Cat owners everywhere are aware of the dangers of leaving food out for their feline companions. Cats can open cabinets and help themselves to unsecured food if necessary, as well as jump up onto benches and shelves to reach items that have been left out.
Therefore, our furry friends occasionally consume items that we’d prefer they didn’t, and which may not be ideal for their health. Fear not if you’ve arrived at this page in a state of panic seeking an immediate response regarding pecans and your cat. The short answer is “yes,” cats can safely consume pecans.
Can Cats Eat Pecans?
Cats are naturally inquisitive animals, but their owners may experience anxiety when they take the lead with their mouths.
It’s not uncommon for cat owners to come home to find their feline friends buried in a bowl of the last thing they ate, prompting panicked searches to see if the item is toxic to cats.
Although your cat won’t get sick from eating pecans, you still shouldn’t give them to them.
Even though pecans are safe for humans to eat, cats don’t reap the same nutritional benefits that we do.
Too many pecans can make your cat sick to its stomach, resulting in vomiting and diarrhea. Pecans are so unhealthy that eating too many of them can cause kidney and pancreatic failure.
What’s the Nutritional Value of a Pecan?
Pecans contain vitamin A and E, calcium, potassium, omega-3 fatty acids, and zinc; a single ounce provides about 196 calories, 20.4 grams of fat (1.8 grams saturated), 2.7 grams of dietary fiber, and more. Despite the high fat content, this is a nutritional powerhouse for both carnivorous and herbivorous animals.
When an animal can’t properly digest the nuts, the beneficial nutrients aren’t nearly as important.
Instead of feeding your cat nuts for the nutrients, you should look into other nutrient sources that provide the same nutrients in a profile more suitable for the cat’s diet.
Danger Of Pecan For Cats
While it’s true that cats won’t die if they eat a few pecans, it’s also true that they probably shouldn’t.
Pecans and other nuts are a good source of the omega-3 fatty acids your pet needs because they help build healthy cell membranes and fuel their bodies. However, your cat may experience stomach distress, vomiting, and diarrhea if it tries to digest these nuts.
Of course, eating too many pecans or other nuts on a regular basis can lead to obesity, which in turn increases the risk of developing diseases like pancreatitis and kidney failure.
What About Allergies?
Your cat may have an allergy to pecans, though it’s highly unlikely. Talk to your vet if your cat develops an allergy to pecans or any other food.
Itchiness, skin lesions, or excessive vomiting and diarrhea are common signs of a food allergy in your pet.
What Do Cats Normally Eat?
In the scientific community, cats are classified as hypercarnivores, or strict meat eaters. Animal proteins make up at least 70% of a cat’s diet in the wild.
Cats’ digestive systems aren’t equipped to process plant matter because they evolved to subsist almost exclusively on animal proteins.
This doesn’t, however, imply that they can get by without eating any plants. Plant foods are the best source of certain essential nutrients.
Since cats eat everything they catch, including the skin, fur, bones, and whatever else might be in their bellies, it stands to reason that hunting herbivorous animals would satisfy their need for plant matter.
By ingesting their prey whole, cats may also reap the health benefits of the enzymes found there.
Even though cats won’t perish if they eat nuts or other plant materials, doing so is not encouraged because of the risk of gastrointestinal upset.
Alternatives to Pecans
Alternatives to food nutrients can be found by dissecting the original source into its individual nutrient components and then replacing those components with something else.
If you want your cat to benefit from the omega-3 fatty acids in the pecans, you could feed it mackerel or salmon. Since these fish are such a rich source of nutrients for cats, they are commonly found in commercial cat food.
Nutritional oils can also be found in pecans, but mackerel or sardines are a better option for cats.
Finally, pecans have a high protein content, but proteins should already make up at least 70% of your cat’s diet, so you probably don’t need to worry about that.
Check the protein content of your cat’s regular foods first if you suspect a protein deficiency.
The protein needs of your cat can be easily met by feeding them high-quality cat food that contains at least 30% protein. It’s possible that your cat has malabsorption if it isn’t getting enough protein in its diet. Take them to the vet to make sure their digestive system is healthy.
Consider switching your cat to a food with more protein if they are healthy and not experiencing any digestive issues. If you cook without any seasonings or oils, you can add a small amount of cooked meat to their meals.
Conclusion
Even though your cat is probably fine eating pecans, there is a very small chance that your pet could develop a mild allergic reaction if it ate too many of them.
Pecans are safe for cats to eat, but you shouldn’t intentionally feed them to your cat or leave them lying around where your cat can find them.