Being a food very present on our tables, can we include bread in our cat’s diet? Here’s how to do it.
Italians are among the peoples who consume the most bread in the world. While in some cultures this food is practically non-existent, for others it is used exclusively as a meal by itself, for example the stuffed sandwich with salami or pickles is used as a main meal replacement.
On the other hand, with us the bread, as well as in this way, is also used as an accompaniment to the main meals, also given the huge varieties that the various regions offer us. It is also often present in the form of breadcrumbs and crumbs in a number of recipes that are almost impossible to count. So it could happen that we give bread to our cat or that he eats it by mistake, especially if we are eating some simple recipe that contains it such as fish with breadcrumbs. So it is normal to wonder if we can do it or should we be very careful.
Can I give the cat bread?
For the bread a dialogue must be made almost analogous to that made on giving pasta to the cat. In fact it is not a toxic element for the animal but it does not contain fundamental substances for its health, since the cat is a carnivorous animal and almost everything it needs is contained in the meat is in the fish.
The main risk, however, is linked to substances that are added to bread: for example in more elaborate products, such as taralli or some crackers, we could find the presence of garlic and onion which are foods that can lead to our death. four-legged friend.
It would also be preferable to give the cat some bread containing little salt. In fact, excessive consumption of sodium can lead to poisoning of the animal.
Bread, especially wholemeal bread, has only one benefit for the cat which is the amount of fiber it contains which is important for keeping the animal’s digestive tract healthy. However, it must be honestly said that it is preferable to give the cat the amount of fiber it needs through fruit and vegetables, which is however reduced considering that it is a carnivore.
One of the problems with flour is that cats cannot digest some types at all and this lack of the necessary enzymes leads to a buildup of gas in our friend’s intestines. If you want to share bread with your cat from time to time or if it needs a greater intake of fiber, give it only occasionally black bread which is the richest in fiber and digestible for our animal, but always in moderate quantities and not every day.
Bread is rich in processed carbohydrates which, if humans are used to using it as an energy source, in cats, even considering their small size compared to us, more easily leads to a high weight gain.
Cat obesity is a real epidemic due to the fact that more and more cats living in cities live a sedentary life and therefore tend to gain weight very easily and feed them with foods suitable for humans but not for them contributes to the problem.
Can the cat eat raw dough?
The cat must absolutely not eat the dough of raw bread because there is a combination of sugar, carbon dioxide and alcohol that is harmful to him: in fact in the cat’s stomach, the raw dough would continue to ferment and increasing in volume can cause obstructions in the cat’s stomach intestines and an increase in the volume of the abdomen resulting in difficulty in breathing for the animal.
Furthermore, the cat cannot digest alcohol and therefore risks being poisoned very easily. If you notice the following symptoms in your cat who has accidentally eaten raw bread dough, warn your vet: high or low blood pressure, loss of consciousness, increased heart rate, lack of strength, increased saliva, vomiting and bloating. abdomen height.
Summary: The cat can rarely eat bread, preferably black, as long as it is well cooked and does not contain food toxic to him in the dough or used as a condiment. However, apart from fiber, bread does not contain nutrients for him, so we cannot give the cat bread frequently or consider it an integral part of his diet.
