Can Cats Eat Tomatoes? Are they toxic for them or healthy? Find out in this informative article!
We all love our pets and are always concerned about the stuff that goes in their mouth. One such worry of cat owners is that whether their beloved cats can have tomatoes or not?
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Can Cats Eat Tomatoes?
The answer is simple, not at all! Contrary to the popular belief eating a ripe tomato or two won’t harm your furry friend in any way. According to one of the members of the Veterinary Botanical Medical Association, Dr. Ihoe Basko, ripe and cooked tomatoes are safe for both cats and dogs to eat. They’re non-toxic, and your pet can even benefit from having a tomato in diet, once in a while. How? Let’s know more. Also, check out these DIY outdoor cat house ideas.
Cats Can Eat Tomatoes
Constipation and slowed digestion often trouble the feline creatures, feeding them tomatoes can give relief from such ailments. It’s because Tomatoes are rich in fiber and water! They are also an excellent source of Vitamin A & C, good for vision and healthier skin.
Cats can’t have any benefit from carbs in tomatoes because the salivary amylase, a starch digesting enzyme that breaks down carbohydrate is absent in cats. Also, naturally, cats are meant to get their minerals, vitamins, and proteins from meat, and that’s something anyone can’t change.
Eating a ripe tomato may make your cat feel full for a long time, but it’s not going to provide any high nutritional value. This information is just to make you think “Not Worried,” if your feline eats a tomato by accident.
Also Read: Growing Tomatoes Indoors
Can Cats Eat Tomato Sauce
There’s no harm if your cat is found eating sardines soaked a bit in tomato sauce. She can lick tomato sauce, and it’ll not poison her. However, make sure the tomato sauce doesn’t have ingredients like ginger and onion.
Beware of Allergies
Just like humans, some cats might be allergic to tomatoes. You should always watch for signs listed below so that you know that your pet is allergic to tomatoes and take measures to keep it out of their reach.
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Irritability
- Tremors
Also Read: How to Create an Indoor Cat Garden
Toxicity in Tomato Plants
While ripe tomatoes are safe for cats, the plant is poisonous and can cause mild to moderate health harms. Any green part is toxic for the cats such as the stems and leaves and even the green unripe tomato fruit. These green parts of tomatoes contain solanine, a type of Glycoalkaloid. Apart from tomatoes, it’s also present in other plants of the nightshade family like eggplant, peppers, and potato.
Also Read: Can Cats Eat Rosemary
According to ASPCA, these are the clinical signs cats might show after ingesting green parts of tomatoes.
- Inappetence
- Hypersalivation
- Weakness
- Slow Heart Rate
- Confusion
- Severe Gastrointestinal Upset
Conclusion
Be more vigilant about the kittens as they are not picky about what they chew on and are more susceptible to try out the greener parts of tomatoes. However, these are not very serious clinical symptoms, and usually, ingestion of tomato stems or leaves cause mild stomach upset.
