Can cats eat carob? Let’s see if the chocolate substitute is harmful to our four-legged friend.
Although felines are food fussy animals, they are very curious when it comes to human food. In fact, they can easily try to steal a few bits of food from the table.
However, not all human foods can be eaten by the Cat, as some can be really harmful to him, such as chocolate. In the human world, however, there is a food that is considered the substitute for chocolate, namely caruba. But can the cat eat the latter? Let’s find out below.
Can cats eat carob?
Although chocolate is a very delicious food for us humans, it is not for our beloved felines.
However, in the human world, there is one food that is considered the substitute for chocolate, namely carob. The latter, just like chocolate, is produced from a plant, the carob.
The carob is an evergreen tree of the Mediterranean, but nowadays we can really find it all over the world. This tree produces pods which contain pulp and seeds.
The latter are dried, toasted and chopped, thus forming the carob powder, which can be used both as a powder and as an ingredient for cakes, sweets and biscuits. In addition, carob leaves are also used for the infusions.
This food is very beneficial for us humans, and can be an excellent ingredient for vegetarian preparations or for dishes for those who are lactose intolerant.
Having ascertained that it is a beneficial food for humans, is it also beneficial for the cat? Can cats eat carob? The answer to this question is yes, our four-legged friend can eat this food as it is free of caffeine and theobromine, the two elements that make chocolate a harmful food for the feline.
However, as we all know cats are obligate carnivores, so they can only absorb nutrients from meat. Since carob is the product of a plant, it does not have the essential nutrients for the cat.
In addition, the carob, although low in fat, has sugars and carbohydrates, elements that do not “serve” the feline as its diet is based on animal proteins.
However, this food is also rich in minerals that can be useful to the cat. For this reason it is possible to add carob as an ingredient to prepare biscuits for our beloved feline, but paying attention to the quantities.
