We hope to address any concerns you may have regarding cats and cream cheese in this article.
Can you give cream cheese to a cat? Cats won’t get sick from eating cream cheese. They can safely sample some cream cheese every once in a while without fear of illness.
However, your feline friend has specific dietary requirements that are distinct from those of humans, and cream cheese is not a good option.
Can Cats Eat Cream Cheese?
Although cats can consume small amounts of cream cheese, the lack of lactase in the cheese makes it unhealthy for your cat’s digestive system. This is the enzyme required to digest the lactose found in milk and other dairy products.
Therefore, cats can’t tolerate large amounts of cream cheese. They may get sick after eating too much, with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Similar reactions may occur in people who are lactose intolerant after consuming dairy products.
Kittens have higher levels of the enzyme required to digest lactase than adult cats.
This is why infants and toddlers can safely drink more milk without experiencing any gastrointestinal distress. It’s possible that older cats are more vulnerable to the side effects of lactose than younger ones.
Additionally fatty is cream cheese. This could be one of the attractions for your cat. However, it can be difficult for cats to digest too much high-fat food. It’s also worth noting that cats are obligate carnivores.
Meat should make up the bulk of a domestic cat’s diet, just as it would for a wild cat. It is recommended to feed your cat a combination of dry and wet food. If you need help figuring out what’s best for your cat, though, a vet is a good resource.
Can Cats Eat Philadelphia Cream Cheese?
No cream cheese, not even Philadelphia, is safe for cats to eat. Older cats, due to a lack of enzymes necessary for lactose digestion, are essentially lactose intolerant. Cream cheese is bad for cats and can cause diarrhea if you feed it to them.
The Potential Downsides of Cream Cheese
Similar to other dairy products, cream cheese contains the sugar lactose. Lactase is an enzyme necessary for the digestion of this sugar.
If not, it may not be digested properly and cause some stomach upset, though usually nothing too serious.
Kitten cats have the digestive enzyme lactase, but it disappears as the cat matures. Kittens lose most of their lactase by the time they are a few months old.
The result is an intestinal reaction very similar to that of lactose-intolerant humans. Compared to the amount of lactose in cream cheese, the amount of lactase that remains is negligible.
This form of lactose intolerance does not affect all cats. Some adults are able to enjoy dairy products without any problems.
The lactase levels in older cats will remain variable between individuals. However, unlike humans, most cats cannot digest lactose. Cats with normal lactose digestion will be extremely unusual.
When compared to other dairy products like milk, cream cheese does have a lower lactose content. We still don’t advise feeding it to cats because the amount is higher than their systems can handle. Cream cheese has a high fat content, which is problematic in and of itself.
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they can only survive on a diet of meat. This means that they require a diet rich in animal products, specifically meat, for optimal health.
However, most cats can’t handle the high amount of fat found in a single serving of cream cheese. Your cat may be able to digest the lactose, but the extra fat may be too much for them.
Potential Symptoms After Eating Cream Cheese
Your cat probably won’t have any serious side effects from eating cream cheese. They frequently experience stomach pain and diarrhea, just like those who are lactose intolerant.
They might feel sick to their stomach, have cramps, and have more accidents outside the litter box. When the lactose is eliminated from the body, the symptoms typically disappear after a few days.
Obviously, some cats are more sensitive than others. Dehydration can be a serious problem for your cat if it suffers from severe diarrhea.
In the event that your cat’s condition worsens, you may need to take it to the vet so that it can receive fluids through an IV. Although diarrhea itself is usually not fatal, severe dehydration can be.
Cream cheese isn’t usually the cause of vomiting. It makes little sense to throw up because the digestive tract usually doesn’t get irritated until the treat has moved through the system a little.
Some cats, however, may experience a more rapid reaction, which could result in vomiting. If they have a low tolerance for fat, this is even more so.
What to Do If Your Cat Ate Too Cream Cheese?
In case your cat accidentally consumes cream cheese (or something more lethal), you should be familiar with the signs of poisoning. Some of the most typical symptoms are shakiness, palpitations, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite.
Cats can also develop skin irritation from ingesting dairy products. This can cause irritation, movement, and an urge to constantly groom. Loss of fur around the paws, belly, and ears, as well as increased self-licking, are symptoms you may observe in your cat.
Do you know what to do if you start to see these symptoms? Get in touch with your vet just in case. Possible emergency medical care for your pet. Not able to get in touch with your animal hospital? The Pet Poison Helpline can be reached at (855) 764-7661 and is a poison control hotline for pets.
Please consult an animal health professional before taking any action. Inducing vomiting or other home remedies that have proven effective for humans should be avoided in cats because they could make the animal sicker.
Preventative Measures to Keep Your Cat Safe
Cream cheese is not a great snack for cats, but it is not extremely harmful to them, either. Keep cream cheese away from them if you care about their health. Do not leave it where they can find it. The only acceptable dairy for a cat is a tiny cube of cheese.
Some people believe that cats are better off eating lactose-free cream cheese or another non-dairy product. Don’t give in to temptation. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals warns that dairy alternatives are not good for pets. Some of them have nasty additives like sugar and oil.
You should only give your cat food that was developed for felines. The bottom line is that human food is for human consumption. Treats for cats are a great way to go above and beyond with your pet’s regular diet.
What Are Some Alternatives to Cream Cheese?
Meat is the best ingredient to use when making cat treats and snacks. Since cats’ natural diet consists of meat, freeze-dried chicken and other meats make excellent choices. Most pet stores stock treats like these.
Unseasoned meat can be cooked and used in the preparation of your treats. Cats should primarily be fed their regular cat food or another formulated diet, so treats shouldn’t replace that.
Your cat can get all the nutrients they need from a home-cooked diet, but it must be specially formulated and contain more than just meat.
Make sure you don’t add any seasonings when you cook up your meat snacks. Excessive amounts of many seasonings can be fatal to cats.
Common Questions
If you still have questions or concerns, you may find the answers to them in the following list of frequently asked questions:
What Happens If a Cat Eats Cream Cheese?
Cats might be fine eating small amounts of cream cheese. If they consume more than a lick, however, they risk gastrointestinal distress such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and even constipation. Cats, in general, shouldn’t eat people food; they should stick to cat food.
How Much Cream Cheese Can a Cat Have?
Cats shouldn’t eat cream cheese. Cats do not have enough of the enzymes needed to properly digest milk products.
Too much cream cheese can cause stomach issues for a cat. Older cats, who produce fewer of these enzymes than kittens, are particularly susceptible to this problem.
Will Cream Cheese Hurt a Cat?
Unlike avocados, cream cheese is safe for cats to consume. However, cats shouldn’t eat cream cheese because it contains dairy and can cause stomach problems. It’s safer to give your cat food instead of cream cheese.
Conclusion
Cream cheese is not obviously poisonous to cats, but the lactose it contains can give many cats stomachaches. For this reason, it’s often preferable to forego cream cheese in favor of alternative snacks.
Some adult cats can handle lactose just fine because they still have enough of the lactase enzyme in their systems. However, the extra fat in these cats may be bothersome and may even cause gastrointestinal distress.
However, just because a lot of cats seem to enjoy dairy doesn’t mean it’s good for them. There’s probably not much to worry about if your cat sneaked some cream cheese. They might have a little stomach trouble, but it’s usually nothing major.