If you’re a cat owner, you’ll know that they just love to eat. They seem to be happy eating most food items. However, some things we humans enjoy aren’t always good for their health. Although some fruits and vegetables are fine for cats to eat, others may be detrimental to their health. Are cherries something that you should avoid? Can Cats Eat Cherries?
Cats are primarily carnivorous, and many question whether you should deviate from the natural diet of any pet. The cherry fruit is known to have many benefits for humans. And surprisingly, some of those benefits apply to cats alike. There is a reason to proceed with caution, however.
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Approach The Cherry With Caution
There are mixed opinions on whether the cherry fruit poses a threat to your cat’s health or whether it is safe for them to eat. Research shows that it depends on which part of the cherry plant your pet eats.
The fruit of the cherry is considered safe for cats. However, the plant that it grows on is not. The shrub that the fruit grows on is considered to have a mild to moderate toxicity effect on cats. This includes all things from the leaves to the roots, to the pit of the actual fruit. The toxicity comes from cyanide inside these parts of the plant.
Cyanide poisoning will inhibit the cat’s cells from being able to absorb oxygen. If your cat consumes a significant amount of the plant materials, the toxicity it experiences may be a lot more severe.
Symptoms of this include difficulty breathing and discolored gums as well as dilated pupils. You’ll notice that your cat will act very different from their usual behavior. So, to prevent your pet from dying, it will require urgent medical attention.
While the plant material causes toxicity, the flesh of the cherry is safe for your cat to consume. However, you need to make sure that you remove the pit before giving the snack to your pet. As mentioned it is toxic, but it also becomes a choking hazard.
The question then becomes whether you should give your cat the fruit.
Possible Health Benefits
Cherries contain a high level of antioxidants among many other vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to human health. The vitamins and minerals that the high fruit contains aren’t something that your cats generally need. Their bodies don’t require the same types or amounts of vitamins and minerals that ours do.
However, the antioxidants may be beneficial in certain circumstances. Similarly to humans, cats also get free radicals in their bodies. These free radicals may lead to rapid aging and other health concerns. The antioxidants found in cherries, and various other foods, work to fight these free radicals.
The antioxidants help to strengthen the immune system. This, in turn, fights any foreign bodies that make their way into your cat’s system. As a result, it protects your cat from picking up any disease or sicknesses.
Reduce Your Cat’s Discomfort
Cherry is also an excellent anti-inflammatory. Your cat could be struggling with issues such as arthritis or mobility problems that it experiences from the result of a trauma. In such cases, the fruit may be beneficial. The fruit will help to reduce the inflammation and allow your pet to move a lot more agilely.
Cherries have also been shown to reduce the risk of developing cancer, diabetes and heart disease in humans. There has not been a significant amount of research concerning whether this is the case with cats. However, it is believed that the same benefits could apply.
Calm Your Cat The cherry fruit is also known to contain melatonin. Melatonin works to calm the brain and the nervous system naturally. There has not been much research conducted on whether the benefits are the same for cats and humans alike. Even then, you are likely to notice a difference in your cat’s behavior if that is an area of difficulty.
The positive effects result in a cat that is less irritable and anxious, especially in those who experience anxiety when their owner leaves home.
Aiding Digestion
As mentioned, the vitamins and minerals aren’t overly beneficial to cats, but the fiber that the fruit contains within it may be. Fiber is a part of the food that cannot be broken down by the gut during the process of digestion. Therefore this component found in all fruits and vegetables may help your cat have better absorption.
.The slight deviation from their regular diet will help your pets have more regular bowel movements. Their tummy should also be more settled if they currently have trouble with their digestion.
There Is Such A Thing As Too Much
One thing to be cautious of, however, is not to overfeed them with the high fiber fruit. If you deviate too much from your cat’s usual diet and feed them too much fiber, it may cause other digestion issues. The high amount of fiber is likely to give them an upset stomach and cause diarrhea and vomiting.
Also, if you deviate from your pet’s usual diet, the cat could become fussy with the regular food that you feed it. When you give it food such as a cherry on a regular basis, she may become picky with meal times. The Important Thing To Remember.
Cherries are safe for your cat to consume. But still, remember that many vets and animal experts are against feeding your pets anything other than pet food. Just like humans, your cat may experience additional weight gain when you overfeed it.
Vets warn about unknown allergies your pet may have. Introducing a new food is always risky if you aren’t aware whether they might react to it or not. Many vets also agree that the pet food available for your cat is filled with everything it needs for a healthy life. If you deviate too much from that, the cat may experience deficiencies and other health issues.
Top Tips When Feeding Your Cat Cherries
- Ensure you remove the pit
- Do not deviate too far from your cat’s natural diet.
- Be sure that you aren’t feeing them too many of the fruit.
- Check that your cat isn’t allergic by only feeding them a small amount the first time.
- If you own a cherry plant, ensure the cat doesn’t have access to it.
Conclusion
Whether your cat suffers from issues such as arthritis and anxiety, or not, cherries may have health benefits for your beloved pet. While they should only be given to them occasionally as a little treat, your cat is just fine consuming cherries.
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