French fries are a delight to all humans, we love eating them as a snack or as a side dish, and our cats are not much different from us. Some cats jump on your lap when you have a hamburger, and start eyeing your meal, including the fries, while other cats would simply jump on your fries, steal a bunch of them, and eat them with no permission. Some pet parents are okay with this, while others are completely against it.
Some people believe that French fries are not even healthy for humans, so can they be healthy for cats? While others think that a small French fries treat would not harm anyone, including cats. Based on these conceptions, we are left with a couple of questions: are French fries harmful to cats? Should we allow our cats to eat French fries from time to time? Can cats eat potatoes at all? How can we include French fries in our cats’ diets? What are the consequences of French fries on cats? And finally, can cats have French fries?
NOTE: We want to inform our blog readers that before we publish any article, the team “Proudcatowners” does deep research based on experience and knowledge about cats and everything related to them, to guarantees reliable and precise information, satisfy the readers is our first priority.
Can cats have French fries?
When it comes to French fries, even the majority of humans cannot keep their hands off of them, and neither can many cats. Many pet owners have talked about how much their cat enjoys eating French fries and chips, how they demand more each time you give them small amounts of French fries as a treat, and how cute they look when eating it. When it comes to health benefits, French fries do not add many nutrients to the cat’s diet.
However, many pet parents and veterinarians have said that giving your cat a small treat of French fries every once in a while should not be harmful. However, many of them still advise against it as well. If your cat consumes large quantities of French fries could lead to health conditions and complications, therefore, you should only moderately feed your cat French fries.
Why does my cat like French fries so much?
Cats are like humans they eat the food they enjoy and find delicious, even if it has negative consequences on their body and their health. With cats, they do not know if a particular food is healthy for them or not, or even toxic for them, which is why we must choose their diets on their behalf, with the consult of a veterinarian.
Are French fries safe for cats?
French fries are deep-fried in oil, which contributes to the saturated fats, and in addition to that, French fries are far too salty for the cat. They will eat them and enjoy them, but it does not mean that they are healthy for them. The bottom line, French fries are safe for your cat, as long as they are only served as a treat, and from time to time.
If you include French in your cat’s daily diet, it will cause some severe health condition, and might even be lethal to your cat eventually.
What are the nutrients that French fries provide for cats?
Humans need healthy fats such as omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids and omega in their diet to survive, which is the same case for cats. Our feline friends need essential fatty acids in their diet to survive. Unfortunately, that is not the type of fats that French fries provide.
French fries contain minimal amounts of fatty acids that cats need in their balanced diet. Instead, they contain large amounts of saturated fats, which do not serve any real assets to your cat’s health conditions. These saturated fats do not add any health nutrients to our little paw friend’s diet, but they provide your cat with unnecessary calories, which would lead your cat to obesity if it consumes too much French fries.
In addition to that, a small serving of French fries contains 134.2 mg of sodium, which is three times more than the amount of sodium intake that cats are supposed to have daily.
However, recent studies showed that French fries could help produce lower levels of insulin and glucose in the blood for children, as long as these French fries are part of mixed meals. However, the vast majority’s opinion is that French fries would not add any nutritious value to your cat’s diet, and the risk of obesity is not worth the tiny moments of enjoying the taste of French fries as a treat.
Are French fries toxic for cats?
If you do not control the quantities of French fries you provide your cat with, it will lead to toxic reactions over your cat’s health. Consuming too much French fries is not good even for humans, not to mention for cats.
French fries are okay for cats as long as they are provided to them casually, from time to time, and in a usual way as a treat only. Always remember that too much of anything is a bad thing. In addition to that, always consult with your veterinarian before introducing any new food into your cat’s diet.
What are the consequences of French fries on my cat’s health condition?
In case your cat consumes a large number of French fries, it will end up having an upset stomach, due to all the additives and processed ingredients, in addition to the saturated fats that French fries contain. Some of the unfavorable health conditions it can have on your cat are:
Obesity:
35 % of cats in North America suffer from obesity. In addition to that, 39 to 52 percent of cats in the UK suffer from this disease as well. It is one of the most common diseases in cats, and it is generally defined as the accumulation of excess body fat in cats, which leads to their excess overweight, therefore, obesity.
Consequences of obesity on your cat’s health:
If your cat is 10 % to 19 % over its ideal weight, it means this cat is overweight if the excess weight reaches or is more than 20 % of the cat’s ideal weight, your cat is at high risk because of obesity, and it can develop several diseases. Some diseases are either caused directly by obesity, or they have aggravated in case your cat is obese. Some of these kinds of conditions are as follows:
- Obesity increases the anesthetic risk in case your cat is diagnosed with diabetes mellitus
- It affects the immune system even more in case your cat has a lower urinary tract disease.
- If your cat has skin disease (non-allergic skin disease), obesity will develop even more problems such as breathing problems for your cat.
- Hepatic lipidosis, which is the fat deposit in the liver
- Obesity can also cause dystocia (complications and problems of giving birth) by aggravating joint stress and osteoarthritis.
Can obesity kill my cat?
Obesity will shorten your cat’s life because it leads to many life-threatening diseases. Even if obesity is only moderate, it should still be taken care of as soon as possible.
What should I do?
You should monitor your cat’s body weight because it is easier than watching your cat’s body fat. If you notice that your cat weighs 10 to 20 percent above its ideal body weight, it might be on the verge of obesity.
You should consult your vet for a proper diet to help your cat healthily lose its excess body fat, and lose the excess weight it has gained. It is always better safe than sorry, therefore, try to monitor your cat’s diet to prevent it from falling into this situation in the first place.
Give your cat a healthy and balanced diet, and avoid fast food, fried human foods, and any kind of food that has saturated fats and does not add any nutritious value to your cat’s diet.
Diabetes:
Diabetes in cats is usually a result of obesity in cats. Up to 2 % of the feline population has been diagnosed with diabetes.
How do I know if my cat has diabetes?
There are several symptoms of diabetes in cats, but here are the most common ones:
- Increased thirst
- Increased consumption of water
- Urinating more frequently
- Unstable body weight
- Lethargy
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
What should I do?
If you notice that your cat is showing the symptoms mentioned above, take it to the vet as soon as possible, especially if your cat is already obese or even slightly overweight. If you ignore those symptoms or you wait for them to go away on their own, you can risk your cat’s health, and put its life at risk.
It is best to consult with a veterinarian as soon as possible. You should also control your cat’s diet and make sure it is balanced and healthy as well. You can always ask your veterinarian for advice on which diet to provide your cat with, in case you are confused or not experienced with such matters, especially if you are a new pet parent.
How can I include French fries in my cat’s diet in a healthy way?
Many veterinarians advise against it, even though small amounts of French fries occasionally would not harm your cat. However, it still lacks nutritional value, and it is incredibly unhealthy. Giving your cat two or three French fries rarely is alright, but avoid giving it too much, and avoid giving your cat French fries on a daily or regularly.
You can allow it to share some French fries with you when you order a burger, for example, but it is still unhealthy. Therefore, a healthy way to include unhealthy food such as French fries in your cat’s diet is not practical nor applicable.
Is it okay if my cat eats some ketchup with French fries?
Feeding French fries to your cat is extremely unhealthy, and despite the flavor that ketchup adds up to the French fries, it is still not the best choice to make when it comes to feeding your cat. Ketchup contains too much sodium for cats, and it is incredibly unhealthy and inappropriate for them to consume at all.
You might already know that onions and garlic are off the list for cats, those two foods are extremely toxic for cats, which makes ketchup extremely dangerous for your little paw friend as well, because various types of ketchup contain onion powder. In addition to the possible toxic components of ketchup for cats, it is also too acidic for your cat to consume.
Therefore, in a best-case scenario where the ketchup that your cat ate or tried to taste does not contain onion powder, it is still very unhealthy for your cat, and it will cause it to have an upset stomach.
Can cats eat potatoes?
Since French fries are made of potatoes, one cannot help but think: if French fries are unhealthy for cats, does that mean every form of potato is also unhealthy?
Raw potatoes:
For raw potatoes, is it to be avoided by cats entirely, whether the skin, the peel or any other part of a potato. Raw potatoes contain solanine and chaconine, which are extremely toxic for our feline friends. In addition to these two toxic components, raw potatoes might also be dirty, and it might contain bacteria if it is not washed very well.
Cats do not usually eat nasty food, so your cat is most likely not to like it and to avoid eating it, however, if it does eat it, it could lead to health complications.
Some of the consequences that raw potatoes can have on your cat’s health are:
- Diarrhea
- Lethargy
- extreme stomach upsets
- vomiting
- drooling
- seizures
cooked potatoes:
besides being fried, potatoes can also be grilled, mashed, and boiled. Mashed potatoes are usually the most recommended kind of cooked potatoes for cats, as they are easy to eat. The heat of cooking would degrade the danger of poisoning and would provide some nutritional benefits, although minimal ones.
Having said this, it does not mean that you can feed your cat mashed potatoes daily, one teaspoon with their meal every once in a while should be okay. Any excess consumption could lead to diarrhea and other health condition.
Warning:
Avoid adding any extra flavors to your cooked potatoes, such as onions, spices, and excess salt. These ingredients are dangerous for your cat’s health, and some of them are toxic to the feline population.
What should I do?
Since cats are carnivores by nature, they usually get all the nutrients they need from meat-based products, therefore, make sure you provide them with reliable and healthy protein resources such as beef and chicken. Cats can have potatoes from time to time but depending on the kind of potatoes, of course. For example, mashed potatoes are okay, as long as they are only a treat you add to a meal or two from time to time, moderately.
NOTE: sweet potatoes, in addition to pumpkin, usually help with diarrhea in cats. Sweet potatoes can be a great source of fiber, therefore, you can serve your cat with small pieces of sweet potato in case it has diarrhea to help with the situation. However, be careful of how much you give it, and make sure you always consult with your vet before making any decision.
Chips are just like French fries, they are fried in oil, and they have additives and extra salt quantities. They contain saturated fats and could contain toxic elements such as flavoring additives that could endanger your cat’s health and well-being. Chips are a portion of junk food that is not healthy for humans, and they should also be avoided in the case of cats. Avoid giving your cat chips, and the taste is not worth the health conditions that might result from it.
Conclusion:
French fries are a delicious snack for humans, especially if they are served with ketchup. However, they are incredibly unhealthy. This is the same thing in the case of cats as well. Many cats enjoy eating French fires a lot, however, many pet parents advise against it because it can lead to a severe health condition in your cat’s case. French fries contain saturated fats and too much salt instead of the essential fatty acids that cats need such as omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.
Eating too many French fries, or having French fries regularly or daily would lead to severe health conditions for your cat such as obesity and diabetes. Both of these diseases could worsen the case of other chronic disorders your cat has, which will put its life in danger. Some cats would want to steal your French fries which are dipped in ketchup, which also a wrong choice of food for your cat.
Ketchup contains some spices that might include onion powder, which is extremely toxic for cats. Moreover, potatoes are not always a great choice of food for cats either, raw potatoes should be avoided entirely, whereas mashed potatoes can sometimes be served as a treat with another meal. In conclusion, cats can have French fries, but it should be in moderation, as many vets advise against it for the possible risks it might have on your cat. Make sure you always consult your vet before making any decisions, or if your cat is showing any abnormal signs.
