Hey! You might be one of the cat lovers who wants to share their food with cats. Sometimes, your cat can’t ignore the tasty graham crackers you eat and starts meowing and asking for some bits. Do you wonder if can cats eat graham crackers?
Let’s explore whether eating graham crackers have any benefits for cats. Are the ingredients a cause of concern? How to feed them to cats and many more…
Keep reading.
Are there any benefits if Cats Eat Graham Crackers
There are actually no benefits to cats that result from eating graham crackers either nutritionally or by taste unless your cat shows signs of liking this treat. Though cats can eat them in very small quantities, like one-two cracker a week, it is not recommended.
Graham crackers consist of nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fat, sodium, potassium, and sugar. However, an ideal cat’s diet must mainly contain a high amount of animal protein followed by fat and carbs.
There is also no specific reason to say cats would find graham crackers tastier than other treats. Since cats don’t have a specific liking for sugar or honey, we can’t say it tastes good for cats just because you find it tasty.
Ingredients In Graham Crackers that affect Cat’s health
Sugar Content
As artificial or natural sweeteners are used in preparing graham crackers, cats pose a risk of diabetes. Certain types of sweeteners can cause digestion issues in cats. If the sweetener is honey, use it in moderation.
Also, never give your cat graham crackers or any kind of crackers that have xylitol in their composition. Xylitol is an artificial sweetener toxic to cats and dogs.
Graham Flour
As animal protein is healthier, graham flour which is a wheat-based plant protein is not an ideal food for cats. There are no nutritional benefits, and if your cat is gluten-intolerant, you must totally avoid feeding pets with crackers made of graham flour.
Sodium Content
Hypertension and heart diseases might result if your cat eats a lot of sodium-based foods. However, feeding tiny bits of cracker isn’t a problem.
FAQs
You might have a lot of questions regarding graham crackers. We have tried our best to address the same below:
Can Cats Eat Graham Crackers With Chocolate or Honey?
For chocolate-based flavour, it is a complete No. Chocolate is poisonous to cats, so it is best to totally avoid chocolate flavoured graham crackers.
As we have seen, honey can be used as a natural sweetener and as such it isn’t a concern for cats if taken in moderation.
Can Cats Eat Cinnamon-Based Crackers?
Cinnamon isn’t poisonous but moderation is the key to protecting your cat’s health. If your cat ingests high amounts of cinnamon it can lead to cinnamon toxicity (liver damage, low blood sugar, weakness, etc.).
Any Other Long-Term Effects That You Must Worry About?
One of the most common long-term effects of feeding your cat crackers regularly and/or in high amounts is obesity. Feeding a lot of graham crackers could lead to cats getting obese which brings in its own set of related issues. Arthritis, and hip problems are other diseases that might result if obesity isn’t taken care of at the earliest.
Can Cats Eat Other Types of Crackers like Ritz, Goldfish, Saltine and Teddy Grahams?
Saltine should never be fed to your cat because they have too much salt.
As for other crackers, the reason depends on nutritional value and any cat treat that isn’t nutritional can best be avoided. So, share Ritz, Goldfish, or Teddy Grahams in moderation and only if your cat prefers it to other treats.
Any Specific Tips on Feeding Cats With Graham Crackers?
You can consider the following as general guidelines that will keep your cat safe:
- Feed 1-2 crackers per week and not more than that.
- Definitely avoid crackers with chocolate or high salt content or any ingredients that your vet has advised to stay away from due to allergic reactions.
- When feeding crackers for the first few times, observe your cat for a day for signals of allergic reactions so you can respond quickly.
- Though graham crackers are generally safe, definitely consult your vet before feeding any treat or food to your cat because every individual has a unique way of digesting food. Some are more sensitive and can develop allergic reactions.
Conclusion
As humans, we might feel sad not to feed our cats the same food we eat. However, for our pet’s health, it is necessary to restrain our emotions and feed them the right diet that meets their needs (under the vet’s guidance). Feeding graham crackers is not a bad thing but replacing them with healthier cat treats is definitely a good thing to do.
