Everyone wants to share a bit of their lunch with their pet, especially when they look at you with those pleading eyes. If you own cats, you may have asked yourself whether they could eat certain things, such as rice, maybe as a snack or to help them with stomach issues and diarrhea. People add rice into many of their different meals, but can cats eat rice as well, and is it safe for them to eat it ?
Can cats eat rice ?
Fortunately, the answer is yes, many if not most cats can safely eat rice, although exceptions do exist. Most importantly you must consult with your vet before giving your feline friend any human foods, rice included.
Additionally, rice isn’t a natural part of any cat’s diet and is not very likely to give them any nutritional benefits, so it is maybe for the best that you avoid giving them any rice, even if negative effects aren’t likely to occur.
Here is all that you need to know about feeding rice to your cat.
When exactly is rice bad for cats and felines in general ?
An important thing to keep in mind is that cats are carnivores by definition, that means they get most of their nutritional benefits from the meat that they eat. Rice isn’t anywhere close to being meat so at best, it is unnecessary for them in most situation.
Many times, after eating rice a cat can feel really full and lose their appetite for the rest of the meal that actually benefits them with the proper nutrients that they need. Another bad thing is that if a cat eats too much rice too often, then that may result in malnourishment.
A few other situations where rice can be bad for cats are the following:
- Uncooked rice can be difficult to digest and can lead to bloating, gas and an upset stomach. Additionally, uncooked rice may contain a natural pesticide called lectin, which can cause diarrhea and vomiting in cats. However, it is an urban myth that feeding your cat uncooked rice will make it’s stomach explode, so you don’t have to worry about that.
- You’re introducing a new food to your cat, and some of them are really sensitive to eating new things. If they eat rice for the first time they may vomit or suffer from digestion problems at worst.
- Kittens should not eat rice at all since it can negatively impact their development.
- Adding any seasoning, sauce or additive to rice, such as salt, spices, onions and other foods can possibly be detrimental to cats since they are potentially toxic. If you decide to give your cat rice, make sure that it is plain.
- Some pet foods use grains as a filler, such as rice, but it has little nutritional value. If you are concerned about this consult your veterinarian about the proper nutrition needed for your cat.
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