Can Cats Eat Olive Oil? Is Olive Oil Safe For Cats?

Olive oil, especially if it is extra virgin olive oil, can provide great benefits to the health of our cats due to its multiple properties and benefits, such as:

• antioxidant properties: which help improve the cat’s immune system thanks, in large part, to the polyphenols, vitamin E and chlorophyll contained in high-quality olives.
• Prevents cardiovascular diseases: and also diabetes. This is due to the monounsaturated fats it has, which burn and metabolize the harmful fats of the animal.
• Helps lose weight: thanks also to monounsaturated fats, if your cat is overweight, olive oil will help him lose weight. This is of great importance, since many cats die early due to problems caused by obesity.
• Help your cat eat: if your cat has problems eating the feed, you can add a splash of olive oil, since it has a flavor and smell that cats generally like very much.
• moisturizing properties: In addition, olive oil will improve the shine and softness of the animal’s coat, as well as improve the condition of its skin, since olive oil moisturizes and nourishes in depth. On the other hand, it will also delay the aging of your cat.

However, as we will see below, olive oil can also be a great ally against constipation in cats and to help eliminate hairballs.

If our cat eat less lately or we see that it behaves in a strange way, the problem may be the hairballs. Cats tend to wash by licking themselves frequently, often swallowing their own fur. In general, they usually expel it naturally, but it can also be the case that a stomach or intestinal obstruction of hair occurs.

In these cases, as a home remedy we can give them a teaspoon of olive oil to help you expel it correctly from your body. We can also give it to him if we see that he vomits a lot of hairballs, or we can even incorporate olive oil into his diet to improve his digestion and thus avoid this type of problem.

This other OneHOWTO article on How to know if my cat has an intestinal obstruction may also help you.

The digestive system of cats is very sensitive, so if their diet is low in fiber they can easily suffer from constipation, both temporary and chronic. In these cases, one of the most effective and widely used natural remedies is the use of olive oil as a natural laxative for cats. Olive oil not only will stimulate the intestines of the animal but it will make the stool more liquid, making it easier to expel.

If you are not sure if your cat has constipation problems, observe their behavior: He may walk around the litter box many times without doing anything, meow painfully, or even eat less or be more still than usual.

If this is the case with your animal, this other article on What to do if my cat cannot defecate may help you.

The answer is yes, can cats eat olive oil as long as it is in the right and indicated amounts indicated, if possible, by the veterinarian.

However, in general, we can tell you that adding a tablespoon of oil to the cat’s feed three times a week will be more than enough to keep your cat healthy, as well as help with constipation and hairball obstruction problems. Of course, a piece of advice: mix the feed with the oil well, otherwise it can drain, stay at the bottom of the bowl and probably dry out.

However, many owners simply wonder if cats can eat oil. And, as we well know, there are many types of oils, in addition to olive oil. Next, we will briefly talk about other oils for cats:

• Sunflower oil for cats: Sunflower oil is not harmful to cats, so it can be a good alternative for hairballs and constipation. However, it has fewer nutrients than olive oil, so if your intention is to ensure the health and well-being of your pet, olive oil is always the best.
• castor oil for cats: Long ago this oil was frequently used as a home remedy for problems in cats. However, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and other associations found that castor oil was not good for the health of cats, so its use is not recommended.
• paraffin oil for cats: never give your cat this type of oil, since it is made up of petroleum. If applied externally, it can be extremely toxic for your pet, and if ingested it can dehydrate it and even create ulcers or other internal problems.

Other oils that you can give him are salmon, cod, or any other fish. Now that you know that cats can eat olive oil, you may also be interested in this other OneHOWTO article on How to make healthy homemade food for my cat.

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