Everyone occasionally craves a bag of sour cream and onion chips. What if, as you’re munching on those chips, your cat hops up to your feet and gazes up at you with its big, doe-like eyes?
The question, “Can cats eat sour cream and onion chips?” is probably the first thing that comes to mind for any cat owner.
Nobody knows the answer to the question.
Veterinarians can provide cat owners with a list of foods to avoid giving their pets. Most pet owners will also be shocked to learn that chocolate and dairy products are among the recommended foods.
This leads us back to our initial question: are sour cream and onion chips safe for cats to eat?
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they need to eat meat to stay healthy and grow. Otherwise, they can get by on a relatively low-carb diet.
Cats need the protein found in meat to maintain their health. In addition to the amino acid taurine, they require vitamins A and D.
Your cat would benefit more from the nutrients found in animal tissue than from the high carbohydrate content of chips and similar snacks because these nutrients are found naturally in animal tissue.
Therefore, the bare-bones response to the query is No. It’s not impossible for a cat to survive on a diet of potato chips, but it’s not a good idea either.
You can let your cats eat a small amount of sour cream and onion chips if you share your pack with them. It’s also not a good idea to give your cat even tiny amounts of these treats on a regular basis.
Can cats eat sour cream and onion chips or any other potato chips?
However, potato chips are not considered dangerous or toxic by any veterinarian. However, you won’t find any vets endorsing the idea that you can give your cat chips.
All varieties of potato chips are loaded with salt and artificial flavors. Your cat may become excessively thirsty if you salt its food. Our cat may urinate more frequently if we do this.
Lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea are some of the signs that your cat has consumed too much salt. The cat would develop a high temperature, shake violently, and possibly go into a coma.
Cats of any age, but especially those over the age of seven, tend to experience a greater number of health problems.
Your cat’s kidneys may be having trouble processing salt if it has developed a specific problem.
The seasonings, which can include things like onion, garlic, and cheese, are just as bad for your cat as the chips themselves.
Therefore, the health of your pet will suffer if you feed them potato chips. Although potato chips are not completely toxic to cats, they do contain many ingredients that kitties do not need.
Are sour cream and onion chips safe for cats to eat? Also, they can’t even eat French fries or a bag of chips.
Do cats need carbohydrates?
These cute critters get the vast majority of the nutrients their tiny bodies require from the meat they consume because they are carnivores. Fruits and vegetables aren’t even required to be eaten by them.
Therefore, your feline friend does not need the ingredients found in potato chips (such as the high levels of carbohydrates), and these ingredients may be harmful to their health.
Keep in mind that chips almost completely lack any nutritional value. Any nutritional value that potatoes might have before they are processed into chips is lost in the boiling, freezing, and frying processes.
Therefore, just like with humans, cats shouldn’t eat potato chips of any kind or flavor.
What to do if your cat eats chips?
Keep your feline friend under close observation and get medical help right away if you discover she has been snacking on a bag of potato chips.
If your cat exhibits any of the following symptoms after eating the potato chips:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Restlessness
- Extreme Dryness
- Dehydration
- Seizure
- Alterations in Conduct
If you notice any of these signs in your cat, don’t delay in taking it to the vet.
Keep an eye on your cat if you think she may have ingested something harmful. Watch out for the aforementioned signs, too.
If the cat starts acting strangely or noticeably more lethargic than usual, it should be taken to the vet immediately.
When consulting a vet, be sure to give them a thorough description of your cat’s symptoms. This way, you can get your cat treated before any permanent damage is done to her health.
You should also wait to have your cat examined by a vet before giving it any food. Water and other safe foods may be given to a sick cat by its owner, but this may not be the best course of action.
In most cases, a trip to the vet is warranted before you give your pet any new food or water.
Should cats also not eat sour cream?
Real sour cream, on the other hand, tastes nothing like the fake stuff you find in a bag of chips.
Because it contains some protein, it may be beneficial for your cat in some situations. Your cat’s diet could benefit from this. You can get your cat to take pills and supplements by mixing a little sour cream with it.
If you want to give your cat sour cream as a treat, it’s best to start with a very small amount and get your vet’s approval first.
Also, before feeding sour cream to your pet, make sure to read the label to make sure it is safe for them.
Sour cream, as is well-known, contains a lot of fat. So, limit your cat’s sour cream intake if you don’t want an overweight pet.
Sour cream, like sour cream-flavored onion chips, isn’t harmful to cats, but there’s no need to give it to your cat on a regular basis unless your vet advises otherwise.
Summary
Your beloved pet cats depend on you for everything, so you must take excellent care of them and give them the best diet you can.
Although potato chips may seem harmless and delicious, they actually contain chemicals that are harmful to our feline friends.
Therefore, you shouldn’t give your cat potato chips under any circumstances.
But if you want to make her truly happy, you should treat her to some treats that have been created and refined with felines in mind.
You shouldn’t risk your cats’ health by giving them human food or other junk food.
Take your cat to the vet whenever you have any doubts or concerns about her well-being or diet.
If a cat does eat a lot of potato chips and develops strange symptoms, you should get it to a vet as soon as possible.
FAQ’s
Is sour cream and onion safe for cats?
You shouldn’t give your cat sour cream, even as a treat, because it could potentially teach it undesirable behaviors.
If you feed your cat table scraps or canned food, it may get used to the smell and start begging for more every time you enter the kitchen. Even worse, they might try to jump up on the table while you’re eating.
They may even forego their nourishing cat food in favor of less healthy human fare.
If you give in every time your cat begs for a morsel from your plate, the habit will quickly escalate into more serious health problems, and it will be difficult to break once it has taken hold.
There are plenty of seemingly harmless items that could actually be harmful to your cat. Stick to things that your cat would consume in the wild to be safe.
How much onion will hurt a cat?
No amount of onions is acceptable for donation. Hemolysis, or the breakdown of red blood cells, is caused by onion toxicity in cats.
Oxygen is transported by red blood cells, so when they die, the cat will have less of them circulating through its body. This will make you tired and breathless. Onion poisoning in cats can be fatal if immediate veterinary care is not sought.
The oxidant in fresh onions or dried onion powder can damage the red blood cells of cats, leading to onion poisoning. Toxic or even fatal levels of onion are reached at about 1 gram per 5 pounds of a cat’s body weight.
Can I give my cat Pringles?
Some of the foods that humans eat should never be eaten at all. Some people will surprise you with what they admit to giving their cats as treats. Crisps are a treat for your cat, but they are high in salt, fat, and carbohydrates but offer no nutritional value.
While they probably won’t do any harm, there are plenty of healthier alternatives that would make a better snack.
Cats shouldn’t be given any amount of human food, despite their apparent enjoyment of things like sweet or savory biscuits, processed sandwich meat, and chips. Milk and cheese are also on this list.