless. Learn more about other caveats for peanut butter here.
Toxic Nuts
Macadamia nuts are toxic for dogs since they affect the nervous system but according to the latest data there aren’t any effects of this sort for cats. To be sure it is still better to avoid them since they offer no special nutritional elements that might make it a good idea to add them to a cat’s diet.
Among the nuts varieties, walnuts are considered dangerous for cats but there are some safe versions of nuts such as hazelnuts or pine nuts. Cats don’t seem to respond as badly as dogs do to eating some nuts, so you won’t have to rush to the vet if they ate some. At the same time, since they offer no real benefits then you should avoid feeding these on purpose.
Short Answer:
They can eat them but they have too much fat so they aren’t a healthy option.