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Can Cats Eat Strawberries? Vet Reviewed Facts & FAQs

As pet parents, we all love to treat our cats, but everything we eat isn’t necessarily good for our cats. Cats can eat strawberries in moderation, but they contain few nutrients that can benefit your feline. You also need to ensure that you pull off the stem and leaf of the strawberry since they could be a shocking hazard for your cat. We’ll talk about strawberries, other fruits, veggies, and more below, so you’ll know what’s safe to give your feline pal and what’s not.

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Can Cats Eat Strawberries?

Cats can eat strawberries, but as with all safe human treats, they should be eaten in moderation. If you remove the stem and leaf, a piece of strawberry poses no threat to your cat, as they’re non-toxic. You can feed strawberries as a rare treat, but they should not be part of their regular diet. A few strawberries a week is acceptable, but if they eat too many at once, they can get an upset stomach and diarrhea.

cut strawberries
Image Credit: Skitterphoto, Pixabay

Are Strawberries Good for Cats?

So, you know your cat can have strawberries in moderation, but do strawberries benefit your cat? The answer to that question is yes, but not enough to matter. Strawberries provide some potassium, folate, vitamin C, and fiber, but they’re also chock full of natural sugar and carbohydrates. These sugars and carbs balance out the positives.

Strawberries are much less nutritionally valuable for cats than for humans or dogs. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they rely purely on meat for survival and can’t properly digest plants. Cats are built to eat meat and only meat; their bodies aren’t designed to eat many plants. However, as long as they’re served only occasionally, strawberries should cause no problems for your feline.

Possible Side Effects of Cats Eating Strawberries

Some cats may have a hard time digesting strawberries, in which case they may begin to vomit and develop diarrhea. If your cat develops these signs, you should stop feeding them strawberries. Strawberries can also cause problems for overweight and diabetic cats and should never be given to them.

cat smelling the fresh strawberry
Image Credit: somkhana, Shutterstock

Cats Might Not Even be Able to Taste Strawberries

Recent studies have concluded that cats don’t have the necessary taste receptors to taste sweetness. Because of that, most cats will be done after taking one bite of a strawberry. While your cat probably won’t taste the sweetness of strawberries, some enjoy the texture and may keep eating them.

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What Other Fruits Can Cats Eat?

Strawberries aren’t the only fruit you can give to your cat as a treat. Watermelon is safe for your cat if you keep the rind and seed away from them, as are blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, mangos, and pineapple.

Apricots, apples, and pears are safe if you remove the stems, pits, and seeds. Cats can also eat cantaloupe, cucumbers, and kiwis. As you can see, there’s no shortage of fruit you can safely give your feline friend, but what about the fruits you should keep away from them?

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Image Credit: Kachalkina Veronika, Shutterstock

What Fruits Aren’t Safe for Cats

Some fruits that we enjoy are toxic for our cats. Dangerous fruits you should keep far from your cat include grapes, raisins, and citrus fruits. Grapes and raisins may cause severe problems for some cats, including vomiting, diarrhea, digestion issues, lethargy, and kidney failure. Citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges, and limes can cause vomiting, digestive problems, diarrhea, and central nervous system depression. If your cat eats any of these, you should immediately call your vet.

Can Cats Eat Vegetables?

Yes, cats can eat some vegetables, but many don’t like the taste or texture. Artichokes, asparagus, eggplant, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, peppers, olives, sweet potato, zucchini, green beans, and spinach are all safe.

Carrots and celery are perfectly safe if you cut them into small pieces before your cat eats them. Winter squash and pumpkin can also make good treats once the pits, rinds, seeds, and stems have been removed.

Vegetables to avoid are green tomatoes, chives, garlic, onion, leek, wild mushrooms, and rhubarb. These can all be life-threatening for your cat and should be avoided; if your cat eats any of them, call your vet.

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Wrap Up

As you see, cats can eat strawberries, but only in moderation. Cats should not eat fruits high in sugar frequently, even if that fruit contains all-natural sugar. Strawberries and other fruits aren’t good for your cat because of the sugar, and on top of that, cats are carnivores, which means they need meals and treats with protein. If you share your strawberries with your furry friend, only serve small portions to prevent an upset stomach.

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Featured Image Credit: Jacek Dylag, Unsplash

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