Can Cats Eat Cheerios

Gone are the days when cheerios were popular only in the USA. Today, these small and sweet O-shaped cereals are enjoyed by people all over the world. Since it is a healthy grain-based dish, many people enjoy having cheerios for breakfast. Cheerios come in different flavors. Quite obviously, kids love the chocolate-flavored cheerios more than the other options.

While you love and relish this dish, can you give it to your cats? Can cats eat cheerios? Do cheerios pose any health risks to cats? If you have a cat at home, you may wonder about these points. Keep reading the further sections, as we tell you more about these questions. After reading this article, you will know clearly if you can feed cheerios to your cats or not.

The short answer to the question, “can cats eat cheerios” is no. While cheerios aren’t exactly toxic or fatal for cats, they are also not healthy for cats. Cheerios don’t contain anything that would benefit felines in any way. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you keep them away from cheerios (regardless of the flavor) as much as possible.

Are cheerios safe for cats?

Grains and sugar are the main ingredients of cheerios. Some people may argue that the sweetness for cheerios mostly comes from honey and not sugar. While it makes a healthy alternative for humans, the same cannot be said about cats. You might already know that the bodies of cats are designed in such a way that they cannot understand the sweetness at all. They cannot digest sweet foods properly. Overconsumption of sweets can lead to the disruption of the cat’s digestive system.

Is your cat sensitive to gluten or sugar?

Some cats are intolerant to substances like grains, glutens and sugars. All of these are the main ingredients in cheerios. So, before charting out your cat’s diet chart, please conduct a thorough health check on your cats. Please check with your vet about the allergies of your cats, if any. Your vet should also be able to tell you if your cat is intolerant to certain substances. If your feline cannot accept foods that contain grains, gluten, or sugars, then cheerios are definitely not the treat for them.

However, this doesn’t mean you can give cheerios to cats that aren’t intolerant to these substances. As we already told you, cheerios don’t contain anything healthy or nutritional for felines. So, it is better you keep them far from cheerios. Cheerios can cause severe health issues in cats, if the felines consume many of them over a long period of time.

Sugar- the main culprit in cheerios

Though some companies claim they use real honey for the sweetness in their cheerios, you know better than to believe them. Most of the cheerio brands available in the market use only a small bit of honey. They use artificial sugars, processed sugars and other sugar substitutes to contribute to the sweetness in them. All of these are quite toxic to cats, if ingested in large quantities.

In their natural habitats, cats don’t eat sweet things. Since, they are carnivores. They always hunt other small animals for food. So, their digestive tracts are adapted to digestive meat and meat-based foods only. Some fruits and vegetables can be given to them occasionally as treats. These should be more than enough to cover their diet chart. They don’t need anything sugar-based in their diet plan.

The sugar, which is used in cheerios, can cause problems in the gastrointestinal tract and gut of the cats. Though small bits of cheerios should not harm your cats, overconsumption of this cereal can lead to severe gut-related issues. The most common symptoms that cats exhibit when they have over-consumed sugar or sugar-based products are tooth decay, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach upset, increased weight, diabetes, lethargy and loss of appetite.

Are the grains used in cheerios bad for cats, too?

As you know, cheerios are made from grains mainly. It might surprise you to know that grains are not beneficial for cats at all. For humans, whole grains are considered healthy choices because they are rich in proteins, vitamins and mineral content. They can give cats some of these nutrients, too.

However, the important point is that cats don’t need grains to get their daily recommended dosage of proteins, vitamins, or minerals. They have their staple foods of meat and seafood to take care of these requirements. Grains act as fillers in a cat’s diet. This means, cats can easily feel full after eating very little amounts of grain-based foods.

They eat very little, but they feel full. As a result, exposing cats to grain-rich foods can only upset their stomachs, and make them lose their appetite very soon. Though they provide some nutrients to cats, they bring about a lot of disadvantages with them. So, it is wise to keep cats away from cheerios and all other grain-rich foods.

Healthy alternatives to cheerios

Meats and seafood are the best choices of foods for cats. These contain enough nutrients for the felines to stay healthy throughout their lifespan. You can always give them some healthy vegetables and fruits for treats after consulting with your vet. Please speak with your vet to know what types of fruits and vegetables can be given to felines, so that you can prevent cases of allergies and intolerance, if any.

If you want to give them more protein than their current consumption levels, you can include a little bit of cooked rice in their diet. This gluten-free source of protein is quite healthy for cats, when given in small quantities.

Final Word

Cheerios may be a healthy breakfast option for you, but they shouldn’t form part of your cat’s diet. The grains and sugars in cheerios are very bad for cats. If felines consume large quantities of cheerios for many weeks, they can suffer from severe gastrointestinal problems. Cheerios, regardless of their flavor, are dangerous for cats. If they have chocolate in them, please ensure that cats don’t bite even a small bit, as chocolate can be toxic for felines.