Can Cats Eat Potato Chips?

One day while you are eating some chips (or crisps as the British say) you may drop one or two to the ground. Being curios creatures, your cat might steal them before you even react and you start wondering… Can cats eat potato chips (or can cats eat crisps)?

Potato chips are salty, fatty and full of calories. They are the most beloved junk food you can think of. We all know that they are not healthy for human consumption but they don’t really cause any immediate damage on human body. How about cats?

Are Potato Chips Safe for Cats?

First things first… A bite of a potato chip won’t kill your cat as they are not toxic to cats. So the short answer to the question “can cats eat potato chips” is yes, they can…

However, this doesn’t mean that they should consume it all the time or in high amounts. Well I must say this as a chips fan, you shouldn’t eat it either because it does not do any good for either you or your cat. The only thing it will do for your vat is adding some extra calories to its diet.

Always keep in mind that cats are obligate carnivores which means that they get their proteins, vitamins, minerals and any other nutrient they need from meat. You may see your cat eating grass of some other plant to calm its upset stomach but generally this is all the plant they eat.

Why Shouldn’t I Give Potato Chips to My Cat?

Potato chips contain high amounts of salt and calories as well as being cooked in vegetable oil and none of these are good for cats. Actually salt or sodium is a big enemy of cats.

In addition to salt, calories and oil, they include sugar and flavorings. As I mentioned in many of my posts, flavorings and seasonings are terrible choices of food to give to a cat.

They have zero nutritional value for cats so why provide the extra calories to your cat?

Salt

Don’t get me wrong, cats do need sodium, too but since they do not sweat it out like we do, the excess salt harms them a lot. The amount of salt a cat daily needs is only 21 miligrams but a one-ounce serving of potato chips contains 150 miligrams of sodium so unless one or two pieces of chips is the only thing you serve to your cat entire day, your cat will inevitably have excess salt in its system.

Sodium in salt can cause excessive urination, dehydration, tremors, fever, or coma, salt poisoning and even death if consumed in large amounts.

Processed Fat

Although cats also need fat, the fat that chips contain is not the kind of fat your cat needs. They are the processed vegetable oils which are just empty calories for your little friend. Frankly, our domestic cats don’t really need any extra calories as they are already at the shores of overweightness. French fries are not that different if that’s what you are looking for.

How to Give Potato Chips to Cats?

When the issue is cats and nutrition, “in moderation” is always the key word. Too much of a thing might be harmful for your furry friend. Since potato chips are not toxic but has no immediate harmful effects to cats’ health, it might be given in moderation from time to time as a treat or to satisfy its curiosity.

When giving chips to your cat, make sure that they are not seasoned with any spices or salt. They need to be plain and plain only. You should also avoid any flavorings. Otherwise it is an invitation to vomiting, diarrhea and many other digestive issues.