Human beings have some superfoods that should be eaten regularly to stay healthy and fit forever. These superfoods are loaded with nutrients that we need on an everyday basis. Walnuts are one such superfood that we are all aware of. Though all nuts are healthy, walnuts are considered the most beneficial of the lot. They are called brain foods for a reason.
Walnuts are shaped like the human brain, which is why they are considered one of the best food for the overall power and strength of the brain. Walnuts help improve memory, weight loss, reduction of inflammation, and overall improvement of gut health. Since they are so healthy and loaded with important nutrients, can you give them to cats also?
If you want to know if you can feed walnuts to cats, you have come to the right place. Are walnuts safe for cats? Do they pose any health risks for the felines? Please keep reading the following sections to know more about the answers to these questions.
Is it safe to feed walnuts to cats?
The straightforward answer to this question is no. You cannot feed walnuts or any other nuts to cats. Nuts are classified as one of the most toxic foods for cats. Though the omega- 3 fatty acids and other nutrients present in nuts benefit humans greatly, they don’t give the same benefits to cats. Since the digestive systems of humans and cats are designed differently, walnuts can pose serious health risks to cats.
The fats in the walnuts are difficult to get digested in the sensitive stomach of the cats. Therefore, cats can suffer from issues like vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, pain in the stomach, lethargy, and pancreatic, if they consume nuts even in small quantities.
If your cats accidentally nibbled on a small piece of walnut, it may feel uncomfortable for a while. Your cat should be alright in a few hours, in this case. However, if your cats have consumed a considerable quantity of walnuts, you have to show them to the vet to diagnose the issue properly. In severe cases, overconsumption of walnuts can also lead to kidney failure in cats.
Can I give flavored walnuts to cats?
No, you cannot feed flavored walnuts to cats at all. When plain walnuts can cause so many health hazards to cats, you can imagine the risks associated with feeding flavored walnuts to cats. The two most common flavors of walnuts you will find in different foods are salted walnuts and chocolate-flavored walnuts. Let us look into the details of each of these.
Salted walnuts and cats
It wouldn’t be wrong to state that salted walnuts are a cat’s enemy. You should avoid giving salt-rich foods to your cats, as it can cause a condition called salt toxicity, or sodium poisoning. When you feed cats salted walnuts, you are attacking them both the ways – with the evils of nuts and salt.
Too much salt consumption makes them thirsty, but it is a big challenge to drink water. As a result, they start to feel dehydrated. How can you know if your cat is suffering from salt toxicity? Watch out for these symptoms in your felines:
- Vomiting, Diarrhea, and Nausea
- Overall reduction in appetite or loss of interest in eating
- Lethargy and weakness
- Tremors and Seizures
- Increased urge to urinate or excessive feeling of thirst
- Damage to the kidney or liver
- Coma (severe cases)
In some cases, salt poisoning can also lead to damage to the brain and death. When you notice these symptoms, rush your cat to the vet immediately. Depending on the pet’s condition, he will start the right treatment to help your cat bounce back to normalcy.
Chocolate walnuts and cats
It would help if you never fed any chocolate-based dishes to your cats. The digestive system of cats is not equipped to handle chocolates, and it can react strongly. Chocolate has theobromine in it, and this is a toxic element for cats. When consumed in large quantities, theobromine can cause damage to the nervous system, stomach upsets, increased heart rate, high fever, damage to the kidney and liver, rapid breaths, muscle rigidity, vomiting, diarrhea, and allergic reactions in cats.
Can walnuts kill cats?
The simple answer to this question is no. No, walnuts cannot cause death in cats. However, they can cause many other serious health hazards, leading to death if not treated at the right time. Cats are carnivorous animals; therefore, their digestive system can handle only animal protein that they get from meat and seafood.
Walnuts, on the other hand, are plant-based proteins. Therefore, their digestive cannot handle them properly. When they eat more walnuts than they should, cats experience severe discomfort in their stomach. Overconsumption of walnuts leads to feline pancreatic. This is a condition where the pancreas of cats gets inflamed because they can’t release the juices they secrete into the digestive system. This condition leads to severe irritation and pain in the cat’s stomach. So, it is highly recommended not to keep cats anywhere near walnuts or any other nuts.
Is it alright to feed cats any other walnut-based food item?
While many people know that they aren’t supposed to feed walnuts to their cats, they are not clear whether they can provide other walnut-based foods to their cats. This includes walnut cake, walnut butter, walnut milk, and walnut shells. Butter, cake, and milk are high in fat, sugar, and lactose. All of these are toxic to cats. So, when you add walnuts to these dishes, you only make it even more harmful for your pets. An important point to note with respect to walnut shells is that they can cause choking in cats, even if they are broken down into small pieces. So, it is recommended not to feed anything walnut-based to your cats.
Final Word
It is quite surprising to note that walnuts, considered immensely beneficial for humans, are actually toxic for cats. The good fats present in the walnuts are too much to handle for the sensitive digestive system of cats. So, it is better if you don’t feed even a small piece of walnut or walnut-based dishes to your cats if you want them to stay healthy.