Can Cats Eat Pasta


Have you ever watched how a cat eats vermicelli that has fallen to the floor with pleasure? What is it – a need for any substances contained in pasta, or a desire to try something new? Many pet owners have a question – can cats be given pasta, even if you feed them natural food?


Is pasta harmful or healthy?

By nature, cats are predators. They prefer meat as their main food. In the wild, cats will not refuse to eat small rodents, birds, which, in turn, feed on plant grains. Thus, the contents of the stomach of its victim also enter the stomach of the cat, that is, plant food, which is completely absorbed by the feline body. From this we can conclude that there is nothing wrong with the fact that the cat will eat some pasta, no.

What are pasta, and what useful substances will a pet get from this food? It is widely believed that the product is very high in calories, which is undesirable not only for people, but also for pets, especially those couch potatoes, whose physical activity consists of moving along the “kitchen – bed” route.

However, pasta contains a lot of nutrients. Carbohydrates, which are rich in flour products from durum wheat, are a source of energy. And although the diet of a domestic cat should be mostly protein, it also needs carbohydrates. Moreover, pasta contains the so-called “long” carbohydrates, which, unlike short ones, do not give a quick burst of energy, but rather saturate and provide a long supply of it.

In addition, pasta contains:

  • vitamins of group B, E, PP;
  • minerals – magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, calcium;
  • fiber, which improves digestion and helps to remove toxins and heavy metal salts from the body.

Pasta contains a small amount of vegetable protein, which, although digested worse than an animal, is nevertheless useful for the body. There is very little fat in pasta, so such food cannot be called harmful, although it cannot be made the basis of a pet’s diet.

Important! 

Not the pasta itself is harmful, but additives to them – butter, sauces, gravies. The cat just doesn’t need them!

In small quantities, a quality durum wheat product will not harm your pet, but it should be borne in mind that carbohydrate-rich foods contain starch or gluten.

Cereals contain vegetable protein – this is gluten. Most of it is in wheat, oats, barley, less – in rice, corn and buckwheat. Wheat and wheat products can contain up to 80% gluten, or gluten. Mixing with water, it creates a special substance that has the ability to glue intestinal microvilli, which as a result impairs the absorption of nutrients. Approximately 1% of people in the world suffer from gluten intolerance, or celiac disease.

Gluten intolerance is much more common in pets, so premium and super premium foods are wheat-free. When feeding with natural food, the owner has to choose safe products for composing the pet’s diet on his own.

It is important to take into account that the intestine in a cat is the largest organ of the immune system. If, under the influence of gluten, microscopic villi of the intestine stick together, which leads to improper or defective intestinal function, the cat’s immunity decreases, which means that the risk of infectious diseases increases. When pathogenic agents enter the body, the body may not cope with the disease.

Disorders of the digestive processes in the body of a domestic cat are manifested by vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, deterioration of the condition of the skin (the coat becomes dull, the cat is worried about itching). Other negative consequences are:

  • allergic reactions;
  • hypovitaminosis;
  • anemia.

Gluten intolerance requires a complex of expensive medical procedures, a lifetime carbohydrate-free diet. The pet will have to be transferred to industrial medicated feed.

The high content of carbohydrates in food is also dangerous for the reason that it turns into sugar in the animal’s body. An excess of them can lead to obesity or diabetes.


How much Pasta can Cats ear and in what form:

If the cat asks very much, and she does not have gluten intolerance, you can add a small amount of boiled pasta to the diet, without salt and butter. That is, you cannot feed the pet with leftovers from your table. It is not necessary to add “for taste” and other seasonings. All sauces contain salt, and this is poison for the cat, for his kidneys! Tomatoes are also contraindicated for a cat, so the best combination can only be a combination of pasta with meat or fish – better seafood, boiled and boneless.

A combination of pasta with cheese or vegetables is possible. Many cats love cheese, and for them it is also a healthy food that contains fats and calcium. Hard cheeses such as cheddar or Swiss are best suited for feeding. They contain less lactose, which intolerance affects many adult cats and cats.

Vegetables that are good for your furry pet include pumpkin, squash, cauliflower and broccoli, spinach and carrots. These foods are a good source of fiber. If your cat is not one of the capricious choices, you can feed her a cereal-vegetable dish once or twice a week by mixing pasta with vegetables.

Natural products cannot be mixed with industrial feed, so boiled pasta with “Whiskas” is not the best dish if you want your pet to be healthy. Natural foods and industrial canned foods have different digestion times. The body of the animal produces different enzymes for this, so this combination will only lead to diseases of the digestive system.

Drawing a conclusion from all of the above, we can understand that pasta is not healthy food for domestic cats, although it does not belong to prohibited foods. It is much more useful to feed the animal with those dishes that will provide the body with all the nutritious and useful components.


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