Delicious, soft and sweet! Although marshmallows are not good for us, we just can’t give them up. But how about our cats? Can cats eat marshmallows, too?
When the subject is marshmallows, we can easily say that there is little to no health benefits of marshmallows to us, humans, but we love eating them anyway so sometimes our curious little friends want to taste them, too after seeing us eat them so passionately. Let’s answer the obvious question: can cats eat marshmallows?
Can Cats Eat Marshmallows?
The short answer is NO, cats can’t eat marshmallows, not that they are toxic to cats or anything but there are other risks and health hazards associated with marshmallows. It is also pointless to feed marshmallows to a cat, but we will come to it later. First, let’s see what risks and dangers marshmallows have for cats.
Risks of Feeding Marshmallows to Cats
The biggest risk you are taking by feeding marshmallows to your cat is choking. Cats have very small throats which are not suitable to swallow substances such as marshmallows. Did you know that marshmallows are not recommended for kids under the age of three because of the choking hazard? The same applies to cats.
As if the choking hazard was not enough, there is also a big risk of feline obesity when you feed marshmallows to your kitty regularly. Feline obesity can be the cause for many other diseases such as heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, cancer and many more.
In addition to the diabetes caused by obesity, marshmallows can lead to diabetes themselves whether your cat is obese, or not. You should know that there is no cure for feline diabetes, and you really don’t want to bother your cat with regular insulin shots, especially in its senior years.
Are Cats Interested in Marshmallows
Cats can’t taste sweetness because they lack the necessary taste buds to know what the taste of sweet is. This might be why a lot of cats are not really interested in sweet human foods which is good news considering some sweets such as chocolate are extremely toxic to cats.
The reason why cats are interested in certain foods can be their curiosity to know what we are eating. Also, they sometimes are just interested in the texture of the food or its potential to be a toy to be pushed and pulled such as peas.
If your cat is interested in marshmallows, you should know that there are no health benefits associated with marshmallows; not for you, not for your cat! For you they are tasty but for your cat it just doesn’t have taste, so it is literally pointless, empty calories for your kitty.
Conclusion – Can Cats Eat Marshmallows?
The answer to the question “can cats eat marshmallows” is a big, certain NO! Marshmallows are choking hazards for cats and there are a lot of reports of cats choking on the human foods that they shouldn’t consume.
Marshmallows also contain lots of sugar and calories. 1 regular marshmallow (7.2 grams) contains one tenth of the daily calories an average cat needs. It can easily cause your cat to get overweight really fast.
These extra calories and choking hazard come on top of cats’ inability to taste sweetness so what is the point of feeding marshmallows to cats?
Are marshmallows safe for cats?
Marshmallows are not safe for feline consumption. Although they are not toxic to cats, choking hazard is real and something to watch for. Also, feeding marshmallows to your cat regularly significantly increases obesity, diabetes and heart disease risks.
My cat ate marshmallows. What should I do?
If your cat doesn’t show any signs of choking, you don’t need to do anything but sometimes cats can be allergic to certain foods or additives in foods. You may never know these allergies beforehand so observing your cat for 24-48 hours can be a good idea.
Are marshmallows bad for cats?
Yes, marshmallows are bad for cats because they increase the risk of obesity and all the diseases that come alongside obesity. Although they are not toxic to cats, long term effects of feeding marshmallows to your cat regularly can lead to painful senior years.
