As one of the most popular desserts all over the world, cheesecake has become interesting for cat owners too. Why can cats eat cheesecake in the first place? Well, maybe your feline friend decided to steal a bite or two off your plate.
But, should you be worried if that happens? If the cheesecake doesn’t contain toxic ingredients, your cat should be totally fine. We’ll talk more about those toxic ingredients later on.
Typically, cats should not eat cheesecake because it could upset their digestive system. Stick with our article and you’ll find all about this matter.
Why Cheesecake Could Do Harm To Your Cat
I think that we can all agree on some ingredients that make cheesecake a cheesecake, that would be a sour cream and a heavy dose of cream cheese, the rest can vary from person to person.
Even though many people think that cats are heavy mil drinkers, that is usually not the case since most felines are lactose intolerant. That means that their digestive system cannot digest the sugars in the dairy products.
If cats consume dairy products, and eat cheesecake, it can lead to diarrhea and vomiting. There are cats that can tolerate dairy better than others, and if your cat falls into that same group, a small portion of the cheesecake, and when we say small portion we mean one bite, won’t necessarily make them sick.
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Why Cheesecake Isn’t Healthy For Your Cat
We cannot avoid the fact that most cheesecakes will contain fat and sugars. We know that we should avoid these things or at least limit the amount if we want to live healthier lives, and the same goes for cats.
Sugar as an additive ingredient has minimal nutritional value for cats, due to them being obligate carnivores which means they need to get their nutrients from animal sources.
However, sugar comes from plants and due to that, it is just impossible for cats to digest it properly. It can cause them to vomit and have diarrhea.
If the consumption of sugar is long-term, it can lead to diabetes and obesity. Because cats cannot taste sweet flowers in the first place, they don’t crave cheesecake as we do.
Another problem with cheesecake is the fat. Healthy adult cats will need a moderate amount of fat in their nutrition and diet, but they don’t need too much.
Consuming high-fat foods, eating sugar will lead cats to obesity. That will increase many health issues like arthritis, cancer, high-blood pressure and heart disease.
See Also: Can Cats Eat Jello And Potential Benefits And Risks
Toxic Ingredients Possible In Cheesecake
Many cheesecake recipes won’t contain toxic elements, but there are so many variations that some of them must contain. Consuming these types of cheesecake can cause trouble to your furry friend.
Let’s see what those “toxic” ingredients are!
Raisins
Some cheesecake recipes can be dangerous for your cat, like rum raisin cheesecake.
Eating raisins and grapes can be harmful for your feline, and often lead to vomiting and possible kidney problems.
Because the raisins are dried, they’re toxic in small amounts so if your cat gets in touch with even a few ones, it can cause serious problems.
Chocolate
Chocolate poisoning is less common in cats than dogs, but it is possible. If your feline friends consume chocolate, it can lead to serious issues.
As cheesecakes can contain many chocolate forms like chocolate drizzle, chocolate crusts and cocoa powder, consuming such types of cheesecake can lead to many problems.
Chocolate contains caffeine, theobromine, which act as stimulants and those two are not something your feline friend can digest. Dark chocolate has high levels of theobromine, and that determines how toxic the chocolate is.
Symptoms of chocolate toxicity are:
- Excessive thirst and urination
- Lethargy
- Vomiting
- Restlessness/Nervousness
- Seizures
- Diarrhea
- Coma
- Increased blood pressure
- Nausea
- Tremors
Eating too much chocolate can be fatal. However, the amount of chocolate that causes problems will depend on its sensitivity and the weight of the cat, but consuming even a little bit of dark chocolate can cause serious health issues.
When it comes to chocolate cheesecake, we know that it is made from dark chocolate so it is logical that it can make many cats seriously ill.
Xylitol
What is a xylitol? That is a common sugar substitute that is extremely dangerous for dogs, not so much for cats since they don’t have the same side effects, but it is important that your cat avoids this since potential side effects are awful.
Short-term, this sugar substitute causes cats to have low blood sugar levels, while long-term they can lead to liver failure.
Even though one study showed that cats are more tolerable to xylitol than dogs, it is still recommended by the vets that cats should also avoid it.
Do Cats Even Like Cheesecake?
We are worried about cats consuming cheesecake, unaware if cats even like to eat it. This will probably depend on the cat. Cheesecake is sweet and cats are unable to taste it, however the cake also consists of other flavor profiles which cats can taste and might even like.
Those cats that enjoy eating milk, cheese and cream are likely to love cheesecake more than those who don’t. If your cat wants a bit of your cheesecake, make sure that it is cooked so they don’t eat raw eggs. We cannot guarantee that your cat will like it or not.
My cat has never shown interest in tasting something sweet, however she’ll gladly hop on anything that has been left from our lunch on the table or on the counter. We constantly need to watch over her.
See Also: Can Cats Drink Almond Milk Or Is It Dangerous For Them?
Can Cheesecake Kill Your Cat?
You don’t have to panic if your cat stops a bite of plain cheesecake, it won’t kill her. To do such harm that leads to death, cat should eat a lot of it and regularly. But, that won’t happen so you don’t have to be worried.
However, your cat might regret stealing that bite since it may feel some discomfort later because most cats are lactose intolerant and we don’t have to tell you how much lactose cheesecake contains.
In the 24-hours after the stolen bite, you may see some symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting and stomach ache. But your cat will be okay soon enough, if that doesn’t happen for several days.
However, if your cats eat cheesecake often, that will have a long term effect not only on the gastrointestinal system. Since cheesecake is full of sugar and carbohydrates, it will cause them a lot of problems since they cannot digest it accordingly.
Along with that, cats cannot process sugar regularly and it causes spikes in their blood sugar, which over time will lead to weight gain due to too much junk food and carbs.
All that will lead to mobility issues, diabetes and joint problems. Also, it can lead to dental issues because the sugar is the first suspect for making teeth rot.
All of this above mentioned can happen if your cat is a fan of plane cheesecake and gets it regularly. The bigger danger is if your cat eats other types of cheesecake like coffee, chocolate or liquor in it.
There are some safer cheesecakes than chocolate, but the best option for one bite is definitely plain cheesecake since others can contain more sugar.
So, when we put it all together, it is concluded that a small bite of a plain cheesecake won’t kill your cat. However, there could be so many complications because there are so many flavors so it is best that they don’t eat it.
How Much Cheesecake Can Your Cat Eat?
Your feline friend could take a small bite of your cheesecake, but the lactose may cause discomfort to your cat and it is probably best if she resists it.
Final words
So can cats eat cheesecake? Stealing a bite or two off your cheesecake won’t harm your cat but let’s not make it a habit, because in the long run it can cause some problems
Stick with your cat's diet that is appropriate according to their nutritional needs. If you just cannot resist giving some human food treats to your furry friend, try small amounts of some healthier variants like fish, eggs or cooked meat.
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