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Can Cats Eat Fruit?

Our beautiful, cuddly pets are distant relatives to big, wild cats, such as mighty tigers, royal looking lions, gracious and agile panthers, beautiful pumas and other amazing feline family members. Domesticated cat is really just a smaller and more delicate version of its big cousins. It is a natural born hunter, skillful climber and sneaker, but also a dear and loving pet. Cats are quite independent beings by their nature, but they can be really attached to their owners. Just as dogs, cats can also be happy and sad; they can feel all the joys of life and can suffer as well.

We are impressed by their graciousness and kind of a royal attitude. Cats actually seem to have double sided personality. At one point, they are fierce hunters and fighters and on the other side, they are cute, adorable and completely irresistible playful kittens. There are numerous beliefs about cats and their nature. They are often considered magical and mystery creatures, even shape-shifting witches! Cats have been worshiped and praised since ancient times and they certainly deserved such a treatment.

However, if you consider welcoming one of these amazing animals to your home, you need to provide it the best conditions possible. Otherwise, your cat won’t grow and develop properly, it will be sad and it will suffer. Despite being considered godlike, a cat is just a living creature, just as you are. So, it requires a lot of attention, nurture and care, in order to have long and happy life. Every cat needs good living space where it can play and rest, proper and regular medical care, some grooming and well balanced healthy nutrition.

What do cats eat?

Let us see what our beautiful felines eat. Originating from wild and fierce hunter ancestors, cats didn’t change their eating habits. They are obligate carnivores and meat is what they need the most. Proteins of animal origin are essential for every cat’s normal growth and development. Essential amino acids, which proteins contain, are very important for their muscles, bones, connective tissues, their fur and else. Protein food keeps them in good shape and provides them all the energy they need.

Cat’s digestive system hasn’t changed for thousands of years and it processes only meat food. Cat’s body is designed to hunt. Well, a domesticated cat that lives in a city apartment surely won’t go hunting, but it still requires the same nutrients. You can feed it purchased cat food you buy in pet store and you can also make some meals on your own. If you decide to make food for your cat, use only high quality meat and always make sure it is well cooked.

Do they eat fruit?

Generally speaking, cats don’t lack any nutrients that can be found in plant food, whether we think of fruits and vegetables or herbs and nuts (see almonds and cats). They have a natural instinct to seek some herbs or grass when their belly is disturbed. Chewing herbs helps them get rid of hairballs, relieves upset stomach and such. Plant food promotes their bowel functions and it actually makes them vomit, which is beneficial in some cases. Otherwise, plants would only get them stomach problems.

When it comes to fruits, there are no actual benefits to your cat. Most of them are not necessarily harmful or poisonous to cats, but they really don’t need them. While some cats are used to different types of food, because of bad eating habits they got from their owners, most of them won’t even taste any fruit. There are lots of discussions on the matter about cats’ sense of sweetness. Many experts are of an opinion cats can’t recognize it at all. Therefore, sweet food and fruits are simply not tasteful to them.

On the other hand, all fruits contain a lot of sugar and fiber. Whether a cat can actually taste its sweet and alluring aroma or not, sugar is dangerous to your pet. Its body cannot process sugar the way humans’ organism does. If your cat actually wants to eat fruit, the best advice is to consider it a treat. If your cat has a well balanced regular diet plan, a few fruity bites won’t be a problem.

Fruity dessert

If you still want to treat your cat some delicious slices of fruit, keep it in moderation and get well informed on cat-friendly fruits. While some fruits can be fine for your cat, some of it can be dangerous. For example, a small portion of apples could be even beneficial to your cat. It promotes digestion and protects your cat’s body from dangerous free radicals. A cat can also have some bananas once in a while, but too much of it could lead to constipation and they are quite sugary.

There are also fruits you really don’t want your cat to eat. Strawberries may seem really tasty, but they are too high in sugar and their leaves can irritate cats’ skin. Grapes are strictly to be avoided. They are toxic to both cats and dogs. Eating grapes could lead to kidney failure in cats.