Can Cats Eat Bread? Read Before You Feed

If you’re wonderin’Can I give bread to my cat?“, keep in mind that to fully understand the answer, you should first know the nutritional composition of this food. Next, we will explain what nutrients bread has and if it is a good or bad food for cats:

Bread ingredients and nutrients

Wheat flour is the basic ingredient in most bread recipes, but ingredients such as salt, sugar, milk, butter and yeast can also be included in its preparation. Depending on the type you want to consume, other ingredients such as oats, seeds, chocolate, raisins or candied fruit are added.

Due to all these ingredients, it is a food with a high carbohydrate content of different types and fibers, as well as minerals and vitamins. For the human diet, it provides benefits if it is consumed in moderation and if it is combined within a balanced diet and a little sedentary life. But for cats this is something different.

Is bread bad for cats or is it good?

However, the components of bread make it a food that does not provide any benefit to cats, since it does not cover any of the nutritional needs of these animals. As some studies indicate^[1] on the behavior and eating habits of felines, the tendency to obesity and overweight are accelerated in certain contexts and bread contributes decisively in this regard.

Being rich in carbohydrates, bread can trigger weight problems in cats, including obesity, as well as diseases such as diabetes and other health problems. Feed and other higher quality cat foods contain very small amounts or none of this nutrient so as not to cause damage to the health of cats, so bread completely decompensates their food pyramid.

Cats can be attracted to certain foods and bread is one of them, since the smell catches their attention. For this reason, some treats made for felines contain yeast. However, the nutritional analysis of this food is a sufficient argument to affirm that they can’t eat it regularly.

Therefore, clearly answering the question about whether can cats eat breadthe truth is that seeing all this, should not but by eating a little from time to time they will not have serious problems either, although this is individual and will depend on the general health of the animal.

Cats have a strict carnivore diet so the main nutrient they need is animal protein. That is why they can eat homemade food as long as its ingredients contain a high protein value and that it is of quality, but, in any case, you will have to consult with your trusted veterinarian about the convenience of the recipes that your feline usually tries.

In addition to protein, essential nutrients for a cat’s health are vitamin A, healthy fats and taurine, which is an amino acid included in quality feed and can be consumed through some viscera, such as chicken liver and beef heart. If you give them these foods at home, make sure they are of quality and suitable for human consumption, so you will know that they are really good for your cat.

Thus, focusing again on bread, as it contains a high source of carbohydrates and fibers that are not essential nutrients for these animals, it can be considered that bread is bad for cats. In particular, it does not provide them with any real benefits for their health and if it is provided to them in excessive amounts or on an ongoing basis it ends up being a harmful food for them.

Learn more about feeding cats with these other OneHOWTO articles on How to choose my cat’s food and How to make healthy homemade food for my cat.

Any doubts you may have about whether cats can eat bread will probably be completely cleared up knowing the consequences of cats eating it regularly. Obviously, by eating a piece they will not have health problems, since it is not a toxic food for them, but it is very important not to give it to them frequently since, in this case, it will have a negative effect. Then, What happens if a cat eats bread on a regular basis? These are the possible and most frequent consequences:

• Obesity: bread provides a large amount of carbohydrates that are not processed quickly or adequately by the feline body. In addition, those who are sedentary will have an even greater weight gain in a short time. Here we talk about how to know if your cat is obese.
• Heart problems, pancreatitis and fatty liver: the abuse of bread consumption can cause damage to vital organs, such as the heart, pancreas and liver. So that you know a little more about some of these serious problems in cats, here we give you information about the Symptoms and treatment of fatty liver in cats.
• Diabetes: carbohydrates are metabolized and converted into glucose and, in addition, sugar, which is a type of carbohydrate, is especially present in different types of bread, such as sliced ​​bread, so there are breads that are even more harmful than a basic one for The cats. The continued consumption of carbohydrates in cats can lead to diabetes, since it greatly increases blood glucose. Here you can learn some indications on How to know if my cat has diabetes.
• Diarrhea: Because they don’t digest carbohydrates well, and other aspects of the nutrients in this food, bread can cause diarrhea in cats. If you find yourself in the situation that your cat has diarrhea or loose stools, here you can consult What to do if my cat has diarrhea, What should a cat with diarrhea eat and Home remedies for diarrhea in cats.

If you want to read more articles similar to Can cats eat bread? we recommend that you enter our Pets category.

1. Mariotti, VM, Amat Grau, M., Hervera Abad, M., Baucells Sánchez, MD, & Manteca Vilanova, X. (2009). Environmental factors involved in the control of dog and cat behavior: diet, management and exercise. Veterinary clinic for small animals: official magazine of AVEPA, Spanish Veterinary Association of Specialists in Small Animals, 29(4), 0209-215.: https://ddd.uab.cat/pub/clivetpeqani/11307064v29n4/11307064v29n4p209.pdf

• National Research Council. (2006). Nutrient requirements of dogs and cats. National Academies Press.