Cucumbers are tasty, juicy vegetables, and though mostly water, they are still nutritious. They are about 90% water. They are good sources of some important nutrients such as copper, manganese, vitamin K, and potassium. These nutrients are not only good for humans but also cats. Just make sure they are raw cucumbers and not picked cucumbers as those are not good for cats. Since cucumbers are full of water, a few slices will make an excellent treat on a warm summer day for your cat. They will help to keep your cat hydrated and helps them with their thirst.
Why they should not eat pickled cucumbers?
The main reason that they should not eat pickled cucumbers is because of all the salt and there is a slim chance that they may contain garlic, which is highly toxic to cats. On average, a pickled cucumber has around eight times the amount of salt a cat needs in its daily diet. If they have too much salt in their body it could cause high blood pressure and salt poisoning. If they have salt poisoning, they could have vomiting, diarrhea, and even have a seizure.
As we all know, pickled cucumbers use dill and while that can help a cat get rid of some of its digestive problems and give them a good source of iron, magnesium, calcium, and iron, there is still too much salt for the cat to digest. If you want to give them some dill, use fresh dill. It will be better for them.
Benefits of eating cucumbers
- For your cat, one of the benefits of eating cucumbers is that it contains This is crucial for your cat’s metabolism.
- The high content of vitamin K helps cakes to make the blood clotting factors in their liver.
- The vitamins and minerals in cucumbers are essential for the well-being and growth of your cat.
- Eating cucumbers can help to reduce the risk of several types of cancers and reduce their risk of having cardiovascular disease.
- The calorie content is low so it can also help your cat lose weight.
- For some cats, eating cucumbers help to keep their digestion system in shape so if your cat appears constipated; try to see if you can get them to eat a slice of cucumber.
- They also have beta carotene, manganese, copper, and potassium
Things to remember
- One thing to remember is that because they are high in water, and though you can give them to the cats a few times a week, you should not give them more than one or two slices at a time. Any more can give your cat diarrhea.
- When giving your cat cucumbers you should always peel them first. Many times the cucumbers have been sprayed with some type of pesticides and no matter how much you wash them, the pesticides can still be on the cucumber and make them very sick, maybe even kill them.
- Even if they are organic cucumbers you should still peel them because the skin can be hard to chew and digest, giving them an upset stomach.
- Cats do not have the ability to digest large amounts of plant food so if they ate too much plant food, which cucumbers are, they may make a cat bloated.
How to serve cucumbers
You can just give them a slice but some may have trouble biting off a piece or just do not like to bite pieces off so you should chop up the slice for them. The pieces do not have to be tiny but just make sure that they cannot accidentally swallow a hunk and choke to death on it. Try to watch your cat if you feed them a piece of cucumber to make sure that does not happen.
If you have never given your cat cucumber try them on a small piece and see how they react. If it a small hunk they may just bat it around on the floor and not eat it. It is important to remember that cucumbers are a treat for the cat and should try to become a meal substitute. They need what is in their food to keep them healthy.
Cucumbers are actually one of the things that humans eat that a cat can eat without them experiencing any problems. The only thing that can happen is that they can get diarrhea if they eat too many. Cats seem to like cucumbers because of the water content in them.
Use cucumber as a treat and not something they get every day. Cats are obligate carnivores and if they are getting cucumbers every day, they may stop eating their regular foods because they have filled up on cucumbers. This is not good because cats need meat to provide their body with all the nutrients that their body needs.
In conclusion
Cats are carnivores and they need meat in order to get the nutrients that they need to survive and grow. In the wild, they would not normally eat cucumbers so that is why they probably do not have any interest in them if you should offer them to your cat. They may smell them or even lick them but most will just walk away. You should never try to replace a meal with cucumbers because they need the nutrients that their regular cat food gives them.
Before adding any new food to your cat’s diet make sure that you talk to your vet to be sure it is okay. With cucumbers, you just have to remember that if you give them too much that it can give them diarrhea because of the water content. Also, remember that you need to peel them first. Not being raised on vegetables may not be something that your cat wants to eat. Always make sure that you are feeding your cat a healthy, well-balanced diet and using cucumbers as a treat only. And do not feed them pickled cucumbers.