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Can Cats Eat Beef Jerky?
For millennials now, jerky has been around in the human diet. Cats are adorable companions, and we often wish to share our meals and best moments with them. While snacking on a plate full of beef jerky, you might be tempted to give your furry friend some piece. This is a tasty treat for humans, but is it suitable for kitties? Here is the answer
So, Can Cats Eat Beef Jerky?
No, cats shouldn’t eat beef jerky. The treat contains high sodium content which can lead to sodium poisoning if felines consume it. Additionally, beef jerky can lead to choking, dehydration, kidney damage, and fluid build-up in kitties. Although cats tend to enjoy beef jerky, it is not advisable to give them this delicious snack. To add to that, most beef jerky is manufactured with seasonings and additional flavors like jalapeno and pepper. These flavors and spices can be hazardous to your kitty. For instance, garlic beef jerky is dangerous and toxic of all beef jerk flavors. Garlic is poisonous and even lethal to felines.
What Will Happen If My Cat Feeds On Beef Jerky
If a cat accidentally eats beef jerky, there might be some harmful side effects depending on the amount of beef jerky consumed. Generally, a small sampling piece of beef jerky cannot affect this feline friend and will be fine after a while. The ingredient contained in the food is not healthy and can cause digestive complications. But a tiny piece might not cause much harm. High sodium in the jerk makes too much consumption of the treat dangerous as sodium can cause dehydration and permanent kidney damage.
Can Beef Jerky Kill Kitties?
Yes, if the kitty consumes too much of it in a single sitting, it will be likely to face fatal consequences. Cat bodies are sensitive to sodium, so too much of it can lead to the feline’s death due to dehydration. Besides that, too much sodium can lead to unbalanced ad swelling of legs and even permanent kidney failure.
What Jerk Beef Ingredients Are Harmful To Cats
There are some ingredients in beef jerky that are bad for cats. The ingredients include preservatives like sodium, flavors, and seasonings.
Is Beef Jerky Safe For Cats?
Cats are obligate carnivores and therefore exclusively feed on meat. So, beef jerky is physiologically safe for cats. However, you need to know something about beef jerkys, and even if the treat is safe for cats, it does not mean they should just consume it.
Precautions To Feeding Your Feline With Jerky
Before you take the step of feeding your kitty with beef jerky, there are a few things you need to know.
- Jerky has a high sodium content.
Beef jerky is mainly made of beef and salt. To make jerky, meat is treated in a salt solution and then dried. Therefore giving your cat, this snack can result in sodium poisoning.
- Seasoning brings about problems.
It is hard to find a plain beef jerky. Most of the abundantly available beef jerky has some extra flavor, such as jalapeno, teriyaki, or pepper. Although this season sounds delicious to humans, they are harmful to cats. The most hazardous seasoning that is rarely added to beef jerky is garlic; although it is not put in large amounts, garlic is toxic for felines.
- Silica gel packets
Silica gel is a desiccant or a substance that absorbs moisture. The gel is often put in a packet that is written do not eat. The gel helps maintain the beef jerky’s freshness and dryness. But cats can start playing with it and can end up accidentally ingesting it.
- Beef is an allergen in cats.
Just like humans, cats have allergies, and beef appears to be the common allergen for cats. Beef can cause skin irritation, hair loss, or excessive itching once cats consume them.
What Are The Alternatives For Beef Jerky For Cats
Now that beef jerky is not a good option for cats, there’s a need to find other safer and healthier choices for cats. The alternatives include dried fish and jerky treats formulated for kitties.
Conclusion
Bluntly, beef jerky is not a good idea healthwise for your cat. Just because your furry friend can eat something does not mean it is safer or healthier. Beef jerky is a good snack formulated for humans and not kitties. The treat has high sodium content dangerous to felines. If your pet accidentally consumes it, do not worry; she will be okay.
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