Imagine you’re eating a yummy sandwich with green pesto sauce. Your cat is sitting next to you, looking at you with big eyes and making cute sounds. It’s hard not to share, right?
But wait! You should know that cats can’t eat pesto. Pesto has things in it that can make cats sick. If your cat tries to sneak a bite of your food with pesto, you should stop her right away.
Pesto is not a safe food for cats. Even a little bit can hurt your cat’s health. Pesto is usually made with garlic, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, milk, basil, and pine nuts.
These things can make your cat feel bad if she eats them. Some of them are even poisonous to cats. Plus, pesto has lots of spices that are not good for cats. Let’s look at why these ingredients in pesto are harmful to cats.
What are the ingredients for pesto sauce?
Pesto is a bright green sauce from Italy. The name ‘pesto’ comes from the Italian word ‘pestare’, which means ‘to crush’. Imagine all the things you can crush or mix!
When we crush foods, we can fit more into a jar. Pesto might look like it’s made from just one thing, but don’t be fooled – there’s more to it than you can see.
Just because something is good for people doesn’t mean it’s good for cats. Cats have sensitive tummies and even small changes can upset them. So, before you give your cat new foods, make sure to check with your vet first.
1: Pine Nuts
Pine nuts, also called pignoli, are seeds from pine trees that are good for you. But they can be expensive, so some people use walnuts or almonds instead when they make pesto at home.
Pine nuts, almonds, and walnuts aren’t poisonous to cats. But these nuts have a lot of fat, which can make a cat’s tummy upset. If a cat eats pine nuts, it might throw up or have diarrhea.
Nuts, including pine nuts, also have a lot of oils. These oils can upset a cat’s tummy just like the fats in nuts can.
We should be careful with pine nuts and cats. Cats can have allergies, just like people can. This includes allergies to nuts. If your cat’s skin gets irritated after eating nuts, you should call your vet.
2. Garlic
Pesto sauce has garlic in it, which gives it a special flavor. But garlic can be bad for cats because it has certain chemicals in it.
Garlic is about five times more harmful than onions. These harmful chemicals are found in all foods from the Allium family. The chemicals that make garlic dangerous for cats are called disulfide and thiosulphate.
These chemicals can hurt a cat’s red blood cells. This can lead to a health problem called anemia.
Your pet probably won’t try to eat garlic because it has a strong smell and taste that cats don’t usually like. But if your cat licks some of your pesto, you should watch out for signs of garlic poisoning.
These signs can include things like throwing up, diarrhea and being very tired. If your cat shows any of these signs after eating the sauce, you should take your cat to the vet right away.
3. Olive Oil
You might be wondering if it’s okay for cats to eat olive oil. You’ve probably heard that olive oil is really good for you, so it must be good for cats too, right?
Well, oils aren’t usually part of a cat’s diet. They’re not poisonous to cats, but they can cause some problems. If you want to use oil in your cat’s food, it’s best to use extra virgin olive oil.
Olive oil is the safest choice for your pet and can be eaten in small amounts. It has lots of good things in it like antioxidants and vitamin E. A little bit of olive oil each day can make your cat’s fur look fuller and shinier. It can also give your cat more energy.
But be careful. Even though olive oil isn’t poisonous to cats, it can cause problems in your cat’s body. It might make your cat have diarrhea, so it’s best to check with your vet before you start giving it to your cat.
4. Cheese and milk
Pesto is a yummy sauce with a lot of cheese, usually Parmesan. Cats can have a tiny bit of cheese and be okay. But if they eat too much, it can upset their tummy. This is because cheese is a dairy product, which means it comes from milk.
You might not know this, but most cats can’t handle milk. This is because milk has a sugar called lactose, and cats can’t break it down.
Cats are good at breaking down proteins from meat. But they can’t digest cheese and milk because, over time, cats have lost an important helper in their tummy called lactase. Lactase is what breaks down lactose.
The sugar in milk is why your cat should avoid dairy products. If you want to give your cat milk, try some that doesn’t have lactose. Start with a little bit to see how your cat likes it. But remember, dairy products shouldn’t be a big part of your cat’s diet.
So, cheese and milk can make it hard for your cat to digest food. If she sneaks some pesto, eating cheese and milk could make her throw up or have diarrhea.
5. Is basil harmful?
Basil is not harmful to cats at all. Whether it’s in other foods or by itself, it’s completely safe for your kitty. There are no bad effects reported, and what’s more, adding basil to cat food can make your cat want to eat more.
This herb is what makes the sauce look bright green. A little basil in your cat’s food can be good for them. Basil is an antioxidant, which means it helps stop cells from getting damaged. It also lowers the chance of many health problems, like diabetes and cancer.
Cats can be fussy about what they eat and this herb can make food taste and smell better. Even though basil doesn’t give any nutritional benefits to cats, it can’t hurt your pet. So, you don’t need to worry about this ingredient found in pesto.
6. Different types of herbs and spices
Your cat can’t eat spices because they’re bad for her. Any extra seasonings and spices can upset your cat’s tummy. Her body isn’t built to digest these extra flavors.
Surprisingly, cats are pretty simple animals. They mostly need protein and any extra stuff can be bad for their health. This includes spices in this green sauce.
For instance, the basil we talked about earlier is safe for cats. But, the salt in this sauce is something to be careful about.
Cats can only handle a little bit of salt – any more and it becomes poisonous to them. Sodium toxicity happens if your pet has overeaten salt.
One of the signs of salt toxicity is dehydration. If you see your pet drinking a lot of water or peeing a lot, she may have had too much salt.
Another common herb used for making pesto is oregano. While this herb isn’t poisonous to cats, it may cause some tummy problems. Besides throwing up and diarrhea, too much of this herb could easily hurt your cat’s liver.
Conclusion:
Well, let’s find out! Pesto is a yummy green sauce we love on our pasta, but it’s not the best for our furry friends. Some things in pesto, like garlic and salt, are not good for cats. They can make your cat feel sick.
Also, cheese and pine nuts in pesto can upset your cat’s tummy. But don’t worry, not everything in pesto is bad. Things like olive oil and basil are okay for cats to have a little bit of.
Remember, cats are delicate, and new foods can make them feel unwell. It’s best to keep your cat on her usual diet to keep her healthy and happy.
So, next time you’re eating pasta with pesto, make sure your cat doesn’t get a taste! Keep your pesto safe and finish your pasta before your cat can try to sneak a bite. Remember, Can Cats Eat Pesto? The answer is no because it doesn’t have anything that helps your cat stay healthy.
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