Did you know that Americans eat around 6 pounds of butter per year on average? (1) Now with 46.5 million households having a cat, you may be thinking that the cats also must have crawled onto the butter-loving wave. Well, if your cat has, you need to stop it because butter, although not toxic, can be really harmful to cats.
We know that butter is mostly fat. But surprisingly, butter is also rich in vitamins like A, D, E, B12 and K2. (2) This doesn’t mean you should rely on butter for these nutrients though as you would need a lot of butter to match your daily vitamin needs and along with these vitamins, you’ll be stuffing yourself with a lot of fats.
When it comes to cats, a small amount of plain butter may not kill them. But it is important to know that butter is a dairy product, and all cats are lactose intolerant. So, the real question is -
Is Butter Good for Cats?
The answer is no. Despite all the vitamins, the high fat content in butter can cause problems in a cat’s intestinal tract. It can have the pancreas inflamed which can lead to gastroenteritis (inflammation of the lining of the intestines) and pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). (3)
The early signs here may be vomiting and diarrhea but when butter is consumed in a large quantity and at regular intervals, it can cause severe problems in a cat. Along with vomiting and diarrhea, it can cause severe abdominal pain, decreased appetite and weight loss in cats. Not to forget the high chances of obesity and diabetes. And if your cat ends up suffering from pancreatitis, it can turn out to be life-threatening as well. (3)
Do Cats Like Butter?
There is a very high chance that your cat will love butter. This is because cats love foods that are high in fat which dairy products mostly are. Butter is like a triple treat for cats – creamy, fatty and salty, everything that cats love.
Just like you cannot trust a small baby with its nutritional choices, you shouldn’t trust a cat with the same. Or else, you’ll have an obese cat with multiple diseases playing with a kid with ADHD swimming in chocolate.
What to do if a cat eats butter?
There are 2 major possibilities here –
You know how much butter the cat ate
You were busy attending a meeting that could’ve just been a mail while your cat was enjoying a butter party.
In the first case, if you are sure that it was just a couple of licks then you need not worry. Even if you see some signs of discomfort like vomiting or mild diarrhea, it will get cured by itself within a day.
In case 2, there is a chance that your meeting lasted way longer than expected and your cat ended up licking a lot of butter (you better remember how much of it you left open outside to estimate how much your cat ate). Here, you may see signs like vomiting and diarrhea continue for more than a day. You may also see signs like restlessness, bloating, gas, not wanting to be picked up, etc. If you do, you need to contact a vet or take your cat to one immediately. (3)
Can Cats Eat Bread and Butter?
We’ve already established that butter is not good for your cat. Bread is the same. It may not kill your cat but will definitely not provide any nutritional benefit and may even cause gastrointestinal problems in your cat.
It is always better to go for cat-safe snacks and keep the bread-butter to you (even you can avoid it if you want to live a healthy life).
More About Spot Pet Insurance
Having a cat in the house is a beautiful experience. But there will be times when your feline ends up feasting on things they are not supposed to or you unknowingly feed them foods that can cause a digestive upset and other problems for them. In case you’re wondering what are those foods that can be a potential harm to your cat, here are some – (4)
Chocolate
Onions
Garlic
Grapes
Raisins
Tomatoes
Cherries
Raw fish, meat or eggs
Citrus fruits
Some cases may get serious, and your cat may even need surgery. For those times and for all others when you have to take your cat to the vet, you can save up to 90% of the costs with pet health insurance.
Cat Insurance helps to provide pet parents with additional financial support and peace of mind when it comes to the health and wellness of their pets. With a Spot plan, pet parents can receive up to 90% cash back on eligible vet bills. This way pet parents can focus on caring for and supporting their pets. Spot's also offers preventive care add-ons, which can help cover the eligible costs of spaying and neutering, dental cleaning, vaccinations, and other routine care services.
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