Indeed we have been in the kitchen making a recipe with mushrooms, and we have our kitty alert and wanting to taste our creation. Smells will always arouse the cat’s interest. Still, we must be careful because human food can sometimes be dangerous for them.
Can cats eat mushrooms? Cats should not eat mushrooms. However, there is one specific exception you can consider if you want to feed them mushrooms. Want to know if mushrooms are safe for your cats? The only mushrooms that are safe for cats are store-bought. Always avoid wild mushrooms.
The reality is that feeding mushrooms to a cat can be a somewhat atypical and far-fetched snack, and it is a food that our tender friends do not need to be healthy. In this article, we will make an extensive review of the relationship of this food with our pets. We hope to help you clarify all your doubts.
Is It Possible That Some Cats Like Mushrooms?
If we start from the fact that cats are predatory animals, we might think that they would not like to eat mushrooms, but the reality is that this is not entirely true.
Certain types of cats go crazy when they are given mushrooms as a snack. The exciting thing about this fact is that cats are crazy about the protein in mushrooms, or what they call “umami flavor.”
Indeed, cats should always eat protein, but it is better to get it from meat and not mushrooms. For this reason, is why your veterinarian will tell you not to feed mushrooms or to reduce the amount and frequency as much as possible.
There are better protein sources than mushrooms. You should know that many mushrooms are toxic and even deadly to our pets. So there are many reasons to reduce or eliminate mushrooms from the cats’ diet.
Another suggestion to keep in mind is that if you live in a house with your cat, you should search the yard for the presence of mushrooms. If you find them, it is better to remove them immediately.
Are Cooked Or Store-bought Mushrooms Safe For Cats?
Usually, ready-made mushrooms sold in stores for human consumption may be safe for cats as long as you give them minimal quantities. But as we have said before, this is a type of food that you should avoid.
The best you can do for your cat is to give it mushrooms cooked at home. This recipe of cooked mushrooms cannot have any other ingredients or spices.
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It would be best if you only gave them tiny amounts of mushrooms. Experts recommend cooking specific types of mushrooms. It is essential to know that these mushrooms should not have any other ingredients for your kitten’s health standard.
Remember that mushrooms have nothing in them that your cat needs that you can’t get in your cat food. It is best to prepare other snacks for your cat that do not have any health risks.
What Happens If My Cat Eats Mushrooms?
Your cat may take advantage of a moment of carelessness to get into mischief and eat a mushroom. If this happens, please do not worry or stress.
We have seen that not all mushrooms are toxic, especially if they are store-bought mushrooms. But please, don’t be overconfident. Pay attention to your cat and watch for the following signs.
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Look for constricted pupils
- Decreased heart rate
- Exaggerated drooling
- Loss of energy
If you see that he has one or more of these symptoms, you should immediately take him to the veterinarian.
Can My Cat Get Sick From Eating Mushrooms?
Yes, your cat can get sick depending on the type of mushroom it ate and the amount.
Our cat’s first signs may appear after 6 to 24 hours after eating the mushroom.
Diseases caused by the consumption of poisonous mushrooms can be severe. Some of the most common are:
- Stomach problems, which can range from the familiar tummy ache to severe difficulties swallowing food.
- They may have kidney problems, which are sometimes irreversible.
- It may have problems with the cat’s nervous system, leading to the cat becoming depressed.
Can Mushrooms Get Cats High?
Some mushrooms have a dangerous substance for cats. The mushrooms with this are also to be called “magic mushrooms.”
These mushrooms are in the yard without anyone in the family noticing. When the cat consumes these mushrooms, it is likely to have fever and hallucinations.
From this comes the belief that mushrooms can get you high, but the truth is that it only happens with mushrooms with this particular substance.
Are There Mushrooms That Are Deadly To Cats?
Yes, some mushrooms can kill cats. There are mushrooms with a component called Amanita responsible for 95% of the deaths of cats from eating mushrooms.
They are called death mushrooms and are also responsible for 50% of human deaths from eating mushrooms.
Eating this mushroom can cause kidney failure and death in a short time. Symptoms of mushroom poisoning appear 8 to 24 hours after consumption.
This type of mushroom is super dangerous. There is a moment when it seems that our pet recovers and looks better. Still, after three to seven days, they may have severe symptoms such as bleeding or convulsions and finally die due to these mushrooms.
Among the most dangerous mushrooms are:
- Death Cap
- Destroying Angel
- Fool’s Mushroom
- Smith’s Lepidella
- Autumn Skullcap
- Deadly Parasol
- False Morel
- Ivory funnel
- Deadly Webcap
- Panther Cap
What Do I Do If I Think My Cat Has Eaten A Poisonous Mushroom?
The first thing to assume is that any mushroom your cat has eaten could be toxic. There are many types of mushrooms. Some are very similar to each other. Recognizing at a glance which mushroom is safe and which is dangerous is very difficult.
If you can, take a sample of the fungus your cat ate, but be careful. The best is to wrap it in a towel so as not to touch it directly.
Make the cat vomit. Doing this will help your cat get as much of the fungus out of the body as possible. The most important thing is to provoke this vomiting quickly, as you are looking for the cat’s body not to absorb the poison. When you call your veterinarian, they may tell you to induce the vomiting yourself to save time before coming to the doctor’s office.
Give the cat activated charcoal. The charcoal can reach the cat’s stomach can pick up and stick to itself the poison from the fungus it ate. This charcoal envelops the poison and carries it throughout the cat’s body to expel it without allowing its absorption by the pet’s body. If done quickly, this can be of great help.
Do a blood test on the cat. It is pretty normal for the veterinarian to do a blood test on the cat. The veterinarian will repeat this blood test every day or every other day to see how the blood values change. This action is good because it allows the veterinarian to closely follow any strange blood behavior and attack it aggressively and on time.
Give intravenous fluids to the cat. The veterinarian will give the cat intravenous fluids to help kill the poison, and it also supports all the body as it fights this substance.
Depending on the cat’s symptoms, the veterinarian may give different medications to help keep the cat stable. Since the symptoms can be so varied, all medication options are open to treat the cat.
Why Can’t I Give Mushrooms To My Cat If Some Are Safe?
There are indeed mushrooms that in tiny quantities could be safe for your cat. The problem is that unless you are an expert, mushrooms are tough to identify. They look alike and can be confused with each other. Nor can you say that safe mushrooms grow in one region, and dangerous mushrooms grow in a different area. They all grow everywhere and in a mixed-up way.
If a human being dies poisoned by eating this type of mushroom, the chance of this happening to a cat is higher. And usually, people die because they misrecognize the types of mushrooms, so insisting on giving mushrooms to cats is taking a very high risk.
A Final Thought On Cats And Mushrooms
Do not think that because your cat seems to like mushrooms, they are suitable for his health. What is certain is that occasionally giving him cooked mushrooms in small amounts and on an occasional basis is safe for your pet.
Don’t think that your cat is missing out on vitamins or protein if he doesn’t eat mushrooms. For all this, there are the foods created for cats. Remember that his stomach cannot process foods that are not part of his natural diet.
Cats and mushrooms are not good friends. So you can’t let their curiosity cause more problems than a simple scare. You are the only one who can prevent these situations from happening, so let’s help our cats stay healthy and beautiful.
Shawn Manaher is a serial entrepreneur but when he isn’t working, he loves dogs. He’s owned different pets over the years, and always gives a part of his heart to each pet.
