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Can Cats Eat Potatoes? Should You Feed It To Your Cat?

Can Cats Eat Potatoes? Should You Feed It To Your Cat?

All cat owners love to give their cats a taste of their own food as a way of sharing this bond with their little friends. But are all foods safe for cats? Can they eat potatoes without any risk?

The answer is yes, they won’t die if they eat it, but they don’t really need it. The best and only way to give them a taste of potatoes is cooked and as treats or snacks very occasionally, as giving them too much potato can fatten them up and lead to health problems in the future.

Potatoes are not poisonous for cats, so if by accident you spilled a potato chip on the floor and your furry friend ate it, do not panic. Nothing will happen; just keep in mind that the number one rule is that if your cat eats a potato, it should be in very little quantity and must be cooked.

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Can I Kill My Cat If I Feed It Potatoes? What Happens If He Eats Potatoes?

The potato is an earthy vegetable. It is one of the most cultivated vegetables in the United States and is number 4 in the world. There are many different types of potatoes, including white, golden, purple, and sweet potatoes, just to name a few.

Potatoes are vegetables that are very beneficial for humans, as they contain a large amount of vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese, and potassium. Their great disadvantage is that being so rich, it is effortless to overeat them, and we cannot forget that the potato is a source of carbohydrates that can do a lot of harm if eaten in large quantities.

As already mentioned, although the effect of potatoes on cats is different from that of potatoes on people, it is not possible to kill your cat if you feed it potatoes in moderation, and if the potato was eaten by accident, it should not be at risk either. Cats can be given potatoes respecting three basic rules:

  1. Give them as a treat or snack and not as a main meal.
  2. Give them only on special and sporadic occasions
  3. Give them in very small portions

Some owners mix a small amount of potato in the cat’s food, and this may not always be the case, but it is a very controlled way to give the kitten some of the benefits of the potato.

Potatoes given to cats should always be clean, fresh, and cooked, either boiled or baked long enough for the fire to kill the poisonous compounds in this vegetable.

When giving your kitten its first taste of the potato, it is always recommended that you give him very little of it. You can give him a very small piece to see how he will react. After eating it, if it does not vomit or have diarrhea, then you can continue to give it this vegetable, as long as you follow the rules above.

How Can I Give Potatoes To My Cat?

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The key to safely feeding your cat potatoes is to cook them properly. The heat from cooking kills all the harmful parts of the potato and ensures that the cat will be able to eat them and at the same time digest them without any problems.

You should also know that when you cook potatoes for your pet, you should prepare them in the simplest way possible. This means that you should not put garlic, onion, spices, or herbs of any kind because this would also be very dangerous for your pet’s health.

It is the same if you give him mashed potatoes. You must have cooked it in the simplest way possible, without adding any other ingredient. What many people do is that they put the cat food in a bowl and on top of it they put mashed potatoes in very small quantities, they can also give it already mixed in the food.

Do Cats Like Potatoes?

Cats are carnivorous animals, so their main food is meat, and they do not need to eat anything else to be healthy. But you have to understand that they are also very curious animals who will not hesitate to try any food they are given or get on their own.

In the case of the potato, it is certain that the smells of its different ways of cooking will be very appealing to cats, and after tasting it, they will surely want to continue eating it, but just because something tastes good does not mean that it helps their health and as we have seen the excess of this vegetable is not good for our little friends.

Can My Cat Eat All Kinds Of Potatoes?

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The answer is a resounding no; we definitely cannot give cats potatoes in all their types or ways of cooking. Below we will review the potato preparations that we should never give to our pets.

Raw Potatoes

Raw potatoes should never be given to cats for any reason. The potato, when it is raw, is the most harmful for cats. This is because, in its natural form, it contains a component (solanine) that is totally poisonous for people as well as for cats.

If a cat accidentally eats a raw potato, it can suffer almost immediately from indigestion, vomiting, gas, and diarrhea.

Sweet Potatoes

Choosing sweet potato as the type of potato to give your cat as an occasional snack would not be the best choice.

Fortunately, you should know that your cat will not die if it eats sweet potato; however, it has a chance of feeling ill and having vomiting and diarrhea after eating it.

French Fries

Can a cat eat French fries? Your cat can eat them, but it is not recommended. French fries have a very high salt and fat content in their preparation, so they are not good for cats, and they are not good for us either. Another negative point of French fries is that they are often prepared to be crunchy, and the cat will not chew them but swallow them almost whole, which could damage its internal organs.

Potato Shells

Potato shells have the same bad effect on the cat as raw potatoes; they are highly poisonous for our pets. Not to mention that the shells are covered with dirt and bacteria, so it would be a bad idea for our cat to eat them. In any case, if they do bite a shell, they will probably not like the taste and will leave it, but it is best not to risk it.

Can My Kitten Eat Mashed Potatoes With Butter?

Giving your kitten mashed potatoes is possible as long as they are very well cooked and do not have any other ingredients in their preparation, which means that it is recommended that they do not have butter.

By mashing the potato to make the mashed potato, you are helping the cat to reduce the possible risk of choking since this way of cooking the potato makes it have a very soft and pleasant texture for the pet to swallow by eliminating all the hardness of the potato.

What is suggested is to give them small amounts that are very well mashed and that it is something occasional and not a staple in their diet. Remember that the digestive system of cats is not designed to swallow vegetables, so it would be almost normal that after tasting mashed potatoes, your cat does not react well.

Because of this, it would be best to give her half of a teaspoon to first see how well she tolerates this food before thinking about giving her mashed potatoes as a future snack.

In general, white potatoes should be used to make mashed potatoes for cats. It is not recommended to be made with sweet potato since this type of potato is usually very difficult for cats to digest.

What Is Forbidden To Use When Preparing Mashed Potatoes For Your Cat?

As we have already said, the mashed potatoes that you will give to your cat must be completely simple and without any additional ingredients. Now we will see which ingredients are forbidden to use in mashed potatoes.

Garlic, chives, leeks, and onions: all these seasonings are toxic for cats. No matter if they are in their natural form or are dried, cooked, or powdered, they should be avoided.

Salt and butter: don’t let your heart betray you and be tempted to spice up your mashed potatoes by adding salt and butter, don’t do it. This is dangerous for your cat.

Oregano: it looks like a harmless herb that is commonly used in every home, but it is very harmful to your cat and should never be eaten.

A Final Thought On Cats And Potatoes

The most important thing you can take away from this reading is that it is okay to give your cat a potato snack from time to time, but be clear that your pet does not need to eat potatoes for nutrition at all. Giving cats too many treats can change their appetite and also their behavior.

As carnivorous animals, cats require meat and no other foods to survive, which is why we should not assume that how people eat should be the same as our tender friends. Their health will thank us.

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