Who doesn’t love to give their cats a special treat every now and then? By rewarding them after doing the right thing or staying away from where we don’t want them to hang out, we reinforce good behavior after all.
Sometimes you don’t have cat treats bought from the store at home, or maybe you enjoy giving them some natural snacks instead. This may come as a surprise to you as it came to me while researching for this post, but the answer is yes, your cat can eat dates in very small amounts.
But despite dates providing some potential benefits to your feline friend, there are some health concerns that are important to address as well. However, as a quick takeaway, know that if your cat is healthy, a few, small pieces of date every now and then are fine.
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Is It Okay For Cats To Eat Dates?
It is okay for your cat to eat dates occasionally. Cats can consume dates and even potentially extract some benefits from it, like contents of potassium and fiber.
However, in this case the consequences outweigh the benefits. The best thing to do is to always seek your vet’s advice or opinion since they will consider your cat’s characteristics. But they will surely advise you not to give them dates.
If your cat accidentally ate a piece of date, it’s probably nothing to worry about. Some cats will even ignore dates, as not all cats are created equally. The best thing to do is to keep them away, and if you want to see if your cat likes them, feed them just a tiny bit.
Did you know cats can eat pomegranate? Click for more information!
Are Dates Bad For Cats?
Unfortunately, even if dates are not poisonous to cats, there are some health concerns that must be addressed.
- Dates are sugary snacks, and sugar has no benefits for your cat. They can’t even taste it! So there is no point on giving your feline friends dates as a treat for their sweetness. Actually, all that sugar can contribute to tooth decay, as small pieces of date and sugar can get stuck between your cat’s teeth. Dates are sticky, so this is no rare occurrence. If this happens, it can cause them discomfort and in some cases even pain.
- The calories in a date are very high, way more than what your cat would need on a daily basis, and they don’t offer good nutritional value for them either.
- There is choking hazard associated with eating dates for cats. Tearing a date into small pieces will require a lot of chewing before being able to eat the food, and this is not what cat’s teeth are meant for nor used to.
- Laxative effect: Feeding your cat the date palm fruit can lead to gastrointestinal problems and constipation issues, and if they already have some of this issues it can get worse as diarrhea and digestion issues may arise.
Despite the negative aspects, This snack is not as bad for your feline friend as other prohibited foods such as chocolate or grapes, these two are a no-go and should definitely remain off your foods cats can eat list.
RELATED: Can Cats Eat Sesame Seeds?
FAQ’s
Can Kittens Eat Dates?
It is highly recommended not to do so. Remember that at this stage of life, it is crucial that cats have a nutritional and balanced diet. If they are just a few days or weeks old, they should only drink their mother’s milk.
Why Does My Cat Love Dates?
Your feline friend could be the black sheep! It is not very common to see cats that die for eating dates because as we said before, cats are not even able to taste their sweetness. And it’s precisely that what we humans commonly find attractive from dates.
Can Cats Eat Medjool Dates?
Medjool dates are a popular variety of dates, often chosen because of their more caramel-like taste and sweetness. Again, your cat has no benefit whatsoever in consuming that much sugar. There are no additional risks associated with this variant so the recommendation stays the same: avoid giving some to your cat!
What Should I Do If My Cat Accidentally Eats Dates?
This can happen even to the most attentive parents. If your cat swallows dates by accident, you should monitor them for any signs of gastrointestinal discomfort and/or diarrhea. If this is the case, it is recommended to take your cat to the vet as soon as you can.
What Are Some Good Alternatives?
There are snacks specifically designed for cats. These cat treats, apart from being attractive for most domestic felines, often provide some nutritional value on the plus side, making them the perfect alternative to dates. Cat Treats will be the best option in most cases when compared to human food.
Conclusions
We learned that on paper, dates don’t seem so bad, but on practice, the best thing to do is to not give dates to your cat. There are not so much benefits on doing so after all, and you risk your cat getting sore gums, diarrhea and gastrointestinal discomfort.
They don’t add significant value to your cat’s diet, and there are better snacks out there! Cats prefer meat-based diets. If you have ants at home, your cat can help you clear the plague (but do not let them go too far with the ant binging!)
Are you keen on feeding your cat natural, unprocessed food? Here’s our list of safe vegetables for cats to eat.
