Why does a cat eat raw potatoes?

Many owners wonder if cats can be given potatoes. This tuber is not a typical food for predators and in some cases can even be dangerous. Let's find out why potatoes are not allowed to cats and when it is possible to make an exception, allowing the pet to eat them if he really asks for it?

Why do some cats eat cucumbers, raw potatoes, etc.?

If you take the theory of evolution as an axiom, i.e. that all living things crawled out of the ocean and evolved, then as we know, first the plants crawled in and took over the whole land so that there was too much oxygen (and it is poison for plants) and then the oxygen-breathing creatures crawled on and here they were herbivorous, because there was much food, plants bred mercilessly and because the latter can not defend themselves they simply began to destroy. So when the herbivores multiplied enormously, starvation began, some adapted to eating other animals, thereby reducing the number of herbivores and saving plants. Now about 25% of all creatures on the planet are carnivores, but they can't mercilessly reproduce like the herbivores did, because another creature still needs to be caught and eaten, so there will be no demographic disaster like there was with the herbivores).

Also, there are a lot of vegan cats and cats, as well as vegan dogs, which are usually the pets of human vegetarians). There are even special feline vegetarian foods. And yet, all these vegetarian carnivores are perfectly fine and have no particular taste for meat. So there you go.

Can I give my cat raw potatoes?

A cat adores raw potatoes. It eats them voraciously and keeps asking for them again.

In general, from the point of view of veterinarians, all in one voice say that raw potatoes are contraindicated for cats. You can only give boiled potatoes, but do not forget about a sense of proportion. It's all about the starch contained in potatoes, it is hard to digest in the stomach of kittens. It is better to give cats potatoes in the form of mashed potatoes and mixed with fish or meat. In addition, cats should not be given potatoes more than twice a month.

My cat is also fond of raw potatoes, and eats them more than 2 times a month, and almost every time I peel potatoes, and he is near, well, how can I refuse him, when he is almost on the head))). Also he loves raw cucumbers, and he himself ebbe does not refuse, will go to the garden and stuffed. And if you do not give him a potato, he himself into a bucket and take it. So, what I am saying is that my cat feels good when he is eating raw veggies.

Do cats eat potatoes?

Yes, some do. Most often they like them in the form of mashed or fried potatoes, but sometimes they want to eat them raw. If your cat likes potatoes, it can be an individual culinary quirk or a symptom of something missing in his diet. For example, it might be trying to make up for the lack of moisture if the potatoes are raw, or it might be the result of an extreme hunger, when potatoes are already good enough to eat.

Why else would a cat eat potatoes? Perhaps it is not the vegetable itself that attracts it, but for example the oil in which it is fried, or the milk added to the mashed potatoes. The reasons are plenty. Also, the cat simply has no choice if the potato is part of the dry food.

But the truth is that whether a cat eats potatoes and why he does it is not important, because the product is not healthy for cats in any case. We don't recommend buying industrial food that includes potatoes either.

Cat eats potatoes – can I? Raw, boiled or fried? This is important!

If a cat eats a raw potato, it can be dangerous, especially in the case of a tuber that has greenish areas. The fact is that potatoes belong to the nightshade family, which has in its composition the poison solanine. This poison is designed to protect the tubers from attacks by insects and fungi. But it is also dangerous to mammals, though to a lesser extent.

Can cats eat raw potatoes?

Raw potatoes are definitely the enemy of cats. That in raw potatoes is the most solanine. Especially if the potato is not peeled and has a rough skin. Under it the accumulation of the poison is the greatest.

A cat poisoned by solanine may show the following symptoms:

As a rule, it begins with vomiting, and if all the poison did not come out immediately with it, an inflammatory reaction builds up in the intestines and stomach. It may be limited to intestinal symptoms, or it may develop into neurological symptoms. Then the animal will behave excitedly at first, but then it will become oppressed and possibly die if not helped.

It is true that if you eat a small amount of salted peeled potatoes, probably nothing terrible will happen, at least nothing noticeable. But it is better not to check at all how the solanine will affect your animal.

Tubers and shoots

If the cat decides to eat some other parts of the potatoes in the garden (sprouted shoots, tops, flowers), this is very dangerous for the prospect of severe poisoning. Absolutely all parts of the plant, not just tubers, contain solanine.

Can I give my cat boiled or fried potatoes?

Salting and cooking destroys the solanine. Boiled potatoes are no longer a poisoning hazard for a cat, nor are fries. So you can eat a piece of it, if you really want to. However, this product is not recommended for cats in large quantities or regularly. Why – let's talk further.

Can a cat eat potatoes as part of his diet?

People are recommended to eat potatoes in very limited quantities, because it is a starch, which brings the body little benefit, but has a high glycemic index, that is, sharply increases the level of glucose in the blood. And the feeling of fullness from potatoes for the same reason does not hold for a long time – soon you will want to eat again. Well, and eating such food often, you risk having consequences in the form of cellulite, extra weight, swelling, and other "pleasant" moments.

Why does the cat eat raw potatoes?

Well, she likes, in addition, it is useful – it has a lot of starch (energy boosting) , and rough fiber (cleans the intestinal walls). Raw potatoes and we do not harm to eat, especially children. Always, when I peel potatoes – around cats sit and grandchildren stand with outstretched palm. And my cat also likes to eat boiled beets. She is a natural narcotic to him, more than Valerian!

Very clever. Yesterday, for example, I fed the cat, and began to prepare food, she meows and asks for potatoes (likes to chase her around the house, and asks as if he really hungry

Rascal Higher Intelligence (108954) Catherine, this answer I gave 13 years ago, my cat died of old age) but thanks for the advice)

Let him eat potatoes better than meat, my dog ate potato peels, and the cat comes running to the smell of tomatoes, even though he doesn't eat them!

I don't agree about feeding it better. Mine is dry food all the time, but she loves potatoes. … And there was a cat before her, so for fresh cucumbers and cheese, could sell his homeland.

My first cat gnawed on pumpkins! And the cat loves skins from zucchini and dry black crusts of bread (they were taken directly from a dumpster where someone threw them away), apparently, for the rest of his life.

Kiteket at home all the time. And the potatoes are a delicacy for him. It happens to people – there's delicious homemade food, but you want some chips.

My cat eats raw potatoes, only seasonal cucumbers, sweet peppers sometimes, adores melon, a little watermelon, persimmon. Meat does not interest him at all, he shows his tongue at the smell of meat. Eggs, if he needs a yolk raw, boiled or fried eggs do not eat at all. Milk rarely beckons, in childhood he probably ate too much porridge. But so food he always has, dry and wet, and grass planted specifically for him. And nothing can be done, such from childhood, raw. But from a cooked sausage or ham will not refuse, by it you can check the real sausage or not. And that worms write from raw potatoes, I do not understand how they will be in the peeled, washed? I think that animals know what they want, what they need vitamins in.

Can a cat eat potatoes?

Cat owners often wonder about the toxicity of certain foods to their pets. We know that it is dangerous for cats to eat onions, garlic, chocolate, too much fish, and foods containing alcohol. With potatoes, the situation is not so clear-cut. It is believed that if it is cooked correctly, the health of the pet will not suffer in any way. But what about the benefits?

Cats can indeed eat potatoes under certain conditions, but they do not contain anything that their body needs. Although potatoes are a source of water, potassium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and magnesium, this makes little difference to our pets. Cats are obligate carnivores and can get all their nutrients from meat or balanced foods. Potatoes are not always of interest to them. Some pets are interested in different foods not so much because of their taste, but because of texture and normal curiosity.

Although boiled potatoes are considered safe, they can cause stomach upset, so portions should be kept small. The best way to give it to your cat is to offer finely chopped pieces of boiled soft potatoes or mashed potatoes without condiments.

Try not to share food "from the human table" too often. This spoils his appetite and makes him more finicky. Remember that the basis of the cat's diet should be quality food or natural meat products, and potatoes can be included once in a while as a treat.

Potatoes are prepared in hundreds of ways, including baking, roasting, boiling, mashing and making chips. Not all of these methods are safe for cats. There is another problem: if a piece of food is too large, it can cause choking. Let's figure out the best way to serve potatoes to the cat to avoid dangerous consequences.

Raw potatoes can be just as poisonous to cats as it is to people. It contains a dangerous chemical called solanine, which acts as a defense mechanism for growing potatoes and is poisonous to all living things. Solanine is not only present in the tuber itself, but also on the green rind of the ripening vegetable. Thus, consuming raw potatoes is highly likely to be fatal to your pet. If you keep raw potatoes in your home, make sure they are out of the cat's reach.

Parasites

However, solanine is not the only problem that those who want to eat raw potatoes will encounter. Tubers can be infested with worm eggs. They adapt very well to the ground, and the soil allows the parasites to safely survive even harsh winters. And do not forget that it may not be limited to worms alone. There are other parasites, and in large numbers.

For this reason, all fruits and vegetables should be thoroughly washed before consumption. And potatoes are best of all subjected to heat treatment. The fact is that there may be microcracks in the skin of tubers, which people do not notice during normal cleaning. But this is enough for parasites to get inside and lay eggs there. Heat treatment kills such critters, thereby protecting humans.

Our body's reaction to starch

All potatoes are rich in starch to one degree or another. Some tubers contain more of it, while others contain much less. But in one quantity or another, it is present everywhere.

The human body is not designed to assimilate starch in its pure form, that is, without heat treatment. And it is especially well felt when this substance is absorbed in significant quantities. So a passion for raw potatoes can turn into significant gastrointestinal problems: constipation or disorder, flatulence, gums, discomfort. Useful substances will be difficult to assimilate. Of course, it's not as dangerous as poison or parasites. But it's not very pleasant either.

cat eats potatoes

The cat is fascinated by potatoes for some reason. I read on the Internet, no one definite answer, who says it's bad for their stomach who says it's okay. My dog eats potato peels and potatoes. He may eat a whole potato at once.

I had a cat named Kuzya. He really liked raw potatoes. I gave him a little bit of them. Everyone has their own quirks. My dog loved red currants – I bent a branch over it and it ate them from the bush.

My cat eats raw potatoes sometimes, I don't pay attention to it. I just know that if she wants it, it means she needs it, and cats know what they need and when, unlike people.

Potatoes contain a lot of unnecessary carbohydrates. But if she likes potatoes so much, then give them to her not often, as a treat.

Ahahaha, unnecessary carbs for the cat? Well, you know better than the cat itself what she needs and what she does not. If she eats, it means she needs it. Or were you in her head?

It's not your typical cat food – I don't know, but if you like it so much, give it to her sometimes, but make sure she washes it well since she's been cleaning it too.

When we had a cat, he used to eat fresh green cucumbers. everyone was amazed. we got him used to it ourselves. maybe he doesn't have enough vitamins. try to give him plants, it's not harmful. in the wild they find and compensate for their deficiency.

Maybe he eats because he wants to chew something solid, if he has nothing else to chew but potatoes, he eats potatoes.

This is called a perverted appetite. Cats start eating foods that don't belong to them when there's something very unhealthy in their bodies. Take the cat to the vet and get a blood chemistry test first.

And if my mouth likes potatoes.
He's begging for them. Raw…
I don't give them to him much, but he can steal them if he sees an open bag.
So what? No way?

Tatiana Higher Intelligence (588964) I quote from the veterinary handbook: "Potatoes – (in any form, raw, boiled) contains a large amount of potassium, which can lead to arthritis. In addition, raw potatoes are toxic because they contain solanine, a strong poison. Boiled potatoes, on the other hand, cannot be digested by the dog's body, since they are a high-carbohydrate food. Potatoes are inert for dogs, i.e., they are not harmful but cannot be digested. Feeding them is "empty", i.e. there is no natural enzyme that can break down this starch. Boiled potatoes swell and very often clog the intestines."

Why do cats eat strange foods? Answers to reader questions

Friends, in the comments to the article on How funny cats can eat a lot of interesting stories have accumulated with stories about how our pets sometimes choose very unusual, for our ideas about them, foods, such as olives, corn, melon, cucumbers, bread, etc. And you have also wondered why they like to eat such foods, ignoring, at times, meat or sausage. Agree that it is certainly not possible to answer with one comment on this interesting topic. So let's try to figure it out together in this article

You may have noticed that the cat rushes to you when you open a jar of olives. Cats like green olives because they contain chemicals called isoprenoids, whose chemical composition is similar to the ingredients found in catnip. Therefore, the smell of olives can drive a cat crazy. Cats are more obsessed with the smell of olives than the taste, so some cats just play with the olive as a toy.

It's perfectly safe if your cat likes to eat corn. The fact is that many dry and canned cat food manufacturers use corn as part of their formulation because it is much cheaper than meat.

Corn contains fiber, which helps with digestion. Also, fiber creates a feeling of fullness. So, adding a small amount of corn to your cat's regular diet will make the cat eat less, but give a feeling of fullness. This is useful as a preventative measure against obesity.

Not every cat likes bread, but most will not turn it down. You've probably noticed that your cat doesn't mind eating your muffin, cake, pizza dough, or even a slice of bread.

That's because most breads contain yeast, and cats love the taste of yeast! It's no secret that yeast is widely used as a flavoring in many cat foods and treats, and there are also yeast-based vitamins. There are even yeast-flavored medications specifically designed for cats.