Updated: August 11, 2022 by Kristen Chapple
Healthy and really delicious, the pineapple is a favorite for humans and aside from deserts we also included it in take out food like a pizza. The name comes from their resemblance to the pine cone and they came into Europe during the 17th century. That being said, can cats eat pineapple? It is certainly not something they would eat in the wild, but is the fruit harmful to them? Let us find out!
Nutritional Benefits
To us they are a source of vitamin C and pineapples can reduce the risk of cancer. Cats don’t require vitamin C because their body can create the needed quantities but it is also filled with other nutrients as well.
Manganese is very important for the cat’s organism to be able to utilize the proteins and carbohydrates they assimilate and there is also a lot of copper, folate, fiber and vitamin B6, all of which will improve the health of your cat.
Precautions
When we talk about the benefits you might get excited and rush to feed your cat some pineapple but there are some things to consider first.
Cats are carnivores and their digestive system was built to eat meat so they have difficulties when ingesting large quantities of vegetables or fruits. This can lead to diarrhea or vomiting and thus always give these things in moderation to your pet. Pineapples have a lot of fructose and that will increase the risk of upsetting a cat’s stomach but this might be a natural cure if your cat is constipated.
The canned version of pineapples have extra sugar added and since they won’t be able to taste the sweetness it only does bad things for them. Extra sugar means extra calories that offer no nutritional value so your cat will have a higher risk of diabetes and of growing obese.
Pineapple Leaves
The pineapples you leave in your cellar or on the kitchen table might stir the interest of your cat and you could discover them nabbing on the leaves. The fact is that most cats actually love the taste of pineapples but that doesn’t mean you should go overboard with the quantities.
The leaves themselves contain sap and it can provoke some allergic reactions (swelling, irritation, sneezing) to a cat when it comes in contact with the skin. The outer husk also might contain the bromelain enzyme which can also cause allergic reactions but none of these are particularly toxic to a cat.
Due to the fibrous nature of the leaves the cat is probably just curious of the unique form of the fruit and wants to explore it closer but it is quite difficult to believe that they will manage to have a bite of the leaves on their own. That being said, if you see some allergic reactions then put the fruit away from their reach and if the symptoms worsen then a vet visit might be a good idea.
Short Answer:
Yes, just like with most fruits like bananas and apples, they can eat some in moderation, none of the parts of the fruit are actually toxic for a cat.
