We all know that the feline fears these vegetables, but does he like to eat them? Let’s see if the cat can eat cucumbers or not.
Health starts from the table; and this certainly applies to our animal friends as well. It is therefore worth paying attention to nutrition when choosing to adopt a cat and to understand what it can eat and what is best to avoid including in its diet. Therefore, it is good to understand if the cat can eat cucumbers or they can cause damage to his health.
Cats and cucumbers: love and hate?
They walk away, run away, and even jump into the air when they see one – but why are cats so afraid of cucumbers? It is not possible to explain all the behaviors of our feline friends, but in this case we could try to understand what they really think.
Many have thought that the cucumber frightened the cat due to its shape, which may resemble that of a snake, or perhaps for its particular smell: however, it seems that the explanation is another.
Most of the time it seems that what scares him (indeed, terror) is the ‘surprise’ factor, that is something that was not there before and that instead appears suddenly while maybe the feline is busy doing something else (for example when he eats or when he is about to fall asleep).
Videos posted on social media testify that it is often the owners themselves who play these cruel tricks on their cat: but it is a really strong and useless stress for our domestic feline to try. And honestly, it’s not even that funny to see a cat get scared like that.
Can cats eat cucumbers? The whole truth
We know that cucumber is one of the foods absolutely recommended for humans, thanks to the benefits it brings, to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, this vegetable contains:
- C vitamin,
- beta carotene,
- manganese
- and above all it is made up of 95% water.
It is no coincidence that it is included in all diets for those who want to lose weight: eating it also gives a pleasant (as well as useful) feeling of satiety, thus decreasing hunger. If eaten regularly, it seems that it can even stop the development of some forms of cancer.
But is the same also true for our cat? Can the feline also benefit from this food if we try to include it in its diet and above all can it eat it without having unpleasant consequences on its body?
Some scholars argue that the cat can absolutely eat cucumber. which is not toxic but has some benefits on its health, but there is a fundamental factor that should not be overlooked: cats are carnivorous animals and, as such, they mainly need animal proteins.
In any case, the contribution and advice of the veterinarian are essential, especially when we decide to make changes and changes (even small ones) in the diet of our cat at home, especially when it comes to foods that we humans consume regularly.
The cat can eat cucumbers: all the benefits to know
Although everyone is aware of the cat’s fear of cucumber, this food can be a beneficial source for our furry friend and have absolutely positive effects on his health. This in fact is linked to its own composition. In fact, the cucumber contains:
- vitamin K: useful for the feline to maintain good conditions of its liver, as it acts on blood coagulation;
- molybdenum: mineral useful for the metabolism of the cat;
- water: excellent for keeping the cat hydrated;
- potassium, copper and magnesium: all very useful elements for your well-being.
The cat can eat cucumbers: all the risks to be evaluated
As already stated by authoritative sources, the cat can eat this food, although it is essential to include it in its diet in moderation and without exaggerating! In fact, being among the richest vegetables in water in nature, it can not only hydrate it but also have laxative effects on the cat: in high quantities in practice it could easily cause diarrhea in the feline.
It is also essential to give him the cucumber without the peel, as it could contain toxic substances for our four-legged friend and poison him, as well as being very hard and difficult for his stomach to digest.
How to give cucumber to the cat
So yes to cucumber for our cat but be careful not to overdo the doses, to peel it before letting him consume it and not to substitute it for meat in the diet of our beloved feline.
In fact, if a high quantity of this vegetable can cause damage to its health, it could also have an ‘addictive’ effect on its body: it may happen that the cat only wants this vegetable, getting used to it and preferring cucumber to other important foods like meat.
But how much can he eat? In order not to overdo it, we can limit ourselves to giving the feline 1-2 slices of cucumber per week, always peeled and cut into small pieces. Let’s make it an occasional and unusual meal in his diet.
Be careful to always give him fresh, clean and washed cucumber, but not the one preserved in oil or vinegar, which among other things is one of the smells that the cat cannot bear.
