Cats are carnivores and love meat, so you may wonder if your little furry friend can eat this classic Italian dish. Also, we have all seen the beloved Garfield, devouring a large plate of lasagna.
Yet you may have wondered if that was just a thing that cartoon cats could eat, or has your own cat been eyeing up your lasagna at meal time.
In this article, we will discuss whether your cat can eat lasagna or not.
What’s In Your Lasagna?
Your cat can eat lasagna, but it does depend on the ingredients that are used to make the lasagna. Certain ingredients like garlic could make your cat quite ill.
As a result, if you want to give your cat lasagna, you should only give them homemade lasagna where you know what ingredients have been put in it.
If your neighbor has given you a lasagna, or you have brought one from the store, then you avoid giving these to your cat.
Cats aren’t allergic to lasagna, but some ingredients can make them sick. The main ingredient is garlic, which most cats hate.
Other ingredients include salt, chives, tomatoes, and pasta. Your cat may enjoy eating lasagna, but it should be avoided if you want him or her to stay healthy.
Cats don’t need much salt, and a lasagna could contain too much salt for your cat’s diet. A cat’s body isn’t suited to dealing with the amount of garlic, dairy, salt, and sauce that a lasagna contains.
You may think this is a little treat for your cat, but really it isn’t the safest food for your cat to consume.
Why Shouldn’t Cats Eat Garlic?
Garlic is one of those things that many people just assume their pets can eat without thinking about it. It’s true that cats do love garlic, but they also dislike it.
That’s because cats are obligate carnivores, and they require high amounts of protein in their diets. They cannot get enough protein from plants, so they must consume animal proteins.
When cats eat garlic, they produce enzymes called amine oxidase. These enzymes break down the amino acids found in garlic into ammonia gas.
This gas irritates the lining of the stomach and intestines causing nausea and vomiting. Some cats even go as far as having diarrhea when they eat garlic.
Eating small amounts of garlic isn’t too bad, but buying large quantities is awful for your cat. Garlic can also cause your cat to become anemic, as the garlic destroys red blood cells much quicker than they can be reproduced.
This causes your cat to lose iron, which is necessary for good health. To keep your cat safe from garlic, you should limit its consumption to small quantities.
Is Your Cat Allergic To Lasagna?
If your cat seems to be allergic to lasagna, there are several reasons why he or she might react negatively to the dish. First off, it’s important to note that cats are not actually allergic to lasagna.
Cats are allergic to certain ingredients in the dish. For example, cats can be allergic to tomatoes, cheese, and milk. Any of these ingredients can trigger an allergic reaction in your cat.
There are other ingredients that can cause problems as well. Salt is another common issue for cats. Even though it doesn’t seem like it, cats have very sensitive taste buds, and they can easily overindulge in foods containing salt.
Chives and garlic can also cause concerns for cats. Chives are known to cause gastrointestinal disorders, and garlic can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
What Happens If Your Cat Eats Lasagna?
When your cat eats lasagna, he or she will likely experience some sort of upset tummy. There are two ways this happens. Either your cat will vomit or he or she will develop diarrhea.
Both of these conditions are signs that your cat has eaten something he or she shouldn’t have. Diarrhea is caused by excessive salivation of the digestive tract.
Vomiting occurs when your cat feels unwell due to his or her inability to process the food properly. In both cases, your cat needs medical attention immediately.
However, in most cases if they have just eaten a small sample of lasagna, there should be nothing to worry about. It is only if they have eaten a large portion, you may want to call your vet and ask for their opinion.
Although, this does depend on the ingredients that you have used to make your lasagna. Yet, your vet will most likely tell you to just keep an eye on your cat for the next few hours to see what happens.
Why Do We Think Cats Should Eat Lasagna?
A lot of people think that cats will like and will enjoy lasagna because of Garfield. Who is Garfield, you may ask? Garfield was the popular comic strip cat, and was often seen eating a large plate of lasagna for every meal.
Yet while lasagna was ideal for Garfield, that doesn’t mean it is great for your real cat.
Therefore, this idea that cats will like a plate of lasagna has been installed into us through Garfield.
Yet what is important to remember, is that Garfield is a fake comic/CGI cat who talks! Our cats can’t talk, and really they shouldn’t be eating lasagna either, as the ingredients in it could make them really ill.
Final Thoughts
Cats can eat lasagna, but that doesn’t mean that they should. We may have seen our blooded eating Garlic, eating lasagna growing up, but our pets today should stay well away from lasagna.
Unless you modify it for a cat’s diet and needs, the ingredients used in a lasagna such as the garlic and the salt quantity is too much for a cat’s digestive system to handle.
If your cat consumes too much lasagna, this could make them really ill. As a result, you should try to keep your feline friends away from any human foods, to keep them safe.
If they do eat something they shouldn’t, then go speak to your vet.
I am aiming to shed new light on these amazing pets and hopefully change some people’s opinions on them. Also, let’s talk about wild cats - they’re just as awesome as domestic cats!
So, stay a while and learn more about domestic and wild cats from Windhaven Ocicats.
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