Updated: August 11, 2022 by Kristen Chapple
Peanut butter and jelly or on toast is an all time favorite as a quick snack and it is known that dogs also really love this treat so how about cats? Can cats eat peanut butter? Are they even interested in such a dessert or does it pose any threats for them? Let us find out the answer to these questions and many more in the next lines!
Nutritional Value
A lot of fat and proteins along with salt and carbohydrates are the main ingredients in peanut butter. If you have some that is of a lesser quality then it might also contain some added sugar to improve the taste. Nothing from peanut butter is essential for a cat’s diet and they can have some health problems due to it such as vomiting or diarrhea.
Peanut butter doesn’t contain any of the amino acids that a cat needs to survive and thrive so you won’t do them a favor by putting this into their bowl. The fats contained in it can lead to obesity and diabetes so it’s actually harmful to a cat if you feed them too much.
Do They Even Like It?
Most of the dogs love the smell and taste of peanuts but cats are hardly attracted to it so you might have some trouble when you simply try to feed them some. If your cat seems to be curious about this paste then you can give them a taste but don’t go overboard with it and start adding it into their daily meal because this is a very bad idea.
Feeding your furry friend food that has no nutritional value for them has no sense so you should really think about the health of your cat first. Sometimes vets might recommend to use peanut butter when giving medicine to a dog so they will eat it but when it comes to cats putting the pills inside their regular food is a much better option.
Precautions
The pasty texture can cause obstructions in a cat’s throat and lead to choking so never offer them large quantities all at once. The large quantities of fat can also cause diarrhea or vomiting and that is something you definitely want to avoid.
If your cat has digestive problems after eating peanut butter then you should give them some dedicated cat products for stomach issues or an even better idea is to see a vet.
One other important problem is that many mouse traps set by people have peanut butter on them to mask the smell of the poison so if you get your cat used to this treat then they might try to eat the poison when wandering to a neighbor’s house.
Short Answer:
Yes but it doesn’t provide any nutritional value for them so it should be kept to a minimum.
