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Can Cats Eat Syrup?
In most cases, during weekends, most people tend to make their favorite breakfast, including pancakes with maple syrup. Due to the cat’s curious character, if she is watching you prepare the mixture, she will be interested in tasting or eating the syrup. But the question is can cats eat syrup? The answer is YES! This is because the syrup is not toxic to our feline friends. However, syrup contains a high amount of sugars which can make your cat gain weight and be obese, thereby increasing its chances of developing various health issues.
Even though syrup is not the healthiest diet to give to your cat, the cat can typically eat it without major concerns. Therefore, it is not a bad idea for you to share your syrup or pancakes with your cat. However, you have to do it in moderation to prevent unnecessary weight gain, which could be due to the sugars present in the syrup.
Is maple syrup bad for your cats?
Generally, maple syrup is not poisonous to our feline friends even though it is packed with a high amount of sugars that are not good for your cat’s health. The best thing about maple syrup is that it does not have an ingredient that can kill your cat. Therefore you do not have to worry if your cat gets to taste maple syrup because, unlike other foods, it is not toxic to your cat. However, just because it is not toxic, doesn’t mean that it is the best for your cat. Your cat licking maple syrup once in a while is not bad, but consistently doing it may lead to weight gain. When your cat gains excess weight, many health issues may arise, including heart problems.
Do cats like maple syrup?
Of Course, they do. This is a treat that doesn’t come by easily. Funny enough, we cannot justify that cats love it because it’s sweet. Unlike humans, cats lack a sweet tooth. Therefore you do not have to be afraid of your cat being addicted to maple syrup because they are carnivores and lack sweet teeth. Hence, if your cat begs for maple syrup, it is a treat that you usually give occasionally; therefore, when they see you holding it, they will remember.
Is maple syrup safe for other pets (dogs)?
Both cats and dogs can relish eating maple syrup. However, it is not something that they will need daily. Generally, unadulterated maple syrup is not dangerous. But, it has close to no nutritional benefits because it contains sugars and little zinc, manganese, riboflavin, calcium, and amino acids. Maple syrup is not preferred as the best for your cat or dog because it lacks fats and proteins, which are essential nutrients. Some dogs like the sweet taste in maple syrup, but cats do not because they lack taste bad receptors to perceive the sweet taste in foods, but a few tend to enjoy the sweet flavor.
Dangers of feeding syrup to pets
A few concerns might arise if you keep feeding your cat or dog with syrup. They are as follows:
- Most baked products may be sweetened with xylitol
Even though xylitol poses no health issues to our purring friend, it can lead to hypoglycemia, liver failure, and seizures in dogs, which can be life-threatening. It contains a high amount of sugars used in sweetening baked products. Therefore you are encouraged not to feed your dog with any food sweetened with xylitol.
- Gastrointestinal or pancreatitis issues
They are conditions that can occur to pets who are not used to taking sweet foods or contain a high amount of sugars. The signs that your cat or pet can present will include vomiting, anorexia, drooling, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and lethargy.
- Obesity
Consistent intake of a high caloric diet or foods that contain a high amount of sugars like that in maple syrup can lead to excess weight gain in both cats and dogs, causing obesity. Obesity, therefore, increases the risk of developing many other health conditions, including various joint problems, heart problems, and diabetes.
Conclusion
In summary, it is important to note that maple syrup is not poisonous to your cat, but it is not always the best diet for your pet. It is because the high sugars in the syrup put your cat or dog at risk of developing many health conditions like heart problems and diabetes.
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