Nutella is the type of food we all love to eat. All of us can consume Nutella with everything and anything. However, are you compelled to feed Nutella to your cats too? Does your cat love to lick Nutella? Is it safe for your feline friends to eat Nutella? If you want to know the answers to these questions, you have come to the right place.
Can cats eat Nutella?
We all have a clear idea of foods that are feline friendly and human friendly. This is no different. Small treats of happiness should be given to your pets as a surprise. Unlike humans, pets have a very different digestive system, which may or may not accept the food you feed them.
So the answer to the question, “can cats eat Nutella” is No. Unsurprisingly, you cannot feed Nutella to cats. Due to its high sugar and fat count, Nutella can be highly dangerous for your cats’ health. So before feeding Nutella to your cats it is recommended you be careful about the dietary patterns of cats.
Risk of giving Nutella to cats
As we very rightly mentioned above, Nutella is very low on nutrition. Although 2 tablespoons can provide your cat with 2 grams of protein, it is still very little for cats. They need more proteins, as they are obligate carnivores by nature. You should also note that Nutella, considered to be the world’s best chocolate spread, contains over 200 calories and 11 grams of fat in those 2 tablespoons. We would not recommend feeding Nutella to your cats, as they can easily derive those 2 grams of protein and more from their other healthy foods and treats.
Cats do not have taste receptors for sweetness. These felines do not die due to sweet poisoning because they are least interested in sweet food. Still, they would want sweet food because of the presence of dairy in it. Cats love dairy foods. Unlike humans, cats only enjoy meals that are highly filled with fat, which can also cause them to become overweight, leading to severe health issues. Feline obesity is one of the common problems witnessed in cats today.
Nutella is a chocolate spread. Therefore, just like chocolate, it contains theobromine, an element that triggers toxic reactions in cats. When consumed in large quantities, theobromine can cause severe digestive ailments in felines. Some of the early symptoms that cats exhibit when their digestive system cannot handle theobromine are:
- Increased palpitations
- Decrease in blood pressure
- Increases fluid loss
- Damage to the nervous system
Most cats will not be affected by small amounts of Nutella. However, there is no need for you to risk your feline’s life by feeding them something that is too toxic for them. Nutella doesn’t provide any nutrients to your cats, either.
If you want to feed your cat a spreadable treat, you could try giving them peanut butter. Peanut butter is a much healthier option and has sufficient nutritional value when compared to Nutella. Though cats are allergic to most nuts, they aren’t allergic to peanuts. Peanuts are known to provide felines with multiple vitamins and minerals.
Can Nutella kill cats?
Cats are not very friendly with nuts. When it comes to certain types of nuts, like walnut or macadamia, cats cannot handle them at all. These nuts are proven as poisonous and fatal to cats. When we talk about Nutella, we all know it is a famous hazelnut spread. Cats may be allergic to hazelnuts as well. A few licks, occasionally, shouldn’t ring the alarm bells for you. However, the important thing to remember is that Nutella contains 58% sugar and 10% fat, making them a strict no for cats.
If you feed a big chunk of Nutella to cats, their liver may reject the food as they lack certain enzymes to digest nutty foods. Just because cats can lick away chocolate spreads, you shouldn’t let them do it. Apart from being very low on nutritional value, Nutella also poses several health risks to felines. So, please be careful and mindful about the foods /treats that your cat can eat, and cannot.
A small amount of chocolate is not fatal for cats. Nevertheless, if they eat too much, especially dark chocolate, it can be very toxic. Theobromine is a chemical compound that is found in cocoa. The more the presence of theobromine, the more toxic it is for your cat. As you all know, cocoa is one of the main ingredients in Nutella. Therefore, that Nutella is not a treat that you should be feeding your cats regularly. We wouldn’t recommend this even as occasional treats, because any chocolate-based dish can trigger severe toxic and allergic reactions in pets.
If your cats accidentally consumed a lot of Nutella, you should rush them to the vet even if they are immune to hazelnuts. After all, hazelnuts aren’t the prime culprits in Nutella. It is the cocoa content in the spread. Unless you show your cat to the vet, you can never be sure how the cocoa has impacted your cat’s digestive system. No matter how much your cat purrs at the sight of Nutella, be firm not to fall for his cute mannerisms. Avoid feeding Nutella to your cat, at all costs.
Small, occasional licks, to some extent, can be okay. You should keep your cats away from Nutella jars. Overconsumption of Nutella can cause severe internal damage to cats. Their digestive systems are not equipped to handle the chocolate and nutty flavors in Nutella, because they are designed to handle only meat and seafood-based foods. Always bear in mind that your feline friends have very sensitive tummies.
Final Word
Your cat may give you the cutest expressions when she sees you opening a jar of Nutella. Remember not to fall for these, ever. Chocolate-based foods are too toxic for cats. Nutella, being a hazelnut chocolate spread, is no exception to this rule. Never feed Nutella to cats, because of the cocoa, nuts, and sugars in the spread.
Instead, you can give your cat low-sugar or low-fat treats that veterinarians recommend to ensure that your cats stay healthy throughout their lifetime. The chemical compounds and the harmful toxins in Nutella can be very toxic for felines, which is why you shouldn’t feed them Nutella ever.