Special Note! This site contains affiliate links. If you click a link AND make a purchase we MAY make a small commission. The process costs you nothing. It is just how the company spends its advertising dollars.
Can Cats Eat Pepperoni?
As a cat owner, you may at times forget to stock enough food for your pet. Certain occasions may find you not having any food for your cat except pepperoni. However, the dilemma may be to understand if it is recommended for such pets. Can cats eat pepperoni? This is an essential question that can save you in such situations and prevent cat poisoning.
What is Pepperoni?
Pepperoni is an American salami variety and famous for the topping of pizza. Typically, it may seem like a suitable food for your pet. This is because it is usually soft and full of flavor, making it confusing as the best cat feed. It is also visually appealing as a result of its bright red look. However, such an appearance may be deceptive; hence you should avoid feeding it to your cat.
There are many reasons why this type of diet is not suitable for your cat. Research has shown that its high sodium content can be dangerous to your pet. Additionally, the digestive system of cats cannot handle its spiciness appropriately. It also has perseverative content that can cause ill health to your cats. An occasional treat of pepperoni can be advanced to your cat if it can enjoy it. Therefore, this article explains the reasons to avoid feeding your cat pepperoni.
Pepperoni Contains Excess Salts Harmful to Cats
Pepperoni usually has a distinct flavor to pizza because of the level of its high sodium content. However, this is not quite suitable for cats. It can be dangerous to cats and affect their well-being. This type of pizza has such a high sodium level that cats’ bellies cannot comfortably handle it. The level of salt content that cats need is excessively low compared to the content in this food. The salt also has other substances making this pizza topping more harmful.
At any point that you will feed cats this food, they are at risk of suffering from salt poisoning. This condition’s symptoms may be in terms of lethargy, vomiting, a lot of diarrhea, and appetite deficiency. Poisoning from salt among the cats also causes drunk walking, seizures, tremor signs, and a lot of urination. If not properly attended to, it can cause the death of your pet. Whenever you notice any of such signs, it is advisable to use a bland diet.
It Contains Preservatives Dangerous to Cats
For pepperoni to be preserved by avoiding harmful bacteria, it is necessary to use certain chemicals. The chemicals used in this type of food are nitrate. This preservative also adds flavor to the cured meat. However, nitrate can be sweet to humans, but it is dangerous if regularly eaten by cats.
There are numerous circumstances where animals such as horses and dogs have experienced nitrate poisoning. The effects of such conditions are reduction of weight, sluggishness, and loss of appetite. As a result, the health status of your pet will reduce. Without proper medication, these symptoms can be adverse and lead to death.
Pepperoni is Highly Spiced for Cats
The flavor of pepperoni does not usually result only from salt but also from the many spices used. Usually, the spices are red and black pepper, powdered pepper, and garlic which are usually too hot for your pet. Garlic is particularly harmful since it causes intestinal irritation leading to stomach inflammation. The result of this is excessive stomach pain and damage to red blood cells. You can detect garlic exposure when your cat exhibits weakness, loss of appetite, and dark red urine. Garlic can also cause anemia which can lead to collapse and pale gums.
Can cats eat pepperoni? In general, it is quite improper to let your cat eat pepperoni. It is risky and often results in ill health in the form of poisoning from salt and nitrate. The symptoms from such poisoning are normally a loss of appetite, lethargy, and general weakness. Additionally, your pet will suffer from stomach pain due to the garlic used as a spice. However, whenever you notice any of such signs, it is necessary to visit a vet immediately. Failure to seek medical attention can be fatal to your cat. For safety, it is necessary to ensure that this sweet pizza topping is kept away from your pet.
You May Also Like:
