Can Cats Eat Animal Crackers?

As a responsible cat owner, it’s important you ask questions about what they can eat and what is forbidden for them. Cats are quite picky when it comes to food. Even though these felines follow their stomach, they can still hate some foods. On the other hand, some foods certainly hate cats.

Can cats eat animal crackers? We all have asked this question at least once in our life. Well, the short answer to this question is YES. Cats can eat animal crackers but in moderation. Keep on reading to learn why your feline should not eat animal crackers on a daily basis and what kind of crackers they can eat.

What are Animal Crackers?

Let’s start with the basics: what are actually animal crackers?

An animal cracker is a specific type of small cookie or cracker baked in the shapes of animals. Usually, these crackers resemble animals found in a circus or zoo, such as elephants, bears, tigers, and lions. These snacks are slightly sweet and light-colored. However, some producers do sell colorful frosted variations and darker chocolate-flavored animal crackers as well.

Animal crackers are usually made with dough. Besides unbleached enriched flour, most producers also use natural and artificial flavors, dextrose, fructose, vitamins, baking soda, and soy lecithin to make animal crackers.

Cats and Animal Crackers

Can cats have animal crackers? Well, most veterinarians out there recommend avoiding giving animal crackers to your feline friend because they do more harm than good. To this date, there are no proven health benefits of animal crackers.

Furthermore, most ingredients of animal crackers are plant-based. As you already know, cats are carnivores; plant-based protein is certainly not an ideal nutrient for your little furball. So, the real question is, are crackers bad for cats?

Well, here are some of the most common side effects of crackers to your feline:

• High blood pressure
• Metabolic syndrome
• Obesity
• Heart diseases
• Headaches
• Migraine
• Nausea
• Addiction to sugar

This is the main reason why you shouldn’t give animal crackers to your cat. You can offer them crackers as a treat, but they are surely not an ideal addition to their regular diet!

Can Cats Eat Cream Crackers?

Cream crackers are a no-no for your feline. As most cats out there are lactose intolerant, even a small amount of cream crackers can lead to gastrointestinal problems, including bloating, vomiting, dehydration, gas and diarrhea.

Can Cats Eat Ritz Crackers?

Another variation of crackers is ritz crackers. Well, these snacks are also forbidden for cats. To increase the overall shelf-life of ritz crackers, manufacturers use extra oil and preservations. Plus, these crackers are loaded with salt, which is severely toxic for cats.

Here are the most common clinical signs of salt toxicity in felines:

• Tremors
• Excessive urination
• Lethargy
• Vomiting
• Lack of appetite
• Come
• Death

Final Verdict

We hope you have understood that animal crackers are not an ideal food for cats. Cats get most of their nutritional requirements from animal meat. As these crackers are loaded with plant-based ingredients, they can cause severe health complications to your little furball!