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Can Cats Eat Whipped Cream?
If you like watching movies such as Tom and Jerry, then you may have been accustomed to cats as main characters. They are usually given milk or a bit of cream as treats, and even look cute when caught red-handed with the whipped cream on their nose. And though it proves they have stolen some food; you feel tempted to give it more.
But is it good to give your cats whipped cream? This article addresses all you need to know.
Is It Good To Give Your Cat Whipped Cream?
Well, most times, it’s not a good idea to give whipped cream to your cat. And though you may enjoy splurging it on top of your chocolates, lattes, pies, and ice cream, it’s not safe for your cat. Avoid giving your cat treats of whipped cream since cats are lactose intolerant.
Cats And Whipped Cream
When we say that cats are lactose intolerant, it means they cannot digest the main carbohydrate called lactose in dairy. Cats have little lactase enzymes responsible for the digestion of this carbohydrate. When still young, the kittens produce lactase to digest the breast milk, but as they age, the need decreases and the production.
Therefore, cats can digest lactase while still young, but this ability gradually reduces as they age. Human beings and other animals also experience a similar process. Whipped cream is a thicker substance made from cream and is usually sold separately.
Why You Should Avoid Giving Whipped Cream To The Cat
Since cats are lactose intolerant like most humans, their digestive system cannot handle milk and other dairy products. On ingestion, they can experience symptoms such as abdominal pain and vomiting. But cats and other felines love fatty food, and they may eat the whipped cream even though it’s not good for their health. It’s therefore important to keep dairy products as far away as possible from these pets.
Besides whipped cream, Greek yogurt and cheese are a big no to the cats. They cause various digestive problems, and due to their high-fat content, they are not ideal for the cat diet. Additionally, once the cat starts to get older, they have challenges in digesting lactose. Therefore, dairy products will cause them to have symptoms like abdominal pain, flatulence, and vomiting.
Lactose And Diarrhea in Cats
Besides the other symptoms such as vomiting and abdominal pains, eating whipped creams may cause diarrhea in cats. This is because they don’t have the lactase enzyme for splitting the lactose into single sugar for body absorption. Therefore, the undigested lactose will head to the cat’s intestines and take some water in its path.
After 8-12 hours, the bacteria present in the stomach will ferment these sugars. The result is stomach upsets, diarrhea, and bloating. But older cats can tolerate lactose better, and you can serve them small treats each week. But this doesn’t mean using them to feed your cats.
Cats And Sugar
Besides the dairy ingredients, whipped cream also contains sugar which might not be ideal for the cat. The whipped cream has simple ingredients at home, and they include sugar, cream, and vanilla in most cases. But unless you are sourcing the milk and cream from the cow directly, then the store-bought ones may have additional ingredients.
Cats love sugar, but it’s not ideal for their health. For starters, humans have two proteins in their minds that taste sweet things. But cats do not since they don’t need the proteins. Cats eat proteins, unlike humans who eat carbohydrates and so they don’t signal carbs. Therefore, they can’t know that sugar or honey is sweet.
Besides, the store-bought whipped cream has many sugars, which will lead to obesity in cats. Though the obesity won’t result from the cream alone, the cats will eat it continuously as they don’t taste sweet. Also, they will regularly feel the urge to eat whipped cream as it’s tasty.
And just like in human beings, obesity can lead to serious health problems, including diabetes. Eating too much sugar can lead to a spike in the blood sugar of your cat. This means that it won’t regulate its blood sugar, which can lead to more complications.
Some brands also use another ingredient, corn syrup which is a carbohydrate ladened with sugars. Although others try to use less harmful or toxic ingredients to cats, they may still have some toxic components.
What To Do If Your Cat Shows Symptoms Of Whipped Cream Poisoning?
Cats are one of the most curious pets to have in your home. They will constantly try to taste everything in the kitchen, and as they walk to the pantry, they can feed on the whipped cream. Other times, they beg for it, and it’s hard to say no because these creatures are very adorable.
After eating the whipped cream, the cat may start having digestive problems, common by increasing visits to their litter box. The bowel movements will make it harder for them to enjoy their daily activity.
And if you notice signs of suffering on the cat, then it’s time to get it some water. Most times, the cats don’t reach their daily recommended water intake. Therefore, if it experiences some challenges, it will be your time to aid it. The cat will lose plenty of body water due to diarrhea, and keeping their hydration at the optimum will do good.
Additionally, if the cat doesn’t prefer, try feeding it with wet food or supplementing it with the water in their diet. Cats also love moving objects, and you can set up a water fountain to encourage them to take more water
Bottom-line
But the kittens can also digest dairy products without any challenge, i.e., kittens. If the cat ingests the whipped cream, then it will be fine after some hours. And even if your cat ate some whipped cream and liked it is not the ticket for you to feed it continuously. Eating whipped cream numerous times can lead to diarrhea and other adverse effects.
Finally, it’s important to feed your cat safe foods and avoid the ones that can cause problems in them. Some of the safe food include carrots, winter squash, green beans, scrambled eggs, and cooked meat.
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