Have you ever wondered if the vegetables we eat, are good for cats to eat…? This struck my mind and I wanted to check whether the bond between me and my cat could be more special if I share some of my favorite food with her.
I love eating zucchini and It would be so stupid of me if I didn’t research it and directly started to feed my cat… Also, I wanted to share my experience with other cat parents, and here’s what I found…
Can Cats Have Zucchini?
The short answer for this would be yes, cats can eat zucchini. Cats are carnivorous animals, they have evolved in such a way that they cannot digest plant food properly. However, zucchini is an exception. As a matter of fact, it contains various vitamins and minerals that are essential for your cat’s overall health.
Health benefits include better functioning of some of the vital organs in your cat’s body.
Is Eating Zucchini Healthy for Cats?
Yes, Zucchini is healthy for cats as they contain fibers that help in the regulation of sugar levels and also benefit the quality of stool. Hence, your cats might feel less constipated.
Zucchini also contains important minerals like potassium, Magnesium, and Manganese, they help in keeping the blood pressure stable, other than that it also helps in kidney function, and can support your cat’s nerves and muscles.
Apart from these minerals it also contains antioxidants like lutein which enhances the vision and zeaxanthin which helps to prevent the aging effects in cat-eye.
Ways to Feed Zucchini to Your Cat!
To feed your cat zucchini, you can chop it into small pieces that it can feed on. You need to take care that you cut it into small chewable sizes. Your cat can also eat it cooked.
You can cook it just like we make our own food but make sure you don’t add spices and onions to it. Both of the ingredients are dangerous for cats. Cooked zucchini would be easy for your cat to munch on.
While feeding your cat make sure you add zucchini appropriately, they need a balanced diet. As you know some cats are selective about their diet, and they won’t eat it. To deal with this you can mash it and add it to their regular meal.
One more thing you need to take care of is that you don’t mix dry zucchini with wet food or wet zucchini with dry food, your cat would probably not like it. You can also put some bits in ice trays along with water to make a zucchini ice cube.
Whenever I need to keep my cat occupied I give them this cube, It keeps them busy for a while.
I am sure your cat would love it…!!
Side Effects of Consuming Zucchinis!
We need to keep in mind that cats are obligate carnivorous creatures, their digestive system is not made to digest veggies or plants. If given in excess quantity, cat’s stomach will not be able to break the cellulose(the outer wall of plant cells) and digest the contents. This might cause diarrhea or vomiting.
In fact, giving your cat any kind of food in excess quantity is going to cause trouble…!!
There are some rare occurrences where cats are allergic to zucchini, in such cases you might want to avoid feeding them this vegetable. It doesn’t hurt to consult a vet if you are not aware of your cat’s allergies. This might avoid any unexpected allergic reactions.
How Much Zucchini is Enough for My Cat?
It is not recommended to feed your cat zucchini along with their regular diet. Small treats or random bits can be just fine. As I mentioned above in this article, cats have evolved to be carnivorous creatures, excess zucchini should not be given to them.
When feeding your cat any kind of vegetable, we need to be watchful about the quantity. You do not want to upset your cat’s stomach…
One zucchini a day is enough for a normal cat. However, if your cat is suffering from overweight or obesity, you can give them around 2-3 zucchinis a day. It will satisfy their hunger without gaining a lot of calories.
Can baby Kittens Have Zucchini?
It is not recommended to feed your cat any kind of food until she is at least 4 weeks old. Because they are supposed to get all their nutrition from milk itself.
Just as you won’t feed a baby human any solids, you should not feed your baby kitten any solid foods. They would not be able to chew it with their baby teeth.
However, if your cat is around 6-8 weeks old, and it weans from its mother’s milk, she can start eating solids.
Different Zucchini Variants & Zucchini Parts!
Raw Zucchini:
Cats can eat raw zucchini, although you must consider feeding it in a limited quantity. You can mix raw zucchini with a normal diet.
Zucchini Skin:
It is considered harmful to cats as it contains toxic compounds. Although arginine is found in zucchini skin, a molecule, which helps to remove ammonia from the body.
Zucchini Seeds:
Zucchini seeds contain lutein and zeaxanthin. They function as antioxidants for cats. Both of these serve as an antioxidant which is good for cat-eye.
Zucchini Flesh:
Zucchini contains a good amount of fibers, antioxidants, and various other minerals like Potassium, Magnesium, and Manganese which are good for a cat’s overall health.
Zucchini as a Treat:
You can give small chunks or slices of zucchini as a treat to your feline anytime.
Canned Zucchini:
As long as the canned Zucchini is not flavored or mixed with any kind of sugar or spices, it would be okay to feed your cat from it. Make sure it is still intact and not spoiled or expired.
Zucchini Pie:
A pie made from ingredients that are safe for animals, one that doesn’t include any spices and onions, can be given to cats.
FAQs
Can cats eat frozen zucchini?
Yes, cats can eat frozen zucchini although they might find it difficult to chew if the pieces are big enough. It is recommended that you cook the frozen zucchini as it is made of 95% of water. This will soften it up after it is cooked.
Is zucchini plant toxic for cats?
The answer would be no, all parts of the plant including squash, stem, and leaves are safe for cats to eat. This claim was declared by ASPCA.
Why are cats afraid of zucchini?
Cats are really sensitive towards dangerous animals, especially snakes and they can’t help it.
When our cat looks at a zucchini, she will think of it as a snake at first glance, as it somewhat resembles the shape in their mind and she would react to it extremely. You should try to avoid this situation as much as possible as it stresses them out.
Conclusion
Now that you know that zucchini’s the most healthiest vegetable, you can feed your cats without worrying about the side effects. Although, you should be careful not to feed them too much.
For healthy cats, only one zucchini, a day would be enough and if your cat is suffering from overweight or obesity, you can feed them around 2-3 zucchinis. Overall, zucchini benefit’s almost all of the major aspects of your cat’s body.
And yes!! You can add zucchini to your shopping list now…!
Reference:
- Zucchini non-toxic for cats — ASPCA
- Treats and calories — tufts
- Cucumbers remind cats of snakes — vet.cornell