Can Cats Eat Strawberries? Benefits & Precautions

• Boost the immune system and prevent infection.
• Fight against bad cholesterol.
• Maintains blood pressure level.
• It prevents cataracts due to the presence of antioxidant component.
• As it is rich in vitamin C, it prevents your cats skin from wrinkles.
• Antioxidant and phytochemicals in strawberries reduce inflammation.

Strawberries are rich in minerals and vitamins like

• Copper
• Dietary fiber
• Vitamin K, C, B1, B6
• Fiber
• Folic acid
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Iodine
• Biotin
• Omega-3
• Folic acid
• Phosphorus
• Antioxidant

It is a great source of phenolic compounds like flavonoids and ellagic acid. Even they are essential for antimutagenic, anticancer and antioxidant properties of berries, which is good for cats.

• Wash strawberries properly before serving.
• Remove stems and leaves in a strawberry to avoid health issues.
• To avoid choking hazard cut strawberries into small pieces.
• A small amount of strawberry mixed with cat food is safe for cats.
• When feeding strawberry for the first time, if you observe any abnormal behavior in your cat then call the vet immediately.
• Avoid strawberry flavoring, which causes health problems in cats.

As it is rich in sugar, your feline friend cannot digest the sugar as humans. In addition, it even causes stomach ache, obesity, constipation.

• It is not a part of the natural diet for your feline friends.
• High-quality sugar in strawberry may cause stomach upset or diarrhea.
• Some cats are allergic to strawberries.
• Strawberry doesn’t contain the necessary protein, which is required in a cats diet.

Cats do not need leaves in general as they provide no valuable nutrients that are essential for cats health. The saw-toothed leaves of strawberries may harm the cat’s skin and stimulate skin irritation.

The leaves will certainly produce a stinging effect in cats gastrointestinal system that may cause vomiting and diarrhea.

You can add small strawberry pieces to the vanilla ice cream and it is harmless too. However, cats are not fond of sweet food as they do not have any sweet receptors.

They are drawn only towards the fatty and milky content of the ice cream. Giving strawberry ice cream will not be toxic for your feline friend but it serves no value to them. You can give a couple of spoonfuls as an occasional treat.

Most of the cats grow up as lactose intolerant and may not be able to drink milk but can always have yogurt. Giving a strawberry yogurt is not a bad idea also.

Yogurt contains ‘good’ bacteria which helps the breakdown of milk particles and makes it easier for cats to digest than other dairy products.

Kittens can digest milk easily as they produce enzymes that can break down lactose. When the cats grow old, the enzyme production declines and they become intolerant to lactose.

The streptococcus thermophiles and Lactobacillus bulgaricus bacteria in yoghurt helps in the breakdown of lactose easily and cats will be able to digest easily.

Negative reactions due to the consumption of strawberries stem and leaves include:

• Sneezing
• Diarrhea
• Eye problems
• Vomiting
• Itching
• blistering